Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1886-02-04
The WIDOWS Son.
BY NJ. G. WALSH.


''Father, i have favor to ask of YOU"
observed Amy Archdale, beautiful girl of
twenty, as her father came home from bust
ness one summer evening.
"Well, Amy dear, what is it you wish?"
asked Everett Archdale, who was accus-
toned to grant every reasonable request his
fair daughter made.
"Have you a vacancy in your Office for
Robert Alger?" she asked, timidly, looking
up into his calm face, anxiously.
"Robert Alger," repeated Mr.. Archdale,
refectively, "how happens it that you take
so much interest in the young man?'
Amy blushed and said earnestly, "Oh,
papa, if you knew what hard struggle his
poor widowed mother has to get along, you
would not need to ask that questions; and
now Robert has returned from the West and
is anxious to support, or even assist her,
but cannot get position"
"Well, my dear child, that is really too
bad, but it is no affair of ours; still l am
disposed to what / can to alleviate dis
tress; so if you will have Mrs. Alger send
Robert to the Office tomorrow, / will see
what can do for him."
"Oh, thank you! thank you, papa And
the young lady's face became radiant with
flush of pleasure.
Amy Archdale was the only child Of
Everett Archdale, Esq, and heiress to his
fine fortune and extensive estate at Elm
wood.
Mr.. Archdale was wealthy merchant,
who owned quite a number of ships en-
gagged in foreign trade.
After dinner Amy dispatched q servant
with note to her friend, the Widow AL
ger, notifying her to send her son to the
merchants office on Weybosset street the
following day.
Accordingly the young man presented
himself, and, after brief examination,
Mr.. Archdale being very well satisfied with
his penmanship and general business quail
fications, as well as his neat appearance and
gentlemanly department, at once engaged
him at a salary of ten dollars a week, which
the young applicant was very glad to accept,
He applied himself eagerly to his duties,
and at the end of six months was promoted
to the full charge of the books with large
ly increased salary.
At length Mr.. Archdale was so well
pleased with Alger that, noticing his health
was being impaired by too close application
| to business, he determined to send Robert
away on one of his ships as supercargo,
hoping that change of air and scene
would prove beneficial.
Both Robert and his mother esteemed
Miss Archdale highly for her kindly assist
ance and sweet disposition; and the former
had learned to love her, though on account
| Of the disparity in their social standing he
| felt obliged to suppress all tender feelings
| other than those of sincere friendship.
Still when at length he bade her adieu
| and sailed on the Eta Fairfax, it was with
the fondly cherished hope that he might by
4 iudicious investment of the funds saved
| from his salary be able to lay the founda-
ton of comfortable competence, and in
| the future reach that station which he felt
| it was essentially requisite to attain in or
der to aspire to her hand.
| He was, however, mistaken in his inter-
| pretation OF her character.
Shortly after his departure Amy invited
Mrs. Alger, bright, clever little woman,
educated and refined, to take up her abode
| in the Archdale mansion and be her COM
| panion, to which the widow gracefully as
| sented.
Amy had many eligible admirers, and one
among their number, Gilbert Ashwood, was
| her favorite suitor.
This gentleman, an aristocratic young at
torney, was engaged to be married to the
vivacious little beauty.
Time elapsed, and the ship upon which
Robert Alger had sailed was reported lost!
It was now nearly year since that de-
plorable event, and the Widow Alger was
still dwelling ut the Grange, her associa-
tons with Amy Archdale being in meas
ure n compensation for the loss of her son.
She still, however, maintained her belief
in his escape; refused to abandon hope, and
the conviction that Robert was yet alive
was her greatest consolation.
One day sad calamity befell Everett
Archdalel
His business suddenly collapsed, and he
found himself bankrupt and almost pen
| niless!
The fine mansion went with the rest, and
the Archdales were obliged to take up their
abode in humble cottage, where Amy and
Mrs. Alger opened private school.
Before their departure from the Grange,
however, Gilbert Ashwood had an interview
with Amy, during which he coolly stated
that in view of her recent change from affiu-
ence to poverty he could not reasonably be
expected to marry her. Without waiting
for the conclusion of her recreant lovers
speech, Amy released him from the engage
lnent.
She had loved him with all the tender af-
fection of her young heart, and thought him
sincere on his part; but now that he had
shown himself to have been actuated by the
most mercenary motives in seeking hel
hand, she began to realize that after all II
was blessing that her father had lost his
property, as she was thereby saved from Q
life of misery with one who did not love her
The day appointed for the sale of the
Archdale mansion at public auction al
length arrived. A large crowd was assem-.
bled, bids ran high, and the property wa'
finally, after deliberate proceedings
"knocked down" to a tall young man with
dark complexion and a foreign appearance
evidently stranger at Elmwood.
/. He paid the necessary deposit to the auc.
tioneer, promising TO call at the latter'I
Office in tho afternoon with the balance, AND
requesting him TO have tho deeds ready Il