Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-11-12

gins behavior at this iuncturc tend to
restore his self-possossion. Whether
under the altered aspect OF affairs she
regarded him rs an abandoned orphan
II was only commonly human to pity;
or whether she was overcome with re-
morse for having been mainly instru.
mental in causing this painful rupture,
| can not say; but while she slightly
glanced at him In his pcrpleXity tho
memorable hardness in which her face
was set gradually thawed, and tear
was seen to tricklc between the fingers
of the hand with which she presently
covered her eyes. Old Croggins, how
ever, remained unmoved. Growlingly
rebuking his daughter for her dis
play of weakness, he chcerfully proceed
ed with the case. whether that letter
was writ in chaff or in playfulness,
or miXshur of both, or whether
1t was rally what it purtendel to
be, young Virgins knows best. Any.
how, she as knows him best seemed TO
have her own ideas about it, and you
all are witnesses that they were rayther
strong 'uns Very well, then, OH we
goes, fust OF Janivary that letter is. and
though | cant show you what the an
what il Is TO have the gift of cddcation,
and to be always n writing! Only a
few weeks afterwards. in which what
he says Peter shall read cut To you.
Ketch hold, Peter, and don laugh over
it like you did last time, or you'll get
clip aside of the car. It's your own Sis
ter you're reading about, bear in mind"
And with a solemn visage, Peter COM
menced: Dear Rarsberry-You know
them clancy tee-things what you took
fancy to at the shop in Hoxton? Well,
they're bought and paid for, my chick
a-biddy, and you've only got to send for
'em, and they're yourn, our'n, mean,
of course. l wish rs how it was winter
time stead OF spring Stead of grow
ing shorter the days get longer, and
that makes it seem to stretch out the
days and weeks that stand atwiXt--'
But at this point young Virgins rose
to his feet. That's enough OF it, guy
ner, he remarked, with desperate calm
ness. "Shove 'em all back in that
blessed old box, and put the kiver on.
won't stand out about the promise. l
didn't think I'd put it so strong, but
there's black and white for it, and it
can't be got over. very we'll, says
you, then what have you got to say as
to writin' that winding-up letter break
ing it all of? To which L answer:
What's Sarah got to say about that
soldierP' " Had Miss Croggins been
of the male gender, and a deserter
from the army, and at that moment q
military escort had stepped into the
room to effect her arrest she could not
have exhibited moro sudden consterna-
ton. Every one in court was more or
less amazed, and old Croggins, looking
from one to the other, could only ejacu-
late: "Soldier! What soldierP" 'The
one she meets on the sly" said Edward
Virgins, sternly; "the one what she
was seen with at Battersea three weeks
ego last Sunday, when she told me she
was going to the orspital TO see her
aunt; the one what l sec her with, with
my own eyes, kissing at ten o'clock at
night, at Broad Street Railway Station.
There she is; let her deny it if she's
got the face to do it," And down sat
young Virgins, with his arms tightly
folded over his heaving chest.
But Miss Croggins did not faint
knees and implore her fathers for
SlNcHcssi sic ldtlSiCo OuNllSHt, uIu
there was not the least tinge of hys-
terics i'll her merry tones. You jeal-
Gus donkey!' she exclaimed, "why of
course l kissed him, and I'll kiss him
again a hundred times if 1 like.
didn't mean it TO come out just yet,
cause though the money is paid the
papers amt made out yet, and he won't
have his liberty till next Friday, when
he means to come home unexpected,
and surprise you, father. II is our Bill
he means, whose been away these five
years. He's got sick of scoring, and
| I've been saving the money to buy him
lf--and he's coming back to be the
steady chap he used TO be. And now,
Teddy Virgins, you know all about it,
aud you can go home to your mother. "
But instead of taking her advice the
sturdy young barrowman did something
that was much moro likely to tend to
his ultimate happiness. Relieving his
pent-up emotions with loud "Hur-
rah ~ he flung up his hat, and vauting
over the table that stood between them,
went straight for Mis-, Croggins,
and, whether she would or no, gave her
hug and kiss. She resisted some.
what, when he kissed her again, when,
in open court, she kissed him in return.
And so the case came TO Il happy con.
clusion without either me or Mr..
Mumps being called on.-Load0n Tee.
graph.