Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-10-13

words he had heard him utter on the
| lawn.
! But at last all was over. and May was
his. How should no treat this beautiful,
new found treasurer No sorrow, he
sworc TO himself should ever cast its
shadow on her path. She should be
always what she was now, beautiful,
| pctted child.
Once, n few months after their mar
risge, a letter reached him ut the break
fast table. He broke the seal, to find 1t
| a communication from his business
manager with detailed account of the
failure of large firm, and their own
heavy loss thereby. IL would be neces-
sary for him to give the matter at once
his own personal attention. Ii looked,
too, the letter said, rs though panic
was imminent.
Unconsciously he sighed deeply. In
n moment May had sprung from her
chair, and was by his side.
What is IL, DickP" she asked.
Nothing, darling" he answered,
choerily.
The lovely lips pouted.
''Show me the letter." she said, and
outstretched her hand.
He shook his head.
1T is business, dear" he explained.
'But il troubles you, DickP"
"Your imagination, May"
She said no more, and the man was
too absorbed by thought to note the
look of almost anger in her eyes. I'M
mediately after breakfast was ended, he
ordered the dog-cart to drive him to the
station. They were spending the sum-
mer at his beautiful country residence.
All day long the young wife was left
alone, and at evening, when Dick re-
turned from the city, worn, tired look,
quite new in it, was on his face; but
Nav asked him no more concerning it.
The next morning, the single letter
which the mailbag held was addressed
to her. She glanced up from its peru
sal with flushed cheeks.
"Will Crosby has six weeks fur
loughP" she said, eagerly. ale writes
that he is coming to spend part of it
with us. You remember we invited him
when we were married"
"Ah, remember" assented her hus-
band-hc had almost forgotten his old
suspicion during these happy months
II am glad, dear, that his visits timed
just now, for though had intended. to
take long summer holiday, business,
] find, will demand my attention in the
city,"
lis any thing wrong, Dickp"
Wrong Nonsense, child Don't
get such ideas in your pretty little head.
What could be wrongp'
And rising, and kissing her, a he
L, q
A few days later the expected guest
arrived. When Arnold returned one
evening from the city, the two were
standing together upon the lawn, and,
as in flash of lightning, his memory
recalled to him the first time he had
looked upon similar picture. A new
brightness, new gladncss, was in
Mays face, too, as she came eagerly
forward to greet him. A sudden sense
of pain and loneliness crcpt about his
heart. The day in town had been an
usually perpleXing one. a crisis was
pending in the near business future
crisis which badc fair to be commercial
whirlwind-but he could disclose his
anNieties to none, and least of all must
his child-wifc suspect il. Yet, the effort
to conceal them caused strange con-
straint in all that he said or did. He no
longer sought to be alone with May,
until one day it came upon him like an
inspiration that she, too, no longer
sought him.
Lieutenant Crosby had been three
weeks their guest, when the threatening
storm burst. Around about him, on
every side, Mr.. Arnold saw the houses,
which he had deemed solid as his own,
totter and fall. Each fall bore with it n
portion of his own fair cdiiicc. How
long might he hope to withstand such
shocks. 1t needed but one more blow,
and OH one August day the blow fell.
Unless by the next morning, before
noon, he could command certain sum,
he, too, would be swept away with the
tide-a bankrupt. just the amount
needed represented his wife's private
fortune, but to touch that never entered
his mind.
At least May was secured from future
want and he must leave her to build up
his shattered fortunes in new land.
She had never loved him! He was sure
of that and atterly-latterly, he had
begun to realize that he had had no
right to tic her young life to his. Worn
and weary with these many thoughts,
he returned to his home. May greeted
him almost indiflerently, only the next
moment to turn to young Crosby with
her most radiant smile.
Arnold's face paled. Yet what right
had he to murmur? he told himself.
Had he not sworn to possess her at any
costp And was he not q ruined manp
Crosby, the penniless subaltcrn, rs he
had called him, would have done better
for her than that. When dinner was
ended, he went to his library and closed
the door For time he sat wrapped in
thought. Perhaps an hour had passed,
when solitude grew unbearablc.
He would rejoin his wife and their
guest, he determined. Tomorrow
night-only tomorrow highland May
| must know all. For the first time in
his life he felt himself a coward. But
tonight was yet his. Tonight May
He rose and passed out into the draw
ing-room, whose windows opened on
the porch. His footsteps made no
sound on the carpctcd floor, and he had
reached the window, when something
like sob arrested his steps.
"May, ! must speak," said voice he
recognized as belonging to his guest
"Do you think have been three weeks
under this roof without discovering your
sccrctp You are mot happy. Your
laughter, your gaiety, is forced. What
is wrongP Do you fear to contide in
mcp'
"Wrongp" she answers, with tears in
her voice. "All is wrong, Will: What
am to my husband but spoiled, pet
ted child? Look at him! DO you fail
to see the change these last few weeks
have wrought himP Yet, each time I
have striven to gain his confidence, nc
has shut me out from il and his heart.
He has sent me from him as he would
send child to her dolls. He showers
| gifts upon me, and fancics thus he buys
| my hanniuaca An, ;,,.l.~I I:.H.