Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-03-07

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black hair crowned her head anC
gave depth to her gray eyes
Herndon lay on the sand at a littl,
distance, his hands under his head
his pipe In his mouth. "By Jove ?
he said to himself, "she is almos
handsome" (But she was not; i
was only the flro-light and the
night.)
At nine o'clock the woman rose
She had sat quietly enough under
his gaze, occasionally replying tc
his desultery remarks, and he felt
somewhat vexed women generally
either turn away from or toward
his look; they did not sit unmoved
like that. 81 suppose it is because
she is so religious" he said to him.
self.
1t had grown very dark, and the
wind began to moan through the
pines. perhaps you had better
not stay out there tonight" said
Herndon.
at is quite safe," said the womn,
going on with her preparations as
usual. Then she stepped into the
canoe and pushed it off with her
paddle. "Mr. Herndon," she said,
standing outlined in the fire-light
against the darkness of the water
behind, shave You entirely exoner-
ated me from all inclination to in
sist upon that marriage service
that was spoken over US, on
account of your name or fortune,
whatever they may be ?"
81 have indeed" said Herndon,
warmly. 81 am ashamed of myself
for ever having thought SO, Miss
Miriam"
~ am very glad; thank you.
And l have one more thing to say (:
you need not have been afraid, for
i am married already" And the
canoe went out into the darkness.
The next morning, when he
awoke, a cold fine rain was pouring
steadily down. He felt very un-
comfortable in his damp blankets,
and rose. The fire was out. He
looked seaward; the canoe was
gone. Miriam had left him in the
night, taking the boat with her.
She would reach the Sault twelve
hours before him, since it was slow
walking by the beach. "Why did
she do it" he said, angrily. He
drew off his coat, and went down
to the lake to bathe his face and
hands. When he came back, some
thing caught his eye. Pinned to
the inside of the garment was the
half sheet of paper upon which he
had watched her writing. "She
must have come in to shore and
placed it there while | was asleep"
he thought. And this is what he
found:
81 have taken the canoe and
gone to the Sault; when you reach
there, ! shall have gone. There is
no use searching for me; shall
not be found. Besides, you have
no rights over me, l am married
already; and have rights over
you, for / saved your life. Do as |
ask you, then; make no attempt to
find me, either now or at any time ;
l assur you it will be time lost.
81 hate hypocrisy. Therefore l
wish to say that it was not religious
enthusiasm or self-sacrifice that
made me try to save you when
Ruth failed. (For she did fail ;
you can never alter that.) | ,cdS
religious-once. had deep relig-
ious enthusiasms-once. / was
capable of making just such a sac
rifice for doomed criminal-once.
But that was long ago-before l
loved you!
eyes, Richard Herndon, ] loved
you, / love you now. But through
all the complications and tempta-
tions of my fate l am coming out
right; ] am leaving you forever.
"Go back to Ruth If You like I;
/ do not care, nor shall | know.
For / cannot marry you If ! would,
being a wife, at least in name, al
ready; and l would not if / could.
being very proud. For you did
not love me first, Richard 7; there
fore you shall not love me last.
MIRIAM"
Richard Herndon sat down on
his wet blankets in the rain, and
thought. Then he rose, cooked his
breakfast, packed his traps, and
set off on his long beach walk to
the Sault.
"Those gaunt, dark, hollow-eyed
women are the very ones for this
sort of thing" he said to himself,
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