Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1875-12-29

complexion brilliant, but her man
ners were tinged with the utmost
sadness. "She has the air Of q
martyr" Thomas Gibbs observed
whereat Snaggles' clerks all nodded
their heads afiirmatively, though
they hadn't an idea what it meant
but it sounded well and seemed ro-
mantle. When the clerks were in
troduced to Miss Leonora Snaggles,
she raised her eyes with strange
ly sad look, bowed gravely, and
lowered them in such way as to
display to advantage the fine firing
es of her eye-lashes. "By Jove,"
affirmed Gregory, "that look of
hers and that way of hers are just
stunnin'."
And so Miss Snaggles was placed
upon her. throne--a position occu-
pied with dignity and grace, though
she did not always make change
right, and seemed at times not
quite as absorbed as she might
have been in her business, but sat
often for hours at time reading
poetry and devouring novels and
munching at cholate drops, for
which, by the bye, she was contin-
ually dispatching the errand boy,
Quiggs. But whenever she did,
SnGggles' clerks thought bewitch-
ing; and she, keeping them at a
distance, yet had them all her de-
voted slaves, ready, II need be, to
throw themselves in the East River
or drown themselves at Coney Is
land, SO great was their admiration
for the dark-eyed beauty. Greg
ory was sure she was desperately
taken with him, and that was the
reason of her fondness for poetry
and candy; whilst Gibbs rejoiced
in his secret heart that he was such
a stylish well-dressed fellow, it was
no wonder all the girls liked him.
But old Snaggles was a great spy
upon Leonora, and often spoke
sharply to her about mistakes in
her accounts, and darkly limited at
the banishment of poetry and nov
els from the desk, whereat his
daughter would sometimes burst
into tears, and disappear amidst
the sympathetic regards Of Snag-
gles' clerks. One day Snaggles
limited at something which set
Gregory and Gibbs frantic.
"You foolish girl, you T. said the
enraged man--Snaggles we mean
as he stopped at the desk, and alb
stracted volumn of Owen Mere
dith from Leonora's hands. "Here
you've been two months in this store,
and it hasn't cured you yet. I'll
leave you alone to your fate-pov-
erty and tomfoo!ery, Miss Snaggles.
Yes, I repeat, poverty and tomfool-
cry" And Snaggles' angry hand
having caught at the blue and gold
volumn of poetry, and throws 1t
violently across tho store, and it
landed on the Uranium of Quiggs,
who stood by one of the counters
busting the books. Quiggs started
abruptly, and an angry flush stole
over his face. Leonora lifted up
her fearful eyes arl smiled benign
" upon him. She was always good
and condecending! The end of
this was the disappearance OF
Miss Snaggles' for two whole
days, and the reinstatement of
her father at the desk and mean
while Gregory and Gibbs were
sure that Leonora was in love with
both of them. Snaggles knew it,
and, pursc-proud fellow that he
was, objected to them on account
of their poverty; hence the mel
ancholy, the poetry and candy,
Miss Snaggles tears and disappear
ance, "She must soon choose be-
tween u.s." said Gregory fiercely
to Gibbs.
"That she must" returned Gibbs
arranging his cravat at one Of the
show case windows.
"She smiled at me sweetly four
days ago." from Gregory.
"She smiled at Quiggs just be-
fore she left the store," from Gibbs
"Quiggs, indeedl" And Gregor,
laughed contemptuously.
At the end Of two days Mis-
Leonora Snaggles came into th'
store for some note paper.