Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1882-05-10
TREASURE,

road, with only two or three houses
along its way, so little travelled that the
alder and blackberry bushes grew down
to the wagon track, and the sun-bon-
neted women, who of summer mornings
might be seen gathering the ripened
fruit, would start in surprise at the
sound of wheels. But while these homes
seemed isolated enough, their aspect
was cheerful, convivial even, by contrast
with one that crowned low hill across
the fields. A dark, weather-stained
house, with its face turned obliquely
away from the road, and hidden in q
veil of somber pines, as though seeking
to hide itself from the memory OF some
shame or the stain of some old SORROW
full crime Even the lane, that wonted
thread of communication between re-
tirement and the world, was wanting,
and thus intensified its air of forlorn
solitude Aloof, remote, apart, it stood
tenantless, il would seem, but for the
plume of smoke that crested it, and the
evening lights that shone from its win
dows.
The mystery, however, of its isolation,
like many another apparent mystery, is
easily solved. 1t had beenbuilt to front
a road, now changed OF abandoned SO
long that all trace of its existence had
faded from the hills, and the occupants,
never having been able to acquire, by
purchase, the strip of land that inter-
vened betwixt them and the highway,
had contented themselves with right OF
way through the field, whose slender
trace was hardly observable along the
edge of the stubblc. Neither was the
remote homcstcading' so somber rs it
appeared at distance, Nowhere
meadows waved greener than those
around it, or fruits ripencd sweeter,
than in the wide outlying orchard, or sun
shine fingered later and more golden
than on the little MISUNDERSTANDING pine
shed Enclosure that had once been the
proudly-cherished and tended "front
yard" and that forsaken, neglected, and
doomed TO decay, showed pathetic traces
of its former state. The tall lilac
bushes still lifted on each side the
sunken gate, whose latch had grown
rusty with long disusc. Dallodils,
sweet Williams, larkspurs, and
columbines pushing sturdily through
the sward, showed where trim
borders had edged the walks long eff
day lilacs ilanked the seldom trodden
steps, and filled the still air with faint,
sweet oder. Not that the spot was al
ways deserted. Often, as on one sunny
August afternoon, it held two occtl-
pants, girl sitting on the lower stop
knitting on long white stocking, and a
tall young fellow of eighteen, a we'll
built, handsome boy, lounging on the
grass near by. A yellow haze brooded
over the wooded hills; not a breath of
air was stirring in the pines, only the
tinlklo Of 4 distant sheep-bell and the
buzzing of bee among tho flowers
stirred the perfect quiet. How still it
is!' said the girl, her eyes going over
the pleasant view, while her hands me-
chanically busted themselves with their
task. "Stilr' echoed her companion,
with an accent of scorn. Il should
think il was; one might as well be dead
and buried. You don't know, Treas
ure," his tone growing more impetu-
Gus, show loathe it all; how sick the
thought makes me of being shutup here
among these sitting little hills all my
life, never seeing or knowing anything
more of the world than as if l were
cabbage" Eyes, l know" said she,
with wistful look in her eyes, pale
gray eyes they were, in sallow, irreg-
ular face, but clear and steady, while
her voice was, that excellent thing in
women" soft and low. Eyes, Vou do"
he assentcd bitterly, "and you arc all
the one who knows or cares. Father
thinks ought TO be contented to drudge
my life away, us he has his, but l can't
or won't. Every man has right to n
chance for life and why shouldn't Ip
Treasure, there is such fever burning
here" laying his hand with dramatic
gesture ON his breast, urging me on
and on, something within that tells me
i was born for something higher and
finer than this treadmill around, and
that if l could only measure myself
with other men, could make place
for myself" "Of course you would;'
and Treasure smiled down into his eager,
uplifted face. At that instant loud
call came sounding around the house,
Israel! Israeli five O clock; time to 60
after the cows.'
"There it is" exclaimed the lad, i'm
patiently! "i's forever Israel do
hething-plowing, or hoeing, ormow-
ing, or milking, continually, and I'd
brought my book out and meant to try
and study little" "Never mind"
and Treasure rolled up her knitting rs
she spoke; "my work is all done, / viii
go after the cows and help your father
milk tonight. You can stay here"
and amply repaid by his Treasure You
arc treasure" she ran lightly down
the pasture lane, while Israel, left alone,
after reading few pages, dropped his
book and drifted away into most glD- I
rious day-dream of fame and honorS,
from which he only arousedwhen Trean- |
ure, after bringing in the foaming pats |
Of milk, called him to supper. That
afternoons incident was fair illustrn-
ton of the two young lives blossomipg
in the lonely farm-house-Israel earle,
the only child and son of their old age,
and Treasure Reid, the orphan niece of
Ezekiel earle and his wife Elizabeth.
Eight years before Treasure had come
to them sorrowful, hcart-sick child; in
those years it had become home, in
deed, to her. OF a tenacious, affection
ate nature, she was attached to the gray
old house and every foot of the land
around it. She was fond of her uncle
and aunt, plain, kindly folk, of simple
habits and homely ideas, but the tender
ness of her heart, the full wealth of her
love was lavished on her cousin Israel
Herself energetic, contented, cheerful,
his moody, lounging and impatient UNI
rest, by contrast made tho deeper impress
sion. Frequent as his complaining con-
fidences were, she never heard them
without an admiring awe for what
seemed to her the loftier heights of his
nature. To her his words had the ring
of genuine genius; his talents she never
doubted, and the most dazzling pictures
he drew seemed to her no more than he
could easily achieve. Beside this great
and brilliant mind, she felt how meager
and insignificant was her own, and
what happiness it was that in