Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-03-03

tainted in vain
IL am not afraid of my guardian"
said Toinette. my head aches"
my love-" protested Mrs. Etyngo,
81 am sure of both statements. Pray
do not look at me so deliantly. per-
ceive that you have declared your in
dependence. / would not be surprised
il you even took the management of
your property into your own hands.
Have you demanded statement from
Colonel Graham yet?"
Hardly" laughed Toinette. IL
have always had whatever | desired
and asked no questions. )"
ut is well that wardships do not
make mems fortunes, as they did in
the middle ages" unused Mrs. Etynge.
"You would hate to have Dick Graham
specializing with your fortune, would
you notg"
'Do you mean Colonel Graham?'
Eyes. The old name escaped me
unawares. do not mind coniiding TO
YOU" said the widow, affecting confu-
sion, THAT he and were lovers before
l discovered his true nature. He was
always talking of the money he would
like to have, and it disguised me so
that broke with him"
Toinette felt a strange sinking about
the heart, but replied bravely;
mo doubt you were to be congratu-
lated on your escape. Was this-this
little affair while he was in the armyp"
"Oh, yes; long before he got his
wound and his discharge. He felt ter
ribly when i explained my change of
20 k,,t l. i, IL
by this time"
"Let us hope So" said Toinette,
sweetly, and kissed her goodbye.
Goodbye, darling. Be sure to ask
the Colonel if he borrowed from you
when he built the river villa and the
city brown-stone.
Indeed, / will not"
Toinette was angry, but the ugly sus-
picion had taken root.
"a retired officers half pay would
not keep up such an establishment as
this" she reflected. ale had no in
heritance; have heard him say so. He
certainly has wealth and spends it roy
ally. Can it be mine? How do know
j have any? | know nothing of my
affairs. The few times l have ques-
toned him he evaded me. How dare |
suspect him? Mrs. Etynge knows moth
against the man she rejected?"
The jar of the boat as it touched the
shore interrupted her unpleasant train
of thought.
"How detestable! No one expects
me. Twill have to walk home" was
the exclamation that rose to her lips.
She was thoroughly weary when she
reached her destination, and glad to
escape to her room unnoticed. She did
not see her guardian until dinner, and,
absorbed in her own reflections, she did
not observe that he was silent and dis
trait.
"Will YOU come with me into the
libraryP" he asked, as they were leav-
ing the dining-room. Il have news of
Importance to communicate.
Secretly wondering, sho followed
him and sank into huge chair with
the apparent intention of going to
sleep.
His first words wakenod her thor
oughly.
II received to-day letter from your
father. He is in this country. He is
on his way here. Republics. he says,
are not less ungrateful than individuals.
His warfare against Napoleon, his long
exile, have counted as nothing. The
French Republic has ignored his claims
as completely Us the pretcnsions of
Chambord Hehas quilted France for
ever"
"Oh, my father When will he
reach hcrcP" cried Toinctte, cXcitedly.
"Thc letter was delayed. lie may
arrive tomorrow.
They were both silent for few mo-
ments. Then Colonel Graham rose and
stood before her.
"Toinette," he began, huskily, she
writes that he will make his home in
New York, that he will take you from
my homo to his.
He paused abruptly and waited, as if
for answer. None came.
He continued: 1T is twelve years
since he gave you into my charge. lie
thought that he could return to France
where he fondly dreamed that free
dom was at last ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
pate in the organization of the Repub-
lie, and, in few months. send for you.
How he has been disappointed, from
day to day and from year to year, l
leave him to tell you. must tell you
that since you came into my home you
have been its sunshine. was weary
and disappointed man. / had, after
the manner of impetuous youth, tested
the humanity and concluded it was all
bad. You, dear, innocent child, re-
stored my faith. Toinette, l can not
let you go. Surely | have the first
claim now. Your father is stranger.
His heart always belonged to France,
mine is in your keeping.
Toinette was strangely moved. "You
forget" she faltered "consanguinity
has rights
II forget nothing" he said. make
my right greater than his. Marry me,
Toinette. All that l am, all that !
have, is yours.
It was IN unfortunate speech. Mrs.
Etyngc's inucndoes required to her
with renewed significance. She rose
and turned away from his pleading
eyes, his outstretchcd arms.
IL thank you," she said softly, 'for
the honor you would confer, but it can
not be-" and she passed out of his
sight.
The next day her father came; n worn
and weary and shabby old man, who
responded absently TO her carcsscs and
then seemed to forget her while he
poured out his thanks to Colonel Ora
ham.
Toinette listened in amazement,
which soon changed to humiliation and
distress. This spirit-broken old man
in threadbare habiliments was the pa
triot hero of her dreams, who was to
return in triumph and take her away to
some grand chateau of beautiful Frances
and what was he saying?
"Graham, how can / ever thank
you-God knows 1 can never hope to
repay you-for what you have done
for my child! All that I can promise
is that she shall no longer be q tax on
your generosity. / have obtained
work as translator; will take her Il
New York and there we will make Q