Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1877-06-20

part us now," said the interesting
stranger. Selling her hand he kiss
ed it passionately, then turning, rar
toward the river, looked back occa
sionally, however, however, to toss
q kiss to the romantic maiden who
was walking slowly homeward.
Alas, on reaching the cottage she
must come down from the clouds
forget Edward for a while, and at.
tend to commonplace things. Thus
it has ever been since the flood.
"Marcia," said her mother, "take
a basket and run over to Mr.. IIig.
gins and get some groceries you
know what's needed"
"Oh, ma, / detest that onion
scented grocer. What does he
know or care about lover"
"Will love make the pot boil,
you aggravating fooli Go, and do
as l tell you," said her mother,
putting the basket in her hand,
and giving her thirty year old
darling vigorous push toward
the door.
OF course she went-walking
slowly over to the corner grocery.
There was Mr.. Higgins,sure enough
poor victim-busily engaged in
waiting on customers, but seeing
Marcia enter, he left them all to
attend to her.
She had much rather been waited
on by the good-looking clerk.
"Fussy old widower," she thought ;
"how unlike my Edward-how
inferior to him whose image is
stamped on my heart forever.
Mackerel, clothespins, molssses !
She loathed the very name of such
things. Her very soul was absorb
ed with one blissful idea-she loved
and was loved.
"Miss Marcia" said the matter
of-fact grocer, "the basket is heavy
Il shall carry it home for you"
So saying he shouldered it and
beckoned her to follow him. They
trotted along together; he was
silent until a turn of the road hid
the store from view, then he
remarked: ao...t
"Pve been getting some new
furniture for my house, Miss
Marcia; it looks tip top. All 1
want now is wife to go into it
and commence housekeeping. I've
had talk with the widow"
"Oh, my gracious, have you been
proposing for mat" r-tif
"Marcia, don't be silly. 1 don't
want the old woman. You're the
girl I've set my eve on ever since
we'll, ever since poor Huldah died,
and if you've mind to marry me
we'll call it bargain"
Just then they reached the house
and were met at the door by the
widow Brandon, who ushered them
into the small front room, and,
although business was brisk at the
store, the grocer fingered. He was
by no means bashful-oh, no; but
somehow matrimony is ticklish
subject to the most venturesome.-
So he hemmed, and finally said:
"Your daughter, here, is old
enough to know her own mind, /
supposei have asked her to
marry me-" En
sand she has scceptedi" replied
the widow smiling.
"No she HASN'T ! hope she'll
know on which side her bread is
buttered I; it's time she's settled in
life If she's ever going to-" eai
Marcia voted him On old hedge
hog, but she was too old . girl not
to be governed by prudence it
would never do to throw away per-
haps . last chance, and run the
fearful risk of being an "old maid" !"
She remarked that Edward For
rester had said that nothing but
death should psrt them ; 1t WAS we'll
to have "two strings to her bow"
and Just ss we'll to have two beaux
on a string.
Therefore she told Mr.. Higgins
that she would consider his pro-
posal twas too serious . matter
to decide upon hastily, but she
knew by her mother's frown that
there was . rod In pickle for her,
as soon a. he left. As for Mrs.
Brandon she assured Mr.. Higgins
that her dear Marcia Was the