Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1881-02-23


tleman came in, and what passed be-
tween them in the hour that followed
only himself and Susie knew. But
when he went away at length his
blond face was deeply flushed and
the shapely hand which toyed with
his yellow moustache trembled with
rage and disappointment. Susie's be-
trothal ring glittered on the carpet, a
target for King Charles intrusive gam
bols, and the girl sat before the table,
her young head bowed upon her white
arms over which her heavy hair hung
like sable cloud. She was weeping,
too; not loudly, not with the insane,
hysterical gusts of passion which some
women affect to parade their wrongs
and woe, but with the long subdued
sobs of grief she meant to bear nobly
and alone.
In words her lover had only post
poned their marriage indefinitely, but
his manner toward her was changed,
and she knew that PAMELA had judged
the man rightly and foretold but the
humiliating truth. Her girlish idol
was scattered, that was all, but it was
very, very bitter.
AS she sat there thus, something
came through the open window with
a gentle rush and fell upon her cold,
clasped hands.
She lifted up her bowed head and
saw only cluster of oleander bios
SONS, pink and cool and lovely, tangled
in her heavy, black curls.
Indignantly she glanced at win
dow directly opposite-the window OF
the tall house on the other side of the
alley. But she saw only the blooming
oleander trees behind the fluttering
curtains and the glimpse of a large,
gaunt man with ragged brown beard
and entirely brown hair, bending
thoughtfully over huge volume that
lay upon great mahogany desk.
"The hateful man." she thought,
II suppose he saw the tableau and
pantomine and had inferred something
not complimentary to my silly self.
l should congratulate Mr.. Searles for
his gallantry."
Susie's neighbor-this Mr.. Searles-
was her bette noire, the torment of her
daily existence. For a few hours
every afternoon for months they had
been vis-a-vi,, be busy with his books
before his desk, and she manipulating
mock roses and lifeless pansies, until
at last he had come to assume ac-
quaintance as something assured and
altogether undeniable, and many a
time she had found a bouquet of fresh
flowers or a basket of choice, rich
fruit, waiting for her on her window
edge early in the morning.
Susie had a vast respect and con-
siderable liking for her eccentric
neighbor, but nevertheless, she scarce
ly appreciated his last manifestion
of devotion. A baby bewailing a
broken toy might be comforted by
pelting of flowers, but young lady
Inundated by the conduct of a rene
gade lover desires very different ex-
hibition of sympathy.
1.-THE disagreeable creature" she
muttered, 81 dare say he heard every
word, and is laughing at my folly"
In her girlish resentment Susie for
got to grieve for the faithlessness of
Dion De We're, and she was quite
calm when presently her sister came
to the room.
81 suppose it has happened just as
l predicted" said PAMELA, in her
harsh, unsympathetic tones.
Hardly that, DEAR" replied the
girl, choking back sob that she
might speak lightly; "but we have
decided to delay our marriage for
another year."
"Ah, just as l thought" croaked
PAMELA; "aud, Susie, that marriage
will never be. At least" she sup
plemented, II shall never live to see
it,"
Pamela Aldrich prophesied truly
then, for before the year had gone
she died, and Susie was left alone.
1t was sad time for the girl. Her
betrothed husband came to her only
once, and then the few words he
meant for comfort seemed to her like
a mockery. And yet she knew be
was fond of her as he could be Of
anything except himself and the for
tune that had come to him. AND
when he spoke to her of his affection
81 xLo.r lo1o.al IL l. Ill