Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-04-19

bound up in her; and although h,
had the reputation among hi
neighbors Of being "close," in hi
business transactions, he was never
theless kind hearted and generou
too, in his way. This morning
however, he had something of i'm
: portance to communicate.
81 didn't tell you last evening,
he said, "that / had already haC
some talk with Southwell abou
that land. He wouldn't listen t.
q cent under $4,000 then, and
wouldn't offer more than $500
lie came over this morning to see
me, and has offered to split the
difference. Amt that a bargain
though! A little better than spend.
ing money for paint and paper
hey, Jennie! Oh" he said, rising
to go, 81 came near forgetting to
tell you, Powers is here. He wants
to hire out through harvest.
have hands enough, but I suppose
tho more help / have the better l
shall get along, so told him to go
right to work. / don't suppose he
has been to breakfast, yet, his
folks are so slack; so you might
set on bit for him to eat. Try
and have the lunch ready by half
past nine you can blow the horn,
and / will send one of the men
down for it,"
Poor Jennie! 1t was like the last
straw that broke the camels back.
She struggled hard, but the tears
would come. Mr.. Graham turned
back and came instantly to her side,
when he saw that she was in troub-
lie. "What is the matter, dear I"
he asked compassionately, while
his large kind hand glided down
her hair with soft caressing touch.
There was no answer, and the tears
only came faster.
"If you are not feeling well, /
will slip down and get Miranda
Powers to come up and help you.
l guess I'd better any way, hadn't
Ip
Mrs. Graham mastered her emo
ton with an effort. "Oh, no ~ she
snid. "There isn't anything the
matter, only I'm a little nervous
this morning"
Mr.. Graham he,itated /; he was
not entirely satisfied with this ex-
planation. !
"There!" she said. "Now do
go along to your work, or / shall
be foolish enough to cry again."
aud indeed, she looked as if she
might. Hiram Graham had faint
idea IS to what the matter was,
and was very willing to do as che
bade him. He felt considerably
annoyed that his wife could not see
the advantage, Of this proposed |
that would add so ma
terially to their mutual prosperi-
ty. And then he began to wonder
what she was thinking so silently
about, while she stood looking off
toward the distant hill. A little |
jealousy crept in with the thought.
The owner Of that fine mansion
bad once been formidable rival of
his. There could have been no
reason for her choice, but the one
she so shyly confessed to him, in
the soft twilight of a summer even
ing ten years ago. How proud
and happy he felt. He vowed that
that she should never want for any
thing which his labor could pro-
cure. But he had changed since.
He had but little to commence life
with; they had to practise such
rigid economy, and to watch every
iollar so close, to he able to meet
'he payments on their homestead
hat he had learned to love money,
not so much for the good it could
purchase as for its own cake
When he came in to dinner, follow
ID by q troop of hands, he could
lot help noticing how flushed and
ired she looked, but she was as
'heerful as ever. The morning
loud had passed; and with the
weet spirit of self-sacrifce that
characterized her, she had buried
ler dead hopes, and taken up the
burden Of life again as best she
could.
Hiram Graham was not ignorant