Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-10-20

| mnncc ana nof mOtuefb young chTScf Wda
of the greatest interest To her. They lived
IL oil over again in their leisure hours, re-
touching the faded colors, that Susan might
realize what IL is to be youny, to win admir-
alton and 10 have lovers, she who had
known no youth and could never enter
personally that magic realm. Mrs. Bowen
| possessed certain remnants OF her old van
ity, although SO much had been beaten out
of her by a hard fate. She was little weak
about dress, as SO many by-gone beauties
are, and she liked to adorn herself with
the vague Feeling that somebody might
still come to admire her, although in fact
nobody ever did como, at least not for a
long time. Nearly all the small sums that
could be spent on clothes were laid out Tor
her benefit, Susan contenting herself with
a style of costume in which she always
| looked the same winter and summer,
spring and fall. But she dressed her
| mothers still unfaded hair and put on the
becoming ribbons and bits of lace much as
fond mamma adorns her little girl. She
admired her mother more than any one,
and wished to keep her young and pretty
| long time.
The widow still possessed few small
trinkets which had not yet been parted
i with to pay the rent or To furnish neces-
| saries. BY far the most interesting OF
| these, as a memento of her girlhood, was a
| gold locket containing two strands or hair,
one auburn and the other brown, entwined
| together, with a curious cipher beneath
i
| lock had belonged TO Jane Human when
| she was girl of eighteen. The brown lock
| had never grown on Bowen's head. IL
dated back to an earlier romance in Jane
| Humans life the episode which now most
| deeply engrossed both Susan and her
mother, the period they most frequently
| talked over in confidential n oments. In
| Mrs. Bowen's work table draw Sr there was
| a packet of yellow letters, connected with
| tho locket and braided strands Of hair, and
Il a. -
pointed hopes. Jane Human had been
| engaged before she met Bowen. There
| had been a misunderstanding, quarrel
perhaps, and the ring was given back, and
| that was all But it was great deal to
| Susan indeed, the central point of interest
in her mothers unfortunate life. Holding
tho letters loose in her lap, and with that
| locket open before her, she would try to
realize tho whole situation.
"And TO think, Jane" (she called her
mother Jane in her playful or sentimental
moods) ito think that Ben Fielding is now
| a United States Senator, great man in
his own State, likely to be Governor soon,
and possibly Presi lent. Just try TO i'm.
| agino how it would be with you il you had
married him. Who would ever suspect
that the possible Mrs. Senator Fielding has
| been finishing off slopshop coats and
trousers all those years at Starvation
prices: ., Jane, that was sad day for
| you when you quarrelcd with the future
Senator. But where would | have been
had you married Bon Fielding! l could
never have been born Senators daughter.
| presume | should not have como into eX-
| istcnco at ALL And | am so large and
| strong, such a positive character. There is
| SO much OF me-it is impossible to think
| calmly OF the narrow escape made OF not
getting born
Mrs. Bowen had no great amount of
humor. She generally let Susie's nonsense
| 60 by her like the wind, but it was a very
| serious matter to her that she had just
missed being Mrs Senator Fielding. 1t in
vested with an amount OF romantic inter
| est i'm her own Dyes which enabled her to
despise the benightcd people who knew not
the Humans. 1t helped her to keep her
young and good-looking with certain
| elegance of manner that Susan admired
| because she had never boon able to attain
| to manners. She was irrevocably barred
| out from that mysterious and fascinating
| region. Mrs. Bowen would sigh in answer
| TO Susan's remark as she turned n seam or
sewed on n buttons
| ale was very high tempered and over
| bearing. Susan, and always would get his
own way. He made mount ins out OF
molehills and took his religion very hard
| las il it had been somo sor0 OF contagious
| discase)."
Susan although she secretly hated the
| domineering person her mother drew, al
ways took his part "IIe had character,
| anyway" shipping her thread. There
was something to him. II had been
on his silt. But | guess the Senator has
changed gool dcll. preSIms now no is
as worldly as n Human. Thev say Wash
ington is pretty hard place"
"He never would go wrong, Susan. You
ought not to suspect such Il thing. His
principles we're just like iron. IL h had
been q little moro yielding, or had been
little less pleasure-loving, things might
have como out different. Pass mo that
spool of black twist, Susan"
One Saturday night Susan had gone to
call upon Milly on Main street aud on her
return she burst into the room and found
her mother half asleep, doing in her chair
in the soft brown twilight of q midsummer
evening. Mrs Bowen rubbed her eyes,
with the dim consciousness that Susan was
excited. What il the matter!n said she,
drowsily, sitting up straight in her chair.
matter! why, mother, hs is here, visiting
Judge Magnus He came last nights
Susan uttered the words as il shc had been
Delphic priestess giving forth the oracle.
He, Susan; whom do you meant"
"He, of course: Senator Ben Fielding.o
"You don't say Ben Fielding has come
hack to tho village. We'll, l dare presume
he has forgotten mo. He must think am
dead"
You know that is a piece of affectation.
mother. IL is probable he has made par
Jane Hinman is dead. anyhow. He
knows nothing about the Widow Bowen,
and don't see that his visit concerns us
Susan, won't you light the lamp"
While Susan was lighting the lamp and
the darkness still fingered she brought out
her last great piece OF news: Mother he
is widower; has been one two years"
~ dare presume, Susan. His vito Ihcard
was sickly woman. They had three chill
dren."
some dead" put in Susan la,onicllly, as
she turned up the wick, 'and the other two
grown and doing for themselves"
II don't see how 1t concerns u.s. Susan.
am faded old woman But her ewes
looked singularly bright and her voice
quavered with new emotion. Susan would
knew that somehow it did concern them
that Senator Ben Fielding was in town
They did not talk much together, and
though both pretended to rest we'll, there
was but little sleep for them that night
The next morning they debated as to
finally decided in the negative. IL would
look too marked just to go to SEQ him.
though they did not say so. Neither did
they speak OF going to the woods or down
by the river on their usual Sunday ramble.
They sat at homo all the morning, the sew
ing all put by. Susan dressed her mother
with great care. She oven put an extra
touch to her own appearance, she could
hardly have told why. She was glad Of the
housework which kept her busy. But the
widow sat silent with her hands claspod
and that bright expectancy in her eyes
Judge Magnus was to give the Senator a
grand dinner on Monday. How would he
find time to think of poor Jane Human
and her brokon fortunes, But he did find
time to think of her. IL was Just four
o'clock when a stranger clicked tho little
gate. He WIS tall and rather imposing,
with a square forehead, square chin and
a powerful jaw. He wore square-toed
boots, and even his watch chain was COM
posed of little cubes of gold The iron-gray
side whiskers gave him an air of distinc-
ton he had not possessed in his younger
years, but his eyes were of steely benevo-
lencc, without humor Humor was the ono
thing Ben Fielding had always lacked.
Susan hastily kissed her mother when shc
saw what was impending, then dashed out
picket In the dooryard fence and crossed
Mrs. Hodges garden, and by winding ways