Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-02-28


rabee, with sigh that set all the bugles on
her gown to jngling g She Is one OF those
helpless women. Now, think that II were
thrown upon my own resources could do
something or other to win my bread and but
terri
~ don't believe you could pass the Vasssr
examination said Mr. Partridge bluntly.
"Ah, but / have not had Ellen's adyan-
tages," cried the lady, In expostulation. "She
has been studying year, just to be really, and
yet she has failed utterly"
" Love affairs are apt TO interfere wi h stud
les said Mr.. Partridge with short laugh.
Ellen now came toward the piazza, big
bouquet OF roses In her hand and the old span
iel pattering along at her side.
"Poor Beppon said Mr.. Partridge,
$50 he has made friends with you, Miss
Ellen' He is faithful old dog, and
misses the petting that his mistress used
me particularly, but he has taken a liking to
you, evidently. Don't let him annoy you.n
40, Ellen Is fond of animals" said Mrs.
Larrabee. "What! these roses for mei You
really are too generous, Mr.. Partridge, and l
must give this one back" She fastened the
yellow rose on the lapel Of the old gentleman's
coat with sprightly, coquettish smile, while
| he submitted and looked a triie foolish.
Then he led them back into the house,
| guiding them first into large room, lined
| from floor TO ceiling with books save over the
mantel- shelf, where there hung portrait OF
an elderly sweet-faced woman. This is my
| library" he said, hating and glancng with a
comical smile at Ellen. "a dreadful place for
| ayoung lady like you, who cannot be learned,
isn'titl But don't be alarmed won't so
much as show you an arithmetic. "This," he
continued, opening door, lis the music
| room. My boy was very fond OF music. OF
course you play and sing, Miss Ellen"
Eyes; but not WE'LL" she replied. 81 have
no talent for anything In particular. begin
| to think / am very mediocre"
"What can't you execute any of those
wonderful fnger-gymnas lest Can't you
MARBLE an Italian aria! Upon my word, l
didn't suppose there was such an ignorant
| young lady left In the world. Well, sit down
and sing something or other for me. assure
| YOU am almost as unlcarned as you are, II
| not quite; SO l shall not be critical"
Ellen was not In the least afraid of him, for
| IL she was deficient In mathematics she was
not in mother-wit, and she understood his
| feigned horror at her ignorance. So she
seated herself at the piano, calm and conf
| dent, and sang one of those ballads that old
gentlemen like George Reed Partridge always
| love to hear. AS he sat and listened and
looked at her, she reminded him OF his dead
| wife, She, too, had once just such soft brown
hair and eyes; she, too, had often sung this
| very ballad. Memories stole over him of sweet
| by-gone days, and the lines OF his face soft
ened, and the merry twinkle In his eyes was
quenched. When the last notes OF the ballad
| faded away, he came and laid his hand on
Ellen's shoulder. "Thank you you sang that
| very sweetly, my child" said he.
| She glanced up In his face, and saw what
was written there and quick tears came to her
| eyes She understood that she had touched
some chord Of his heart. She pitied the lonely
| old man.
''Ellen would have very good voice il 1t
were only cultivated said Mrs. Larrabee
at suits me just as 1t is" said Mr. Part
ridge, almost roughly.
He did not ask her to sing again, and, after
| Mrs Tarra haa
| declared that 1t was time for them to return
| to the hotel. Mr.. Partridge thereupon ordered
| the carriage, and 1t was soon driven up to the
| door, The three miles TO Poughkeepsie were
accomplished in short time, and the two
ladies found themselves once more alone In
the hotel.
"He is a very nice old man, but self-made
and quite unpublished Rather coarse some of
his speeches were," said Mrs. Larrabee, as she
united her bonnet-strings. ''Still, / am glad
we went there, aud will say that he treated
us very well. 1t must be very lonely for him
living there by himself In that great house.
suppose when he dies he will leave all his
property to charity. Now, IL Jack Grantley
had ever had particle Of sense, he might have
been the adopted son to-day of one of the rich.
est men in the State; but of course he ran
counter to his uncle's wishes"
ellis uncle." cried Ellen.
