Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-07-05


II you have been fool enough 70
ask him, you may get out Of the
scrape the best way you can -
But, mother"
Il don't want any more discus
sion on the subject" said Mrs.
Hopgood, dabbling away with the
brush.
And Alexander went ont, slam
ming the door.
by George - quoth Alexander
Hopgood 10 himself, IF / can't ask
a friend TO my home, there's at
least the alternative ofinviting him
to a hotel. ! never did such thing
before, but l don't see how else /
can manage
So Alexander entertained Mr..
Ryerson 81 the hotel, and gave an
unlimited order for champagne and
dessert, and the upshot Of it al
was that Alexander Hopgeod wac
brought in at IL o'clock at night
by two of the walters, hopeless in
toxicated.
Don't be f-ffraid, mother :"
suffered be, brandishing an empty
bottle, IS be became dimly con-
scious Of her white, scared face
bending over him. $50 on with
your washing! It's a deal iollier
at the hotel than il Is az home
Freedom forever. Hoo-oo-ray :"
80, what shall i do :" sobbed
Mrs. Hopgood, when the walters
were once more out Of the house,
and the roll Of the cab wheels had
died away. ITO think-only to
think-that a son of mine should
ever disgrace himself thus :"
"It's your own fault, mother, said
Benny, the second son. "You
wouldn't let Ally bring his friend
here"
Hold your tongue :" sharply re-
torted Mrs. Hopgood, wincing be-
meath the prick Of this home thrust.
"Call Elsie, l need her help"
80, mother :" piped Fannie, the
youngest girl, running down stairs
in frantic haste, "Elsie amt here :"
"Not here :"
"No, mother; she hasn't been to
bed at all-and there's a note on
her table directed to you"
"Open it, mother" said Isaac
Hopgood, husky. "This is doom
ed night for our household. To
think our house has become so dis
tasteful to our children that they
fly from it like rats from falling
house :"
Elsie's note was short enough
II read:
Dear mother Il am tired Of
living in the kitchen. / have run
away with John Elton, and before
YOU see me again / shall have en-
tered upon a new future.
ELSIE"
Mrs. Hopgood broke out into
wild, hysterical sobbings.
Mr.. Hopgood read the hurriedly
scrawled paper with face cold and
SET like steel.
run away with John Elton"
be repeated slowly. "Poor Elsie!
then God help her. For he is as
great a villain and scoundrel as
ever lived"
cit wasn't my fault, Isaac," Sob
bed Mrs. Hopgood, rocking herself
backwards on q chair into which
she had dropped.
at was your fault" retorted her
husband, almost savagely. "You
made the very name of home a
mockery to your children; you
shut up your soul inside of a scrub
bing-pail and now you are reap
ing the bitter harvest"
OF course poor Alexander Hop
good was unable to lift his throb-
bling head from the Pillow the next
day, and his mother never left him
until afternoon.
When at last she came down
stairs, the parlor blinds were thrown
wide open, a food of sunshine
streaming in, the table neatly set
in the pretty dining-room, with
flowers on the table, and new books,
games and puzzles scattered around.
Mrs. Hopgood gazed around with
a bewildered air. She hardly knew
her own home.
"This is the way in which we
must live henceforward, MOTHER"
said her husband, cheerily. "Let
in the light and sunshine; teach