Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-10-14

up to ncr face. ran out of the room. A
lew MINI IS later uncle went out. fol-
lowed by Mr.. Wells. the latter saying
something about returning with min.
lister.
My blood fairly boiled. I rushed out
OF the room into the yard-I wanted to
breathe tho fresh air; / was almost
stilled with Indignation and anger.
Scarcely conscious of where / was go
ing, l wandered among the trees some
distance down toward the gate. When
coming suddenly out upon the drive 1
found myself directly in front of Mr..
Wells, who was slowly driving out. Po-
litely lifting his hat. he stopped his
horse for me to pass, but found il ut
terly impossible to move step withous
iirst giving vent to some OF my angry
feelings.
"Sir, 1 said, marshaling my cour-
age and endeavoring to appear undis-
mayed, sis it indeed possible that you
are so lost to every manly sentiment of
regard for the esteem and respect of
your fellow beings as to compel wom-
an to marry you, and that when you
know she abhors the very ground you
walk uponP You know as we'll as /
can tell you that Nellie and John love
each other dearly, and if she were
married to you a thousand times she
will always love him just the same"
With that was satisfied. and with
out waiting for a reply 1 rushed back
into the house. Uncle and Nellie were
bending over Aunt Margaret. who had
swooned away. When at last she re-
turned to consciousness, it seemed as if
she would break her heart with weep
ing, first about Joe then about Nellie.
But Nellie kept up so bravely and tried
hard to appear as if she didn't think it
would be much of sacrifice after all,
that gradually we all grew calm and
began to make ready for the wedding.
What mockery it was, l thought, but
something must be done to make
things look a little cheerful. /
gathered some fresh flowers for
the vases and arranged things about
the house with as much neatness and
care as my dropping spirits would per-
NIT of. Promptly at eight o'clock
there came a knock at the door. We
were all standing around in Aunt Mar
garet's room looking as wretched as
possible, Nellie. dressed in aplain white
muslin, trying to look cheerful, but
making miserable failure-when, to
our great surprise, Mr.. Wells, unan-
nounced, walked into the room. ac-
companied by his nephew, John Ather-
leigh.
"Mss Nellie" he began, without
waiting to be spoken to, "my feelings
have undergone great change since l
ht1 tIx,U xxys,,
to a certain little affair. You can ask
your Cousin Margie here about it some
time. But my feelings have been so
greatly changed that l should not even
be willing to marry you now. OF course
l haven't been blind to the fact that
you and John have loved each other all
along; and now, If you are willing to
exchange grooms it will be all right.
couldn't bear to think of having wife
who would be in love with young
scape-grace like this as long as she
lived. l have made over deed of the
place equally divided between you and
John. 1t shall be bridal present from
the old uncle. l am able to give it,
you know. Now, are you willing to
make the exchanged" And the poor
old man actually smiled, as if in scorn
of himself.
care you willing, Nelliep" John
asked, holding out both hands to her.
How she slipped her hands into them
and cried as if her heart would break;
but we all knew they were tears of Joy.
Very quietly 1 stole over to Aunt Mar
garet's side and whispered, Nellie is
saved the old miser has surely turned
to saint.
ut is my dream, my dream!' Aunt
Margaret said; "has not the little black
dwarf indeed become an angelo"
81 guess we had as well have il all
over and be done with it," Mr.. Wells
continued, rubbing his hands as If we'll
pleased with himself and everybody
else. 'I've been with John and got
the license; the deed is all made out,
and the preacher is already in the par
lor"
You may be sure the sorrowful faces
of a few minutes ago frightened up at
this strange turn of affairs, and joyful
ly enough we all repaired to the parlor,
where Nellie and John were united in
marriage. You should have seen dear
Aunt Margaret's face when she kissed
the bride. Didn't we all kiss her.
though-no, not all. Mr.. Wells-I
mean never to call him miserly old
wretch or say other ugly names again.
However l don't think he had any
thing to do with this piece OF mercy. L
regard it as special interference of
Providence. But l am getting away
from the subject, Did he kiss her?
No. But this is the reason why. Mel
lie went straight up, and. putting both
aims around him, k sscd him right
heartily. l am sure, had he been the
bridegroom, she would never have
kissed him like that.
What a perfect picture of self-satis-
faction the old man was after that. but
he had the good grace to remain only
a little while after the ceremony. Or
course we were all dying to talk about
the strange things that had happened.
could not help thinking, as we all cast
ing figure, how much happier he must
be than if he had gotten the unwilling
little bride, with the knowledge that
she and everybody else was miserable
about it. How happy we would have
been after that, except for poor. erring
Joe. Uncle went to the city the next
morning and did not return for two
days His face was dark and solemn
when he came into the old house again,
but no one dared to question him; it
was late in the evening, and we had
waited supper for his coming. Very
quickly we gathered around the table
and bowed our heads, while uncle
asked blessing. Suddenly shadow
fell across the doorway. and when we
raised our heads imagine what sur
prise we felt-there stood the truant
boy Joe. Aunt Margaret sprang to her
feet.
Don't come to meet me yet,
mother" he said, ''until / show you
that have not forfeited all claim to
your respect and love; that everything
was not so bad as you have thought.
didn't steal that money, or ever
meant to steal it. / am willing to ac-
knowledge my share of the wrong; it
was getting into bad company and