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

|
More than a decade of years before thi
event l had met at st. Paul bright, cheer
girl of sixteen, and we both lost our younI
hearts.
For two blissful months we walked
talked, fished, and gathered flowers together
i wove gaflahds Of the Sweetest prairl
beauties and placed them as er0wn iipbl
the 1Heenly head OF the brawnl haired hnl
blueieyed Allie Floyd and she t8ld hie ST
tendefly of her newborn love that / BE,
lieSed my bliss wds to last foretef.
But the dreafp was soon 10 be bfoken aht
4 life, shadow follow. ell o-
Suddenly was called down the river Il
attend to a matter of business.
Promising Allie quick return, left the
girl at the landing as the steamer swept out
into the current and away.
My absence from st. Paul was prolonged
into weeks. As L was on the wing nearly
all of the time did not hear from my little
friend, and when l did go up the river again
the Floyd family had left for their New
England home.
The cause of the sudden departure was
| the illness of Allie.
After months loneliness wrote letter
to the place which was remembered as the
girls home. TO this no reply came.
-Four more weeks passed. and L wrote the
| postmaster Of Silverhold and received the
| prompt intelligence that, owing TO the death
of their daughter and the ill-health of the
mother, Mr., and Mrs. Floyd had gone to
Europe.
This intelligence struck me like thun-
derbolt; it crushed my spirits, and nearly
broke my young henft.
From that day until the one that / met
Lena Shthern female face had never been
seeh that attracted particular interest.
This woman l had just met brought back
the bright, sweet face of my Allie. and re-
vived my young, pure love.
L loved this Lena Suthern with all the
earnestness of my yearning soul.
During the whole afternoon and night
that followed thought of nothing, dream
ed of nothing, but the sweet one who had
come to me with the bright angelic face of
my boyish idol
One thing deeply regretted. had neg
lected to ask the lady for her residence,
street and number.
/ would have made some excuse for call
ing upon her had obtained the ihforma
ton.
Writing could not be resisted. The Lett
ter was addressed as before, but no answer
chme.
l had simply asked for an interview,
claiming that certain suspicious entertain
ed respecting the man who gave me the
purse needed verifcation or refutation, and
| begged that l might see her but for a
brief interview.
Thinking that, perhaps, for some reason
the letter had not reached her, q second one
was sent, but elected no answer, and so,
heavy hearted started westward.
Absence and business cares did not cure
my warnings, but, if possible, made my
heart grow fonder.
stood it as long as could, and then
wrote Lena Suthern making a full con-
fession of my love, and, that she might
understand how such devotion could come
at first meeting, the story of my ideal, Allie
Floyd, was given her without reserve.
My pleadings for an interview were so
earnest and pitiful that 1 believed an answer
would come.
A week passed, and my heart was
thrilled.
A letter came with Chicago postmark,
a letter as bulky as the one had sent, and
it was addressed in IA ladys hand of superior
touch and finish.
could not trust myself to open it upon
the street, or even at the store, and so
fastened to my room and broke the seal
with trembling hand and doubtless livid
face.
/ never shall forget that moment.
Had dagger entered my breast could
not have been more painfully stricken.
From the white and delicately perfumed
envelope drew forth the long epistle had
written IT, Lena Suthern-nothing more.
My chagrin and modification were be-
yond words for expression.
The margins of the different sheets were
examined for single word, but it had not
been written there.
There were marks upon some of the
pages that looked as if teardrops had fallen. |
Had / known that they were such could |
have blessed her for returning it even thus. |
The summer passed away, and the season |
came again for visiting Chicago.
Back into my old empty hearted condi- |
ton had settled feeling myself victim |
of circumstances.
There was desperate struggle going on |
in my whole nature to live and forget the |
face and form that had rekindled the light |
Of my soul.
The bright, liquid eyes of my dead Allie |
seemed to shine out to me through those
IF Lena Suthem. 1t was really the first
love awakened, for had l not known the
first l should not have loved the last.
Fully determined was l TO master nv
heart. No further effort would be made to
meet Miss Suthern, and yet my stay in Chi
,ago was prolonged beyond the usual period
If a visit.
/ invented delays, and was slow in max
ng purchases. Not female face passed
ne unobserved.
Really was hoping, praying to meet by
accident the lady, even if l could but once
more get a glance at the Inspiring face.
The meeting came, but at moment least
expected.
Late one evening, upon turning a corner
lbrubtly, found myself face to face with
he woman worshiped.
Our coming together was so sudden that
10Th were startled, for the lady recognized
ne as quickly as l did her.
A brief hesitation, and she attempted to
,ass.
My hand was lifted.
II must speak to you, just one word" /
altered.
"You must not. cannot be detained"
he said in n soft, musical voice. "What
ou would say cannot listen to-"
"Cannot you hear me for single mo-
nent? You have refused to reply to written
words of love, and certainly you can an
wer one little question, then / will detain
ou no longer. Is there no hope, not one
ayr"
"Do not speak to me thus. You must mott
am married woman"
started as if a sword point had pierced
ne.
The thought that Lena Suthern belonged
o any one else had never entered my self
sh, worshiping head.
AS the lady had spoken she turned and
ow, for the first time, / saw n man partly
idden by the pillar of the corner building.
was the same tall, gaunt form with the