Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-07-31

Flynn family the little girl was al
ways mentioned by Mike in hi
rare visits to Bixlerville by he
real name, and Bixlerville good folk
knew that Flynn's LOWRY, VIII,
came now and again with he
bright face aud merry, sloe-blacl
eyes to fetch the doctor, or to d,
some errand for Misery Flat folks
was really and truly Heloise Mas
son, the lost child of some unknown
persons.
One day, few weeks previous
to the opening of our story, Mix,
returned from a visit to Bixlervill,
with two letters, which, in Lowry.
absence he read to his wife. On,
was addressed to the postmaster al
BiNerville, and entreated him to
ascertain, if possible, the where.
abouts of a young girl, Heloise
Mason by name, who was lost of
the steamer -, in the year IS,
and supposed to have been drown
ed, but of whose existence, and in
Bixlerville neighborhood, recent
circumstances had excited stropo
hopes.
The postmaster, upon seeing
Mike, turned the letter over to him,
with also one enclosed, addressed
to Miss Heloise Mason: AS he did
so he said:
ats your Lowizy, Mike. l have
no doubt of it. Maybe there's
money in it, if you manage it sharp.
Nothing like looking out for num-
Der one, you know. More'n likely
these Massons II pay you for her
keep and so on. Leastways you're
her guardian, and as such you've
right 10 see what's in that letter be-
fore she does. Maybe you can
make a good thing out of it. Who
knows
In an evil moment Mike yielded
10 temptation. The letter to He
Disc convinced him that the girl
vas indeed the one sought for by
who had mourned her as
lead through all these years. Just
low to make money out of his
knowledge he did not qnite clearly
zee.
They'll take her away, that's
'ure, as soon as they find out she's
lere," he said to his wife. "And
low are we to get on without Low
1y 2"
What would you do, Mike
Keep the letter from her? Sure,
ou've no right; and it would be
AZ from doing as you'd be done
~"
Fright" echoed Mike, Grossly |
gnoring the latter part of Mandy's
rgument. "Who's better right
han him that's fed and clothed her
hese last seven years Who'll pay
or her keep!
"Sure, sh e's paid as she's gone,
like. Lowizy has been as much
o us as we to her. You cant DENY
hat. Don't do mean thing, Mike
ear. 1t isn't like you, and it'll
ring no luck, though you may
binlS So"
But Mike was blinded with lust
{ lucre. He hid the letters in the
ureau drawer, and made Mandy
OF mention them. He determined
'ithin himself to go not soon again
} Bixlervillc. lie grew moody
nd irritable, and Mandy, seeing
ne change, only become worse, and
ried oftener on her weary pillow,
nd not even Lowizy's bright wits
ould account for the change that
all happened to the pair.
go Mike, Mike, / can't stand it
ny longer" sobbed the invalid up
n the day that Lowry, with her
ink calico, had started to Bixler-
lille. ats killing me, keeping the
iuful secret. It's stealing, and ly-
lg, and cheating, all at once, and
here'll never be a light heart in me
i'll the sin is off my conscience.
'ou're not the lad you were since
be day you brought the letters,
nd it'll come to no good. / was
nat 'fraid she'd blunder on to them
,tters this morning that / gave her
nc crossest and meanest word ever
spoke to her, in my hurry to get
er away from the drawer-and
he's just the mainstay Of the fam
y. 1t cuts me to the heart. Give
up, Mike. Let us live and die
n Misery Flat, if God will, but
ont let us blacken our souls with
sin that is sure To cry ont auainst