Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-12-27
As he passed on he muttered I

"a Queen ! OF, better yet, q wom-
an she's worth seeking; and l
shall lose no more time"
Five minutes later he came upon
his friend and said:
Bracket, if you'll present me
to Miss Copeland you may count
upon me in the futnre in any emer-
gency."
"Hello Z" calculated Rolly, sur
prised at the abssnse of GsyPs
wonted languor. "Have you recu-
perated since yesterday! What's
to pay anyhow never saw you
80 wide awake in my life"
"Never mind, Rolly. Don't
speculate. You know that 1t was
curiosity that made all the trouble
in the world"
"All right, old fellow, I've moth
ing to say. knew you would
come to it when you bad seen her,"
Maud Copeland's eyes looked
frankly into Gayl Farnsworth's, and
she extended her hand without re-
serve or affectstion. Her cordial
smile had nothing Of the fashiona-
BILE simper in it. Somehow, her
directness, her fearlessness caused
an unwonted thrill In bis bosom.
Then followed boating and drives
and the German. BY sort Of tacit
understanding, the beaux and the
bellies OF lesser prowess withdrew
from the list, so that they were al
most unavoidably thrown together
most Of the time.
Even the casual observer remark
ed new light in Gayrs eyes while
he bent over his partner to fan her
after the heat OF the dance, and q
new grace in his movements when
she hung on his arm. The good ma
natured smiled in sympathy
Those who were piqued at having
to "play second fiddle" shrugged
their shoulders and said:
"Let 'em fight it out |"
Rolly Backett rubbed his hands
and said: ....
"Gayl's a goner-hooked through
the gills, by Jove. told him so
but he would not be wsrned.-
First time / wanted to present him
he yawned in my face. He had
not seen her then. When he did
he came to me, stark, staring mad !!
Took the very worst way, and he's
been failing ever since. Fellows,
/ claim your thanks. You know
there didn't any OF you stand a
show in any quarter until / laid
him on the shelf. Fgsd he was
worse than ali italian count with
seventeenth Spain -
Although he gathered all this
from faces with the corners OF the
mouth sometimes drawn up and
sometimes drawn down, according
to the position Of the owner, and
from Rolly's rattling tongue, Gay
kept OH with self-continued indiff-
erence, until one evening he rested
on his oars in the middle Of the
lake, with Maud in the stern sheets,
trailing her taper fingers in the
water, and the moonlight streaming
over all.
"Miss Copeland" he said, 9Th,
first day of our acquatance l over
heard YOU remark that the mar
who married You must be able to
command circumstances, himself
and you. / have thought Of tha'
a great many times since, and now
| wish to say to you that thus fal
circumstances have presented moth
| ing formidable to overcome, but
have taken tolerable good care o
myself that is to say, / have KEEP
myself aloft from most Of the vice
that men with as much money t
spend as I have generally fall into
With such antecedents is 1t ego
tism to fancy that l possess tn
other qualificstionsi VIII yo1
let me try to command youi"
He reached forward and took tb
, hand that lay listlessly in her laI
Did he feel slight prsssurei A
any rate it was not withdrawn. 1
i, an instant he was on one knee 9
her feet.
"Niaud," he said, in low tom
: vibrant with suppressed passion
81 love you"
r Eagerly he sought to look INF
r her averted face. Suddenly 81
: turned it toward him, with thri