Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-02-02


All, good evening to you agen !
So you brought the proof, then, eh !
"Macbeth, Mr.. Hurbert Villiers."
Yes, that's better, must say. Now,
what'll you take Hot whisky 7
Right What no there, Polly my
dear Two fours of Irish warm
for me and this other gentleman
here. =
cNet half bad tipple, is IT. my
boy I 'Taint often I drink from
choice, but + fancy drop Of Irish
warm .softens and meliers the voice.
So you liked my Claude last night,
you sayl 2 Well it's fairish, they all
allow but I'm getting too old and
lat for the lover business now.
All, well, / mustn't complain, /
suppose. i can stick to the heavy
line, and I've got few browns put
by, you know, in that old stocking
O. mine tho, mind you, with a
company near a dozen strong, or
quite, if business is slack, tits a
tightish fit when it comes Satur-
day night.
See some queer things, we trav-
cling folk I Well, yes, that's per-
fectly true :: Why, twas only now
while sitting here, smoking and
waiting for you, l was thinking
over a curious scene you may have
heard about, that shows how the
real thing, after all, beats acting
out and out. % II
know it's true, for it all took
place under my eyes, you know.
Lets see, twas at-yes, at Doncas-
&rAabout two years ago, me and
the missus was sitting down at our
lodgings one day at tea, when the
slavey told.me a lady had calrd,
and wanted to speak to me. =
"Show her up here" / says; for
/ thought, "Tis one of our folks
look'd round to ask me something
about tonight ButI waswrong,
i found for there enter'd, blush
ing up to her eyes, shrinking trem-
ulous, coy, a lady I'd never seen be-
fore, with charming little boy.
A beautiful blonde she was, not
more than two-and-twenty or so,
with witching eyes OF q lustraus
brown, but, alb, how full Of woe ;
and she and her boy were dressed
in black, and she wore in mournful
mood on her fiaxen hair, that was
tinged with gold, the weeds of wild
owhood.
She took, the chair / gave her,
and spoke in a1ow sweet VOICE.
could see that she was a lady born
she seemed SO gentle and nice; she'd
had some knowledge of the stage
as amateur, she said, and could /
give her something to do to find her
boy in breadi
"Oh, that's how the wind lays, is
itr / thought. "Well, p'r'aps l
might do worse: II she only acts
as well as she looks, she'd nicely
line my purse ; and 1 took good
stock in her as she sat with her boy
beside her chair, and stroked with
dainty tremulous hand his bonnie
golden hair.
Bit by bit her story came out.
Long back her mother had died,
and left her, an only child, to be her
fathers darling and pride: He was
in the law, and thought to be rich,
and Was in high repute, but, ali, he
died a ruined man, and left her
destitute.
Then the only relative she had
On aunt, who was well to do-had
taken her in, and had found her a
wealthy sutton, too. But she loved
another sailor lad-who, like
herself, was poor; and when they
married, her naughty aunt had
her from her door.
They were very happy at first,
she said, and her voice was fearful
and low, but, alb, she had lost her
husband too-he was drowned four
months ago; his ship was wrecked,
and AL were lost; and now, in her
need and care, she'd no one left in
all the world but her little Charlie
there.
And here she dropped her head,
poor girl, and her voice was choked
With sighs-hem, hem, confound
The smoke; how it gets in a fellows
throat and eyes. Then she finished
her tale: she felt at first all stunned
md dazed, she said; and even to