Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-03-13


nothing in it. How should Their
BET Don't be frightened, Rispah.
~ only told you what / saw
Miss" said the gypsy, gathering
up her child and her bundle
"Don't blame the poor gypsy
Good day"
She was off.
"What did she tell you u" aske(
the mother, coming to the door.
"Oh, she told me l should MARI,
dark-haired man and be rich,
said Beulah ; shut she frightened
poor Rispah with stuff abou
graveyards, and l don't know
what !"
"All rubbish" said the mother
"But girls, what is that cloud o
dust down the road! How curiou,
it looks 2"
"There are some people coming
up this way" said Rispah, "and
one man running ahead. Oh,
mother, it's the fran hand, Barker
I'm afraid that dreadful bull has
been tossing some one again Oh,
mother, I'm frightened !"
And now the three women, catch
ing at each others hands, stared
at the man, who, pale and breathless,
came rushing toward them, and
paused and looked within, and said
nothing.
"What is it, Barker :" asked the
mother, trying to speak calmly.
"Oh, ma'am Oh, young ladies {!
they've sent me to break it, but |
haven't the heart! !" gasped poor
Barker. "Master-it's master,
Mrs. Gray.
"What has happened to him !
Tell me-" said Mrs. Gray.
1t was that old Thorn. They
we're quarreling about the three
lot, and the master struck
him first, and he up and struck
master, and master fell and hit his
head on a sharp stone. They say
the doctors say-Oh, my God !
lou't look so misses. The doctor
avs he's-dead,"
"Oh, Beulah Beulah I" scream
d Rispah, "that was what the
gypsy saw dead. Oh, father /!
ather father !" and she fell faint
ng upon the porch.
And her father was dead and in
fleet old Mr.. Thorn had killed him.
o be sure, witnesses proved that
e had only stood on the defensive;
hat he had been struct first; that
he blow was only a light one with
he fist, and that the stone and Mr..
rays own high temper together
ERE chiefly to blame. Old Mr..
horn went unpublished, but Mr..
rays widow called him her hus-
and's murderer, and who could
ontradict her!
Beulah would have wreaked ven
eance on him with her own hands
ad she been able, and Rispah felt
hat, dear as Henry had become to
er, she could never have anything
D do with old Thorn's son. 1t
,ould not be decent even to speak
o him again.
So she turned her face aside
,hen he passed until, one day in
be graveyard, as she knelt plant
n9 rosebursh upon her fathers
rave, someone knelt down beside
er. A voice said, "Rispah," and
boxing up, she saw Henry Thorn.
"Do you do right, Rispah," he
aid, "to punish me for a deed /
ad no hand in7 / would have
.iven my life to save your fathers
.fter my father had struck him.
lie is heartbroken, that he should
ave been the means of his neigh
'or's death. would not blame the
lead-your dead-but the quarrel
vas not of my fathers seeking
nd if it had been, Rispah, why
,lame me?"
81 do not blame you, Henry
he said, "but what we talked of
an never be now. There would
'e something very wicked in the
bought"
"Oh, Rispah, are The living moth
ng9 said Henry.
Then he put bis face close to
lers and his arm stole about her
waist. What could the poor girl
LOT Nothing but hide her face on
lis shoulder and sob.
ave can never be what we were,"
he repeated; shut / cannot blame