Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-03-04

spinning wheel. He came in laughing.
saying his responsibilities as guardian
were making an old man of him. ''In
fact, don't know what used to think
about, Lucette, before had you TO think
of it seems so natural now to be taking
care of you that"
"But IL is not NATURAL" interrupted
Lucette, land / am always trying to
plan way to relieveyou of the charge.
1t must be soon"
"Why, what is the matter with tho
little hermit? | thought you were con-
tented here now. Is it too lonely? Are
you growing tired of Babette?"
80, no! would bcs happy il it werp
right to be here; but it Is not, and |
must go away"
A startled look came into Max face
Promise me-" he said, Selling her
hand, "promise me that you will not
60 away. 1 will not let go your hand
until you do
L can only promise you not to go be.
fore | feel can stay no longer" she
answered, extricating her hand.
This is all folly. Where could you
go without moneyp-for you have
never accepted any from me, and you
must need some now. Everybody
want clothes, too, for the bundle Fritz
got at the school was very small, and
this Dress" stopping to scrutinize her
appearance, lis not warm enough for
this weather. | came almost on pur-
pose to see how you were dressed. Do
you know" and he broke into laugh,
81 found myself wondering the other
day, in the lecture, when l ought to
have been taking my notes, if you did
not need pair of bootsP Don't your
go, / assure you, no." and she
blushed rs she drew her feet as far
under her chair as possible.
"That movement looks very sus-
picious, and l firmly believe you do.
So I'll send pair along with the other
things, only will have to guess at the
size"
80, please don'tr' she pleaded. 81
could not accept anything. You have
already done more for me than 1 can
ever thank you for; am more grateful
than You can ever know"
"And with that ought to be con.
tented, suppose. He arose and
walked to the window.
"You forget" said Lucettc, quietly,
"what you should remember, that it is
your duty not to think of me at all"
81 know what you mean," he an.
swered, impatiently. "You are always
reminding me of my cousin; but you
would not be so severe if you knew how
she amuses herself in my absence.
As he was going away after the hour
and-a-half visit, he said, rs he took her
hand to bid her good-bye: 81 was
tempted little while ago to empty the
exchequer here. AS reward for not
doing it, won't you call me Max-just
once before gop"
Without hesitating she looked up in
his face and said MAX"
Ho seized her face in his two hands,
stopped and kissed her, and was gone.
Sho was still standing in q kind OF
trance when Babette came in.
'Babette, must go away tomorrow.
The Herr Baron has left some money
with you, which will take as loan,
and go"
The wise old Babette had passed in
and out of the room several times dur
ing the visit. Without understanding
the conversation, which was in French,
she had nevertheless more than once
shaken her head and looked grave.
"And you will do right, dearie. This
can be no lasting shelter for you. But
where will you goP'
THAT must be my own secret, b.
bette. If you knew you might be obliged
to tell, in which case | might as well
10, & 10 - all
be sign all is going we'll"
The next morning, when Babette
came with the coffee, note which a
messenger had brought in the night
was on her plate. 1t read:
Lucette, l am on my knees before you, beg
like coward. VIII you forgive me! / will
expect an answer in three days, in Paris.
Very soon after, she had started with
Hans for the station at the foot of the
mountain and was soon on her way tc
Paris.
On arriving, she went directly to o
large depot of antiquities, the daughter
of tho proprietor of which had been
her pupil. She would try to find pc.
sition as saleswoman there. To hei
surprise she was accepted at once, ut n
salary sufficient to keep body and soul
together. That day she found room
on the fifth floor of n shabby house in
the neighborhood, bought spirit lamp
to make her coffee, and was ready for
work the next day. 1t had been agreed
that she should lunch with the family,
which repast would answer for her din
ner, she resolved, and in the evening
she could manage to prepare something
over her lamp; and since she would DO
tired enough to go to bed ut once, she
would not need any fire.
Two years of loneliness and drudgery
had passed-two years of uncomplain.
ing silence. Her capacity, joined to
her dainty appearance and quiet, win.
ming ways, had been appreciated.
The people were good and Kind to her:
and thus her existence had been sup
portable.
One day an order came for the copy
of vase in the Cluny Museum, and
Lncette was sent to make n rough
sketch of it. She was standing at work
before it when she heard Max's voice
in the next room. The blood rushed
into her head and her knees trembled.
The voices came nearer and were in
the room. She dared not look up.
They were not stopping-how thankful
she was. Then she heard an "O!'
Then hasty step, and her arm was
seized.
81 was right, then, not to leave Paris
after all, though / have been tempted
many times to go to England: Look
at me Lucctte! You haven't had
enough to cat! You've been cold, too!
You've been suffering! l see that
plainly enough. What are you doing
hereP''
~ am copying this vase for our
house," she managed to bring forth, in
a choked voice.
"And where is our housep"
'.In the Boulevard -"
$50 near!-and I've been hunting
always in the suburbs. Where do you
livep"
"That can not tell YOU"