Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-02-25
A MODERN HERO.

II was very humble house. Only a
fiat of three rooms on the third floor OF
a tall tenement house in the back street
near the river A bedroom, n tiny par
lor and a kitchen, which was also an
eating-room, made up the suite. The
Briggses did all their daylight living in
the last-named apartment. Tho floor
was painted yellow; the walls were
whitewashed; the furniture was home
ly, substantial and wcll-kept.
Everything was shining clean, and
both windows were full of plants, many
of them in flower. Mrs. Briggs was
fully persuaded in her own mind that
no other woman in the city had such q
tale of daily mcr.ies as herself. Among
them were the southern exposure of
those windows and the circumstance
that q gap in the buildings back of
them let in the sunshine freely. Her
nasturtiums blossomed there all winter;
from pot she had suspended by
strings from the top of the casing,
sweet alysseum flowed downward like o
fountain of soft green waters tipped
with white; scarlet geraniums shot up
rank shoots that had to be pruned into
reasonableness,a and as 10 Christmas roses
but there!' the worthy soul would
assure her acquaintance, "hey do beat
everything"
This winter the Gala was about to
bloom. A kind lady had given the
bulb to Mrs. Briggs son-Top, Junior
last year, and there was no telling
the store he set by it.
Topliffe Briggs alias, Top, Senior
was an engineer on the great North,
East, West & South Railway. He sat
at the tea-table with his wife and son
at five-thirty one cloudy February after
noon. His next train went out at six
forty-five. He had run "Her" into the
station at four, and his house was but
two blocks away. Mrs. Briggs could
sec from those unparalleled kitchen
windows the bridge by which
the track crossed the river separating
the town from the marshes, and could
calculate to minute when the familiar
step would be heard on the stairs.
"You see we live by railroad time"
was her modest boast. "And my hus-
band always comes straight home"
She did not emphasize the 'my," know
other husbands were prone TO lag by
the way until they came home late and
crookedly.
Top, Senior, was on time to-day. al
ken trust Her with Bartlett, you see"
he remarked to his wife. ale won't
leave tel she's all trig an tidy for the
next trip. l wish i could be as sure o.
Stokes"
Mrs. Briggs looked up inquiringly.
Stokes is clever fellow" pursued
Top Senior, regretfully, slicing vigor-
ously into the cold corned beet, for he
was hungry. Smart as steel trap,
and understands his business. / never
see fireman what had better chance
o. risin' to an ingineer. He knows Her
pretty highs we'll es / do. I've took
real comfort in learning him all could
But I'm afeerd, sometimes, he's on a
down-grade of bad habits and the
brakes don't work"
The sharp-eyed boy ut his fathers
elbow here changed the subject by ask
ing: "Hev you noticed my lily to-day,
motherp i guess it'll be wide open by
the time you get in tonight, father"
They all turned to look ut the tall
stem, crowned by the unfolding calyx.
Juniors goin' to be master-hand
with flowers" observed the mother.
''He saves me pretty nigh all the trou-
BILE o. takin' kcer Of 'em. I've been
thinkin' that might be a good business
for him when he grows up"
She was always forecasting his future
with more anxiety than generally enters
into maternal hopes and fears. When
but a wear old, he had fallen from the
ams of neighbor who had caught
he -. "a
fondness. The child's back and hip
were severely injured. He had not
walked step until he was five years OF
age, and would be lame always. lie
was now twelve-a dwarf in statue,
hump-backed, weazen-faced and shrill-
voiced. unsightly in all eyes but those
OF his parents. To them he was q mir
acle OF precocity and beauty. His
mother took in fine ironing to pay for
his private tuition from public school
teacher who lived In the neighborhood.
He learned fast and eagerly. His faith
er, at the teachers suggestion, SUBJ
scribed to circulating library and the
same kind friend selected books for the
cripple's reading. There was hundred
dollars in the savings bank, against the
name Of .Topliffe Briggs, Junior"
deposited, dollar by dollar, and repre-
senting countless acts of sclf-deniai on
the part Of the industrious couple, and
his possible profession was a favorite
theme of family converse.
For that matter, there's lot o. things
q scholard like him ken do" rejoined
Top, Senior, with affectionate conf.
dence in his heirs talents and acquire.
ments "Tain't like 'twould be with
teller like me whose arms an legs Il