Eyes, his uncle. MIR. Partridgeis his uncle.
lie said so himself this very afternoon"
flushed checks. Aunt, you surely did not
| tell him about us!'
"Whyno said Mrs. Larrabee, Grossly. 81
am sure everybody in Chicago knows about
you. II is no secret. How could II be when you
have both acted so foolishly. But Mr.. Part.
ridge does not like Jack, so there is no need
to suppose that he will help him. Jack offend
ed him years ago, just as Jack offended every
body. by his blunt ways. hope, Ellen, that
you will give up moping over him and settle
| down N sOmpthinU-OnlV UOO1nNss kuOwa
what you can settle down to.
~ shall not be burden to you long,
trust" said Ellen, proudly.
Don't be foolish, child, her aunt rejoined,
empty words won't help you any, Ring the
bell for some iced water and tell the waiter to
bring the bill and have carriage ready for
us tomorrow morning at half-past eight. /
wish The journey back to Chicago were over,
though don'tknow what your uncle will say
when he sees us and hears Of your examina-
tion."
Mr.. Partridge, meanwhile, had driven back
to his stately, lonely home. He passed through
| the MUSHROOM, where open on the piano lay
the ballad that Ellen had sung, He put it
away IT, the rack and closed the piano gently,
then walked on into the library and seated
himself by the empty fireplace. Mechanically
he drew cigar from his pocket and lighted It.
The white smoke floated up over the portrait
of his dead wife, and through the film her face
seemed to look down at him with a new and
| tcUutT CUlTcdtNs DcppO otOlC iulO lHC IOOui
and thrust his nose against his masters hand.
This seemed to rouse Mr.. Partridge, and he
rose and went to the table whereOn lay the
vsiting-card that Mrs. Larrabee had left In
the corner was written her address, '436 Wor-
| rail- Ayenue,n lie fingered the card irresO-
lutely. 1.-TWO doors below; that would be
number 1885," he said to himself. And then he
sat down and wrote a letter, which, although
it was very short, caused him much reflection.
week or ten days after Mrs Larrabee had
| Nf, u, rtI
afternoon stroling over the lawn toward the
house, when his attention was attracted by a
young man coming down the road. The
day was hot and the dust thick and
The pedestrian walked slowly, carrying
his straw hat in his hand Arrived OPP
posite the big iron entrance gates, the
stranger paused and looked about him, then
| wiped the perspiration from his brow, made a
vain attempt to brush the dust off his coat,
and put his hat upon his head with o resolute
gesture that made Mr.. Partridge smile. That
gentleman seated himself upon a rustic seat
in the shade Of clump OF cedars, and waited
for the young man. When the latter came up
the graveled path, Mr. Partridge, without
stirring, called out, 'Jack"'
The young man stopped, saw Mr. Partridge,
and crossed over 10 where he sat. swell,
Uncle George, how are your he said, as he
held out his hand. "You sent for me, and
here i am"
ayes, see you are," said Mr.. Partridge.
| "Did you walk all the way from ChlcaRot lie
added.
~ could have done so, suppose, IL had
taken the time" Jack replied, "but / con.
tented myself with doing the three miles from
town on foot"
Mr. Partridge looked at his nephew's hot
face and then at his dusty boots. at isn't
just the day that / should have chosen for a
tramp" he observed. "Come up to the
house; Il is cooler there, and you need some-
thing to wash the dust out OF your throat"
"nalf way across the lawn, Jack stopped.
"You have cut down the big oak tree ~ he OK
claimed.
"Had TO-" his uncle replied, tersely. at
died. You and Ned used To be forever climb
ing 1t when you were boys, didn't you"
Jack nodded, but made no reply. It sad.
dcned him TO think of Ned, and he walked on
in silence, noting the changes that time had
wrought In the place that he had once known
so well. Mr.. Par ridge, too, said nothing un-
I'll they had entered the house, and then his
| voico soundcd a little husky. Gle he 90 into