Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-01-05
A Romance of Hard Work.


"Raymond Thurston, believe
you are insane"
AS Amabel spoke, her voice had
sharp ring of pain as well as an
ger. She was very proud Of her
brother-proud of his handsome
face, proud of his talents-and as
she considered he was about to de-
grade himself socially if not NOR
ally, by the stand he had announced
himself to have taken. Seeing her
passionate outcry had not moved
him, she said, pleadingly:
"Have you no pride left7 You
who had all the old Thurston pride
oncew -
81 have just so much pride left,
Amabel," he answered, "that !
cannot sit here eating the bread OF
idleness another day"
"You know you are more than
welcome here"
81 do know it. I appreciate your
husbands kindness at its full value,
Amabel. / hope the day will come
when 1 can prove it. And sis, /
am only too thankful that you have
his true love and strong arm now,
when we have lost so much. Now,
darling, don't try to hold me back
from honest employment"
"But, Raymond, you can surely
obtain some gentlemanly position ~
81 have been trying faithfully
for six months, you know with
what success. There, don't look at
me so pitifully, It will come right
one of these days."
"I wonder what Bertha Haines
will say when she sees you perched
upon the drivers seat of an express
cart"
For the first time the forced
composure of Raymond's face was
stirred. A dark red flush crept to
his very hair, and he rose and
walked up and down the room.
Glad to have him moved at last, she
said:
"With her aristocratic ideas and
the pride that is Unborn in her fam
lily, she will never recognize you
again, Raymond"
"Then must lose the honor of
her friendship" Raymond said,
hoarsely. "Don't say any more,
Amabel." And unable to bear any
further remonstance he left the
room, and was o little later at the
house.
The Thurston pride OF which
Amabel had spoken, was singing
him sorely, in spite of the brave
face he carried to cover it. He
was a man of %, and his life had
held only the pleasures of wealth,
the opportunities money gives for
the development of intellect, for
twenty-seven of these years. His
parents died when he was q boy
and Amabel, his only sister, Is
years his senior, married before
she was 20, and gave her brother a
home, whenever he was not travel
ing or In some seminary or college.
While he considered himself rich
man, Raymond had accepted this
hospitality as freely as it was offer
ed, and Amabels jewel case, her
husbands library, and her children's
play-room bore witness of her
brothers generosity. But sudden
ly, without warning, there swept
over the country one Of the finan-
cial crashes so Overwhelming in this
land of speculation, and recalled
from Europe by his brother-in-law
informing him that his entire pat
rimony had been swept away. In.
vestments that had seemed to the
young man, ignorant in all business
details, as secure as they were fat
tering, bad fallen to ruin and few
hundred dollars only were left o
what had been a noble fortune.
At first Raymond did not real
lied the extent Of his misfortune
He was still young, well educated
in perfect health, and certainly tn
world had some niche where h
could earn an honest living. Blu
weeks Of seeking for imploymen
gave him a kccner knowledge Q