Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-03-26
A GREAT TEMPTATION.


nor small; she was beautiful. thinl
(beauty is q hard thing TO define ant
limit, but IL was a beauty of no won
derful or unusual type, and was o. tina
kind which grows on one gradually, a
his knowledge of the posses or of i
grows. There was wealth of swc It
ness and purity shining up in her eyes
which tears could never wash out, anC
the mouth indicated lirmpess and reso
luton, which had its beginning Ions
before tho nights vigil, which had lef
it so sternly agonizcd.
The trouble which had come to Alice
Arnden is Of no unusual kind. 1t is {
sudden sorrow, which has crushed on
all hope in life many times in the past
and will many times in the future u.
long as men and maidcns are p-ouc
and willful. One may say, "Only {
lovers quarrel but one should re
member that there are heart tragedie:
in this world, under the torture o.
which men and women drag ont long
lives without finding peace. To Alice
Arnden it sc med rs though everything
worth having in life was now forever
utterly beyond her hope.
She arose from the scat she had oc
cupied for so long and moved slowly
around her humble room. She had moi
known until she moved how much she
was suffering physically; how cold i
was; how crImped and weary she was
There was really little to do. Her be-
had not been used; her room was in or
der. She had plenty of time 10 prepare
herself for the task of covering her sor
row from the gaze of her friends-i
she could.
She made fire, and into the fire she
remorsely put all the fragments of the
paper which she had spo led in her ef
forts TO write a simple lotter long age
when her sorrow was new. Long ago:
Last night! Happiness gives wings Of
lightness TO eternity dying about oul
being and so-ca led time ra her than
eternity, which we roughly measuro
and call minutes and seconds; but
sorrow weights their noiseless feet with
lead.
Mr.. George Fcnhy was next among
the actors in this little fragment OF
human life.
He sat at his window that morning as
Alice Arnden sat ut hers. His window
looked in the same direction; from il
he saw much the same scene she saw.
The stars faded out for him as for her:
day frightened; the sunlight fell across
his face.
But ho sat there with a cheerful fire
near him; he was strong from happy
sleep; his eyes were bright and cheerful,
and looked as though tears had always
been strangers to them, and his lips
were smiling.
The icy marshes seemed 10 him a
type Of the future. Smooth, white,
pure tho light stretching warmly
across them-and with the ocean out
side standing 10 him, as to her. as o
type OF eternlty-au eternity which he
felt would be one of strength and hap
piness.
George Fenby thought OF what he
had to De thankful for this lovely morn
ing. a small fortune, enough for him.
self--and one other, fair woman, and
good as fair--for his promised wife;
health, education, friends, influence,
position; il was indeed goodly pros
pect.
This man was strong and quick;
good looking, II not handsome. He
looks like man who would not do q
wicked thing, or think it, while he
might do a weak or foolish one. He
was man who would lie likely to win
woman's heart and hold it; n man
whose love woman might prize, and
the loss of which she might wisely
mourn. Weak enough to be o man, be
was strong enough to be one hard TO
win from the life which had once had
him.
There was a happy smile on his face
as he heard his little brother knock at
the door, and he answered "Come in
in CHEEKY voice.
Here's letter for You, George"
Thank you," said George, as he
took it.
You are welcome. BY the hand.
writing on the envelope I Judge the
message will be q pleasant one.
And the boy left tho room.
A pleasant message! The smile deep
ened on the mans face rs he lovingly
handled the letter a little time before he
broke the seal. A pleasant message!
These were the words he read:
Mn. GEORGE FENpy--I will not consent 10 be
ambition" J never wish to speak with you
dom. ALICE ARNDEN.
So Mr.. Fenby's morning gift was the
gift Of his freedom. What should he do
with il? His checks and lips grew cold
and white at tho thought. Merciful
heavens! What could be do with it?
The sky seemed darkened, the earth
seemed dreary and desolatc. George
Fenby aud Alice Arnden, bare quarter
of mile apart, could not have been
more widely separated had an ocean
stretched between them. And each
looked on tho same landscape and saw
alike OF last.
The village of Marsham was small
one, and most OF 1t was farther from the
ocean than were the two houses ut the
windows of which we have seen two un-
happy persons:
1t was relief to both George and
Alice that there was service in the little
church that morning, and everybody
could be looked for there. Secret sor-
row finds certain abatement of its in
tensity in the effort of appearing uncon-
cerned. Then there is mournful pleas
ure in seeing what one has lost.
In place no larger than Marsham
everyone knows everybody else. Every
one knows the business OF everybody
else Ia some degree, or thinks so, and
says so. So our two friends were
known, and their relations TO each
other were known also. And so poorly
had they played their parts that when
service was finished nearly all their
friends had concluded that their en-
gagement was over, and many were
specializing as to the reason for 1t.
Ralph Warden was too shrcwd q man
not 10 see what everyone else saw. He
said but little about H. ne he smoke to