Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-02-25

should, anu my stupidity m not thinking
such thing as her being married
possible, became more and more apparent
as / reflected.
She had acted wisely; blindly driven or
by the hunger Of my heart for my ange
Allie
IL was all over now, and I returned home
q more retiring; stupid, aid stolid "old
bachelor rs they called fhe than had
ever been befbre
was iil0re c6ntented and happy, be.
cause the inbtife of silHuce Was Understood
She had not remained pdssive through
any disregard for my feelings but because
IL was her duty to do SO:
Whether her heaft had been touched by
my simple, earnest appeal knew not, but
as matters had turned, it was TO be hoped
not.
@Never again will seek her, never again
write" was my resolve and my fixed
purpose.
The winter passed, and one day Chi
cago daily came to me from an unknown
source.
In looking it over, marked item was
found, which read as follows:
drowned Am ddo- aged man, supposed to
be insane, leaped from the Clark street bridge
| last evening and lost his life by the act The
body has been identified rs that of Edward
sutherns
The paper was thrown to the floor, and l
paced up and down the room, making all
sorts Of resolves, none of which were kept.
"I would go to Chicago at bnce," a thing
that was not done. IL would write imme-
diately," thing did not do.
If il was the husband of Lena Suthern
who had died-and who else but the lady
could have sent the marked paper-perhaps
oh I Or1l1 pOf
| to her than l had.
Picking up the paper again noticed that
it was an old one, bearing date of six months
before.
Then felt certain it had come from the
widow.
Only few weeks passed before my season
of alternate hope and fear came to close.
letter came, bearing the same delicate
address as the returned one of my own, and
il read:
"Lena suthern will see you now. Call at No.
- Wabash avenue. A FRIEND"
The next morning found me In Chicago,
and after the very slow hours of the fore
noon wore away, 1 was ushered into hand
some parlor at the number on Wabash ave-
nue. designated in the note.
Lena was there, her beautiful face radiant
with smiles, and she extended her hand to
me as to an old friend.
Il can not express my gratitude to you
for the privilege you have granted, privi-
lege that is the greatest on earth to me-" l
said, feelingly.
"You have an ideal, as it is the right of
any person to have" she returned, thought
fully.
my life has been wrapped up in one
ideal"
"You told me in your letter of your early
love, and that that love had been constant
indeed, a part of your very life-and it
was because you had never forgotten Allie
Floyd, and because Allie Floyd has never
forgotten you, that l wrote you to come
to me-"
"My Allie Floyd!" echoed.
Changed in name only"
l gaZed upon the Weighted face. and
sprang to my feet. With heart overflow
ing with rapture, oaught the soft hand ex-
tended to Inc and pressed it to my lips
again and again; then l sought the crimson
cheek, but she playfully warded me off, and
led me TO a seat.
Seating herself beside me, Lena told me
the story of her life, which 1 give briefly:
Soon after reaching her New England
home, her sister-one who had not accom-
panied the family in theirWestern trip-dicd,
and, her mother being in poor health, they
went to Europe, where they remained sew
eral years. Many letters had been written
by the girl to her lover, but no replies came
back to her. In later years she left her
fathers house as he did not fancy the "bor-
der boy" as he called him.
Her given name being Lena Albertine,
the second one by preference was dubbed to
Allie, but later the first name was used.
At the age of twenty five, her parents be-
4
musical professor who was well-to-do and
devoted to her.
Two years after the union insanity had
been brought on by fall which fractured
the skull, and from that time until the fatal
leap from the bridge he had been her con-
slant care.
my emotion at our first meeting cannot
be described, she continued. "Your search
ing, earnest glances told that my face had
impressed you again"
"Then you knew me when we met at the
hotel?"
''Your letter gave the name."
"And why did you not let me know then
that you were Allie Floyd?"
Il knew my own heart too well and be-
sides that, knew your own impulsive ma
ture. dared not do it,
''Bless you!"
lhe long letter or affection you sent, |
pleading for recognition and telling of your
owe for the lost Allie touched my heart to |
is depths, and wept over it as it was read |
line and again, and the hardest task of my |
ife was to return it without one hopeful, |
word but the cloud has passed, |
and l can confess my feelings now."
A year has passed since the sunlight came
pack into my SOUL and now my little Allie
Floyd is coming to me forever.-C Chicago
Ledger.
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