Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-12-05


was SO ordered that might find these girls.
As soon ~ leave you ut the hotel i am
going To have talk with Carl Vogt, who
hear il a truthful, good man, aud shall
10 is only two hours ride-to see Mr.. Wick.
ham, the old clergyman of whom Mrsy
Mason spoke. / shan't see you again till
my return, when will tell you the RESULT"
and he relapscd into thoughtful silence,
which was not broken ON lbs part till we
gained the courtyard, from whence i
FASTENED upstairs to give my friends an
account of our visit, and he departed In
search of the courier.
We heard nothing further till the evening
OF Tuesday, when he entered with joyful
face, and throwing himself into a chair, ef.
claimed;
'It's all right! Pm too tired, and it's too
late to go to Horton Street tonight, but i'm
the morning shall settle the matter with.
out delay. IL would have made you cry TO
hear Carl Voigt describe the bitter grief
and the absolute uncertainty as to their
fate of these two children when he told
them of their fathers death. Claspcd In
each others arms they wept for a time
raised her head and whispered: Lucille,
God will DO our father. We must trust in
Him. and from that time she was COM
posed, and soothed her sister, and listened
attentively to all he had to tell or suggest.
The people in the house were much at
taehed 10 them, but unable to help them,
and all they couldd do, for the time, was to
come to their aunt. He said he pitied them
so that il it hadn't been for wronging his
own children, whom he can barely support,
| hs.would have offered them n home with
! hin. 1t seems their father had brother
who now lives In Lucerne, but the two had
some. sdisagrecmcnts and consequent UNI
friendness, and the girls know nothing Of
their uscle."
"AndSiid you go to ThorbyW
''By the first train this morning. It's as
nice q bit of English country as have seen
| looks rs ii il had been finished thousand
| years. Rev. Mr.. Wickham proved to he just
| what he was represented, u kindly gcntle-
lNlan who has spent his life in the parish
fahd knows IL to tho smallest particular.
When he learned my errand he had so much
to tell, and SO many questions Ia ask about
America, that could hardly get away-he
is old now, and doesn't go beyond his gar
den, and visitor from the prairies was a
novelty.
"The substance of the information he gavc
me is this: The Danes belonged to the re-
| spectacle yeomanry of the district, and
were upright, amable people. For two
| generations, however, from one cause ana
another, their means had been growing less,
until, in the present one, the two daughters
| there was no son-hnd to enter the ranks
| OF what he called upper servants Mary
married Charles Mason, a London clerk, Il
! native of Thorby, who soon left her widow.
MuiB uTtl. nc Sulu, WIS tuS DItttitSU XIII IL
the parish, and might have welded mors
than one worthy, substantial farmer, but,
| unaccountable to him, she preferred tho
| Swiss courier she met when travelling as
Lady Vernon's maid on the continent
| never came home, and he feared, had hard
life of il. He said he had felt great com.
passion for her orphan children, and was
| rejoiced ut what proposed to do. / should
| have told you that in addition to tho line
Mrs. Mason gave me on Monday when |
| expressed n desire To call on him, took
| letter of Introduction to him from my
| banker, so he knew | was no impostor. His
last words to me were: MAY Tod reward
| you. / never saw Vallot, but il these girls
are anything like their mother, you will
not regret bcfriending them.'
$50 it's settled" he concluded, striking
| his hands togethcr--a favorite gesture with
| him when no wished to be emphatic, "and
as 1 said yesterday, know now why /
came to Europe. Pve had more pleasure
these two days than in the whole year
gone. Since L came back L have written
and maileda letter to my wife for to.mor-
rows steamer telling her what have in
view, so that she and Tom may not he too
much surprised; and photographed to Liver.
| pool for an extra berth, for of course shall
| give up my statcroom To the girls. In tho
| morning shall have them over here to stay
till we leave. Now i must bid you good
night, for Pm rs tired as il I'd been riding
| all day over my farm"
"Great-hearted Illnoisian!" murmured
after him as he shut the door, ''you arc a
noble representative of the prairie king.
dom, and may you reapa bountiful harvest
| for your generous sowing"
| Few ceremonies were necessary for the
removal of these almost friendless orphans.
| At eight o'clock the next morning saw
| Mr.. Ieveridge drive away from the hotel,
and before noon he returned bringing them
| and their aunt. "Here are my girls" he
| cried as he ushercd them in. Mrs. Mason
came forward like one in a dream. IL am
very thankful for the childrcn's sake" she
said, 'but am 81 put about and overcome
| by it all that can hardly believe what has
| happened. Ii YOU could know how anxious
| | have been for them and Margaret,
soft-voiced Margaret, holding her sister by
the hand said with fearful eyes; GLOW
strangely this has come to pass After |
sent up my name tn you Monday morning
| was frightened Mt what | had done, AMI
| Thought YOU would think me bold and iii
trusivc. Now what friends it has gained
US! God must have guided me-" She was
quiet, trustlul, and almost awcd by their
| good. fortune, while Lucille looked simply
| happy and cXpcctant.
| There was surely no buster man in Lon
don than Mr.. l,cvcridgc fer that anil the
succeeding day-~oonsulting with Mrs. Ma
son u to the wardrobe of her nieccS, and
| going with them to purchase what was re-
quircd. "Ncvcrmnd GOWNS and bonncts,"
| | heard him say; we can get plenty bet
| ter in New York or Chicago; all we want
now is comfort on the way;" ordering warm
wraps for the voyage, aud trunks for pack
| ing their old AMI new belongings; taking
| no end of trouble about u suitable cage for
u canary some one mt the pension had given
| Lucille, and which she was unwilling tn
| leave behind; advising and aiding Mrs.
Mason In her own small affairs, bringing
| good Carl Noigt over for n farewell dinner
| with his young friends and sending him
home with substantial gifts for his children
| these and score of things besides filled
up every moment of the time till Friday
morning, when he took the sisters on board
the express train for Liverpool. 1t was
| hurried, hopeful parting. Wcall cried and
all laughed and all said: "God bless you."
and thus they rolled away tn theip new life
! in q now land, and !, as won't back to the
hotel, under tho great vault of the Charina
| Cross Station, said to myself:
| For its many d dark and a wild, cloudy morn
| ing,
| Turns out, ere the noontimc, a sunshiny day.
When we reached New York, two months
later, we found letter from Mr.. Levcridgo
telling of their prosperous journey, and
how kindly the girls had taken to their new
homo, and what constant satisfaction no
had i'm their presence and cOppanionship.
"Margaret," he wrote, already interests
herself in everything about the place, and
all who see her speak of herrcsemblance to
| Anne; Lucille Is as merry as n hooking
much attached tn them both that tell them
/ shall soon be of no account in the house."
Inclosed was note from Margaret, oouchod
in terms of religious gratitude for the
bountifui homo and tho tender lovo and
care she and her sister had found. "Wha.
can we ever do to repay these generous
frendsY she asked; ~ could not have be.
levcd there was such delightful spot on
earth as Oak Bluff"
Two or three years passed with an occa-
sional letter of similar purport, when met
at the sea-shore ncighbor of theirs, Mrs.
Benton, whom had formerly known. After
n brief talk about our Oak Hun friends she
said:
"0f course, you have heard the newsy"
emo, What is it"
"Margarct is to be married in October to
Tom Loveridgo, the only son, You know,
and as fine young fellow rs there Is in the
county. His father is greatly pleased, and
is building them charming house ON the
river just above his own, and she Is tn have