Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-04-08

Drleny ana coldly, explaining her alb
sence. a passing boy agreed to dc.
liver it, but il never got beyond his
own pocket.
Toward evening Barbara began to
wonder what kept her mistress, and
decided TO take matters into her own
hands and get up dinner. Seeing the
large bin of onions in the cellar, she
said within herself: "This is what she
all time want; will cook some p' Dur.
ing the process of cooking she made
many trips to the front door to watch
for her lost mistress. Each time she
left all the doors open behind her, and
so thoroughly perfumed the whole
house with the odor of the dinner.
In the city Philip had picked up an
old college friend and persuaded him
to stay over q train and dine with him.
AS he ushered his friend into the pretty
house, with pardonable pride, it was
somewhat taken down by tho unmis.
taxable odor that greeted him.
Onions! as live," he said to him.
self, land Merwin is such fastidious
fellow! However, wait till he sees An.
nette"-so he went in haste to bring
her.
Upstairs and down and in the gar.
den he searched. She was not to be
found. This was new departure-to
be away on his return. He told his
friend she had probably been detained
would DO in. presently.
Chagrined and mortified almost be.
yond his power to conceal, after wait.
ing an hour, he was obliged to invite
his friend to table without hostess.
The first cover he removed disclosed q
dozen huge specimens of that obnox-
ious, ill-odored vegetable that had
caused their unhappiness. He forgot
his heroic demand and shut it with EN-.
phasis not tonight would he eat
onions. 1t was unlike the delicate tact
of his wife to have ordered them cooked
that night, while she was still ignorant
of what had passed in his mind.
Barbara was not yet perfect. The
dinner both in cooking and serving
missed the supervision of the mistress.
The host was i'll at ease and absent, and
was not sorry that his guest soon babe
him goodbye.
And now Philip grew positively un.
easy, and proved himself not whit be.
hind woman in the power to conjure
up dire probabilities. Perhaps she had
slipped from that high bank where they
sometimes walked along the rivers
And he rushed out through the garden
and over the fields till he stood on the
bank amidst the gathering shadows
and peered remorsefully into the dark
waters. What if somebody had alb.
Quoted her, had brought word that he
was i'll and carried her off! That
thought was maddening. Then he re.
membered her one relative in the city,
her cousin. No public conveyance
went that way, and in hot haste he
started on foot. His speed astonished
himself. Breathless and painting he
arrived and was about to ring, when,
obeying an impulse, he stepped to the
side porch and looked through the vine.
covered window. Yes surely, there
was Annette! A little group near'the
open fire, she kncelng by low chair,
her bright head bending over little
Harry, who lay in his mothers lap.
The first feeling was of relief and
gratitude. She was safe. And then,
it was his turn. There came surging
over him, like n hot breath from fur.
mace, n wave of anger, and he strobe
away. His hasty glance had not shown
him the death-like pallor on the baby's
face, nor the anxious expressions of the
others. His conclusion was that the
baby was being made ready for bed,
and the two were admiring his pretty
pink toes.
On he went in the darkness, his re.
sentiment gathering force mt every step.
Here she had deliberately planned tc
put him to torture. "How little she
must care for him when she would nj.
low him TO spend whole night in
anxiety. He had supposed her nature
to be gentle and forgiving, and here
she had treasured up few hasty words
and was intent on revenge. He had
made concessions, and she had scorned
them. (Alas! he had not the dimmest
suspicion that those ten bushels of con-
cessions were just what widened the
breach.) He walked the floor for hours,
then llinging himself on lounge, to.
ward morning dropped into heavy
sleep.
The result of the nights meditations
was decision that the next advance
toward reconciliation must come from
Annette herself. Just as he was about
starting for the Office in the morning,
Annette was driven up to the door.
They looked ut each other i'm silence
He fingered moment to see if she had
any explanations to offer, and she
waited in the hall hoping that possibly
he had repented of the odious conduct
of yesterday and was willing to confess
it. Silence is not always golden y
the proverb is misleading. Ii he had
but asked, "Why did you go away?"
or she had said some pleasant word
But, no, they passed each other in grim
silence.
Another day of gloom and despair
for both. This unwonted strain, added
to the nights watching, brought upon
Annette nervous headache, so that
by the time of Philips return she could
not raise her head. 1t was fortunate.
But for this they might have gone on
till happiness was wrecked. Annette,
with spirited little head erect, sailing
through the house, was to be considered
somewhat differently from this one, her
head on a pillow, racked with pain.
NO DlOtHCT COulu HdNt CdIcu WI uCi
more tenderly and skilfully than Philip
Throwing his resentment to the winds,
he ministcrod to her for hours until she
fell into quiet sleep.
In the morning, with the pain all
gone, explanations were in order. II
was hard to tell which was the more
astonishcd, rs the misunderstanding
of each began to come out.
"And you did not 60 away to have
revenge on me?" "And you did not
send home all those onions just to tease
mep" were some of the questions asked.
Then the ludicrous side began to appear
and they laughed long and merrily.
whatever shall we do with all those
onionsP" qucried Annette when she
found her breath.
1--WE will make sweet fragrance to
our names by means Of them" said
Phillip. 1--WE will send gifts to the
poor-always of onions. We will be-
come famous as philanthropists, and
i AZ.