Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-08-25

i
yet his merry, fsrvent Irish tempera-
ment forced him to say jolly things
now and then in spite of himself
IL can't hould in, sir" he would
say, after he had made some funny re-
mark. I'm sober as a judge mesilf,
but it's the influence of me grandfcy-
Their in me veins, who was the most
comical JANUS in all Cork"
He was very shrewd too, and many
of his observations on the men end
matters of the day greatly pleased his
listener, who secretly decided that the
young barber possessed talents that
must be cultivated for some larger
purpose. OF course the eXcitemcnts
of the campaign furnished Maurice
with abundance of news and themes
for humorous remark, and the liking
of the master for the boy increased,
while the affection of the boy for the
master grew almost to devotion. All
seemed to be going well for Mr. Sever
ance, though the rival candidate in the
field was a shrewd and by no means
unpopular man, who knew yell how
TO take advantage of the slightest
weakness In his opponents cause. Mr..
Severance often spoke In public meet
ings with great applause, and his writ
ings upon all subjects were able, and
commanded respect and wide atten-
ton. He was clearly an established
favorite, and in the hearts of the people
held the leading place.
On the Monday preceding election
Thursday well-dressed man accosted
Maurice on the street, as he was pro-
ceeding to the house of his patron. He
said:
my boy, have you ever seen me be-
forep"
"How cud tell, yer honorP" asked
Maurice, tucking his razors close under
his arm.
but do you remember having seon
mcP"
"Nivcr at all.
"Will you give this letter to Mr..
SeveranceP"
"Shure / will, SIR"
The man then delivered to him u
large blue envelope, directed in bold
hand, and after charging care upon the
lad, went his way. Maurice looked
after him with a calculating eye, and
then at the envelope which he held
suspiciously between his thumb and
finger.
Bother me, an | wonder if this 10 a
torpaydo!" he soliloquized.
He soon presented himself ut the
house of Mr.. Severance, and was as
usual sent to the dressing-room in the
second story. Here he found his patron
seated in his chair, reading the morn
ing paper. He gave him the letter and
told him how he obtained it. With o
puzzled look, Mr.. Severance instantly
broke the seal and opened the sheet.
He read few lines and started to his
feet with sudden exclamation. His
face was deadly pale and he trembled
from head te foot.
"Oh," cried Maurice to himself, full
of agony, "it is torpaydo shure!'
In an agitated voice Mr.. Severance
asked the lad to detail once more the
circumstances under which he had re-
ceived the letter. While Maurice was
going over the story, the listener sank
heavily back into his seat. His head
fell upon his breast and his hands
dropped listlessly over the arms Of the
chair. The sudden change from the
powerful and happy man TO one so
weak and wretched was q strange and
saddening sight to see. Maurice was
speechless. He dared not move. There
was terrible silence, and it seemed as
though death had happened in the
room. A bird singing in remote part
of the house was the only sound that
was to be heard, and this was so out Of
keeping with the scene that it made il
only the more dreadful. Twice or
thrice did tho poor boy attempt to
speak; but SO great was his consterna-
ton that the words failed upon his
lips. How great did his love for this
stricken man seem at this moment!
How no longed for some way by which
he might afford him some little relief!
In little while Mr.. Severance slowly
turned his head. lie seemed to have
grown older by ten years. He said:
II shall not need you to-day, Maui
rice"
Then he relapsed once more into his
fearful abstraction. Sick at heart and
sick i'm body, the boy left the room
He descended the stairs and gained the
street. All looked black to him, in
spite of the glorious sunlight. He re-
turned to the shop, but he could do no
work. He begged to be given the day,
and his wondering employer yielded
Several hours passed, Maurice wan
dered, he knew not whittier, and saw,
he knew not what. All was blank,
dark, confused. Had he been q girl,
he would have wept. Night came on.
The streets were thronged with people
going home; and the news-boys were
crying the evening papers. Maurice
| To hn al In
could not pass readily. This aroused
him from his abstraction. He looked
to see the cause of the stoppagc. The
people were reading the bullctin-board
of an evening paper. 1t said, in great,
staring letters:
THE Hon. JOHN SEVERANCE
PROVED TO HAVE BEEN A STATE PRIs-
on CONVICT
Shocked, and sick at heart, Maurice
Immediately purchased paper of one
of the news-boys, and found with des-
perate eagerness the paragraphs which
that evening attracted all eyes.
Just as we go to press, positive
proofs reach us that the Hon. John
Severance, so well-known, and hereto
fore so much beloved and respected in
our community, was, on the twentieth
day of April, 1927, convicted of forg-
ing a note, and for that crime served
a sentence in the State Prison of M,
thereby rendering himself ineligible to
civil Office or emolument. The hour is
too late to permit us to make any COM
ment upon the astounding news; but
we declare that VIC mourn profoundly
the revelation that casts a shadow over
] one SO truly eminent, and at the last
moment forces the people to withdraw
their suffrages from the man whom
they have long delighted TO honor. A
mass-mceting will be held i'm the city
hall at nine tonight.
We sec that our young barber was