Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-05-27

delight and adm ration: and Block
stood, glass in hand. narrowly watch.
ing his would-bc bcncfactors whilr he
spoke. aud in his heart he crowcd over
them, and slipped his triumph like a
precious wine. with keen relish, In
small delicious sips. arr al1
There could be no doubt of it: it was
an enormous success. All the guests
agreed that no such banquet had been
given in Rome since the good old days
when the Pope was king. and the car
dinals kept house in the great historical
palaces. But all things must have an
end, and SO also banquet. 1t was
long after midnight when the guests
departed; and when at last Anton and
salon, he suddenly clasped her in his
arms and kissed her. He had to give
vent to his ecstasy in some way. II
she had not happened to be near, he
might have embraced the waiter.
"Glory, glory, hallelujahr' he shout
ed, and waltzcd round the room with
her like mailman.
"Mr. Block! Mr.. Blockr' she cried,
in faint remonstrance, "do let me CO."
"Glory. hallelujah!" cried Block, and
whirled about with more maddcning
speed. .,,
Il shall die, Mr.. Block" she whis-
pered, sinking into his arms ex-
hausted.
''Do die" exclaimed Mr.. Block, with
villa boyish abandon; ''let us both die.
We may never have another chance OF
dying so gloriously.
Then flinging his arms about Apol-
lonia's waist, he lifted her up on the
table, struck an attitude before her and
declaimed: .,s
In yictory's radiance winds about HIS crest
Or whom In raptures of swift maddening
Ho finds rcposing on his maidens breasts,
o would thatI, before the Spirits powor,
Had fallen stark and dead In victory's
hour!"
1t was pity, perhaps. that Mr..
Blocks prayer was not fulfilled. He
would then have left glorious name
behind him, and Mr.. Breitkopf would
perhaps have bought in his whole col
lection at auction, and founded the
Block Museum in his native city.
Moreover, if Death had taken him at
his word, he would have been absolved
FROM the necessity of paying the bill
for the banquet, which, l regret to say,
amounted to two thousand five hum
dred and twenty-one dollars and thirty
cents. Block came near fainting when
it was presented to him; but quickly
collecting himself, he seated himself
easily, and without murmur of protest
made out check fol the amount. It
was done with such royal Sang-fr
that the caterer, who had come pre-
pared to haggle, and perhaps to take
off thirty or forty per cent, was COM
pletely dumbfounded. He was about
to apologize or justify his charges; but
Block waved him off grandly, and
seized his palette. But no sooner had
the rascal gone than he hastily wrapped
one of his pictures in pillow-case, ran
to pawnbroker. and obtained the fifty
francs which were needed to square his
account with the bank. 80,
Thereupon Anton Block resumed
his genteel and well-disguised fight
with his ancient enemy poverty. He
represented to Apollonia that, all things
considered, il would be rather an un-
wise thing to marry just now, and
Apollonia, good old soul that she was,
was tearfully and reluctantly persuaded
that Mr.. Block was right, as always
What particularly impressed her was
the necessity of producing as many
masterpieces as possible for the post
mortem museum, and it was evident
that if Mr.. Block was married he could
not devote his undivided zeal and am
bition to this sublime cause. To be
sure, there was proposition which
trcmbled on the very tip of her tongue,
and that was that Mr. Block might oc-
cupy the position in her house which
the Italian prince had vainly coveted,
c. g., become q free matrimonial
boarder in return for the dignity which
his illustrious name conferred on tho
proprietress of the establishment. But
the unmaidenly boldncss of such pro-
posal presently rose before her in all
its enormity, and she became so ilust-
cred that there was nothing left for
her but meckly to acquiesce in Mr..
Blocks arrangements. The last agree
ment, l believe, is that as soon as
Brietkopf establishes the Block Mus
cum in Berno, their wedding day is to
be fixed. But up to date Mr.. Brcitkopf
has kept remarkably quiet. Ncverthe-
less, Apollonia never takes up Berne
newspaper without feverish little
blush and q strange and unaccountable
Observation-Disclosures II. Boyesen, in
Harper's Weekly. ass..t., r5.<,