Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1886-09-01

Thcg present positions put their faces
on level, and, by common impulse.
they moved nearer each other and their
checks were pressed together They
rested so a moment. in tho stiffness OF
utter content, and then the young man
moved little apart from her and
framed her lovely face with his hands,
| feasting his gaze upon the sweetness of
her eyes. The silence, which lasted
neither knew how long, was broken at
last by Darcy. as his lips softly framed
| the word
Darling"
She moved her head n little that she
might rest il on his shoulder, and the
great wave of tenderness that swept
from her TO him lifted the young man s
soul to a conscious exaltation.
'Strange, how new this feeling is to
me! i have never felt IL before" he
said, surprised ut the sincerity of his
own words. A score of love affairs he
had had-onc, indeed, that ante-datcd
and he thought would outlast all the
rest-but nothing in his past expert
| ence had been like this. A sudden look
OF trouble crossed his face, and he moved
away from her as he said:
IL forgot to tell you, little one, that |
won { be able to meet you tomorrow
evening rs usual. Our Colonel's wife
expects some lady visitors, who are to
arrive tonight, and there is to be
dance in their honor tomorrow night
stupid affair, which shall be greatly
bored by, but l can't refuse to lend a
hand at the preparations, especially as
one of the ladies' happens to be an old
acquaintance. So you must bid me
goodbye now, for two whole days, and
you must promise not TO miss me too
| much.
A look of frightened trouble came
into her face as he spoke, and she ran
her arm through his and clung so close
to him that he could not help clasping
her to his heart.
you. You would not have me not to!
But, oh, | shall be so anxious about
you. Forgive me for begging you
once more TO be very careful about
Ben Woods
'What Il determined little goose it
is!' said Darcy, carcssingly. 1.-The merit
tAne catch Ben Woods committing n
midnight trcspass upon another man
claim, | shall not be content TO let him
off simply with one knock down blow,
but III cudgcl him well for having
caused my little one all these fears and
mi,giving>,'
"But you don't know how desperate
these men are said Mary, anxiously.
''lic never will forgive YOU, and the
worst of il is he will not dare TO attack
you openly. Oh, he careful, for my
sake. Keep out of his-way until his
anger has had time to cool, and don [
90 about after dark. almost feel as
if he might start up from behind those
bushes now
He put her from him moment, that
he might give her a look of fond rcas-
surance. Then he said suddenly:
you will make me late for drill, YOU
small cnchantrcss, you. ] will meet
you, us usual, in the wood. day after to-
morrow. And now come and give me Il
kiss, all of your own accord.
But Mary had never dono this yet, and
che only smiled and stood still.
Think about Ben Woods" he said.
"Scmcmbcr / am in danger"
Then she raised her beautiful troubled
eyes and looked ut him. He met her
look with one of answering fondncss.
Come DC sold softly, IF Mary loves
me. she will surely come. :"
my little darling" he said softly,
over again. His voice was quiet and
tender and rejecting nothing of the agi-
tation that shook hers rs she murmured
in low, incohcrcnt whispers:
"Oh, my dear one! My dear one!
Take care of yourself. Think what it
would be to me if anything should
happen TO you. Oh, be prudent, be
watchful, for my sake"
lie put her from him with fond re-
assurances, and saying hasty good
bye, vanished from her sight.
1t happened that as Mary was return
ing from solitary walk, which had
been incxprcssibly lonely and depress-
ing, OH tho evening appointed for the
dance at the garrison, she came sud-
denly upon Ben Woods, talking in low
threatening tones with man whom she
recognized as one of the most reckless
characters of the mining camp near by.
Both men had evidently been startled ut
seeing her. She longcd to see Darcy
again that she might put him on his
guard, but he had told her he would be
otherwise engaged this evening and so
the prospect of being able to commune
cate with him seemed hopeless.
She walked on very sadly and when
she reached the rough dwelling that was
all she had of home, she observed rather
languidly that its inmates were talking
together on the porch, with an appear
ance of unusual interest. She cared
little about it. until Darcy's name struck
her ear, and then she listened eagerly.
All she could learn was that during
the morning Darcy had ridden
up to the post-oilicc of the village,
in company with lady who
was staying mt the post, and that
Ben Woods, who happened to be loung-
ing near the horseback in front of the
Office, had cut ut the lady's horse with q
switch he had held in his hand, which
had caused it TO rear suddenly, and al
though the lady was Il good horse
woman and quickly controlled the ami
nal, she had been good deal alarmed.
Darcy, meantime, had gone into the
Office, but returned just in time TO see
what had happened, and had struck the
ruflian with his whip across the cheek
and neck, making the blood come, after
which, the lady being good deal UNI
strung, he had mounted and ridden
away with her, leaving Ben uttering
savage threats of vengeance.
All this, recited in Mary's ears, chilled
her poor little heart with terror, and
made what had seemed hopeless and
impossible ten minutes ago, seem now
practical and imperative. She was re-
solved to communicate with Darcy, and,
as only one way presented itself to her
mind, that she must take.
She waited until the father of the
family had gone of for his evening Cos
sip at the village store, and the kind
mother had tAkcn her little ones to bed,
and then, when she herself was supposed
to be safe in her own room up stairs, she
crcpt out of the house, wrapped ina dark
cloak, with the hood drawn over her
head, and flew rapidly down the garden