Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1889-01-30

Leke-but always / remembered the
wistful look on his manly face, as. lit
up by the glow OF the sunset, my lover
told mo OF his love. And / Uas sorry.
AT the end OF the school term left
Grasshopper Corners TO take position
In one OF the Rochester city schools,
though each recurring vacation spent
Mt my old home. But though my faith
ers house was within days drive of
the Corners, / somehow never went
there. And this was not because new
err gave any thought 10 the friends Of
my apprentice days. Try as / would
L could never for many consecutive mo-
ments avoid sad memories OF day
which had passed and gone for me.
Certainly l made no effort 10 call to
mind my good friend, the cripple;
whether l would or no, his pleasant,
open countenance was ever before my
eyes; while In my ears there evermore
rang the words which 1 once spurned:
IL don't ask you for any thing in re-
turn, but ], Zeke, love YOU"
Truly in my experience / was prov
ing that sometimes, at least, "absence
makes the heart grow fonder." AL
ways in the heart, now, was an aching
void, an almost painful longing which
nothing could satisfy. l knew, too
we'll, that my hearts truest happiness
had left behind on that Sabbath even
ing at Grasshopper Corners. 1 had
been away from the Corners just two
years, and was spending my summer
vacation with my parents One lovely
morning I arose quite carly and went
out into my mothers pretty flower gar
den. While there. gathering fragrant
blossoms for the breakfast table, / was
accosted by a man, who would not have
seemed old had it not been for the hag-
gard expression Of woe and misery upon
his face. l did not exactly recognize
him, though there was something IA
miliar about the old gentleman, who
had alighted from an antique buggy
which looked as weary and travel
stained as himself. Thought somehow
that ought to know him, and was not
In the least surprised to hear him adj
dress me by name. He approached
me slowly, hat in hand, and In q
voice which trembled with emotion,
said:
'Meb be you don't remember me,
marin, but you'll not have forgot Ecker"
l knew the man then; he was old
Ruggles, the Grasshopper Corners
blacksmith, my former pupils father.
Surely" replied, as took the old
mans hand In mine and led him to a
seat on the porch, "and I hope Zeke is
we'll"
But rs / said the words | knew that
he was not we'll. felt that something
dreadful had overtaken him. For in
that moment Of anxiety, as waited for
the old mans reply, while a hundred
possibilities flashed through my brain
and wrung my heart-then and there I
comprehended beyond the shadow of
doubt that the one great love which
woman can know for one man / had
bestowed upon Zeke Ruggles. But
anxious as l was l Duld not suppress
some compassion for the tired father.
| pressed him to come into the house
and eat some breakfast, but he re-
fused.
mo, thank you, marin, you're very
kind, but couldn't eat bite for think
ing of my poor boy. Let me tell you
all about it, miss. You see, Zeke. he
has been studying real hard ever since
you left us, an he's been reading books
and crOwding his brain with lawyer
larnin' and he's took his Examination
at Albany an he's been admitted to the
bar. But he's paid big price for it
all. He's sick OF brain fever, miss, an
l sadly fear he will never be his old
self All the time he talks Of you, an
at last l says to myself: I'll find her an
ask her TO come over an see Zeke, IL
so he she might do the poor lad some
good. An here / am, an oh, my
dear, please humor poor old fellow,
won't youp Do, now, como and cay
CHEEKY word to my boy. May be it'll
be no use at all, and then, again, it may
ease his poor sick mind an satisfy the
everlasting craving. Will you, my
dearp"
II needed not the earpea words OF the
old man, nor the tears which coursed
down his rough cheek to prevail upon
me to go to the Corners.
I started in few minutes, my father
driving me and old Mr.. Rgglee. It
was long ride, nearly twenty miles,
but we reached the blacksmith's modest
homo coon after noon.
Before very long / was ushered into
the sick chamber, where upon an old.
fashioned bed, beneath white cover
let, lay my champion.
But how changed! How wan and thin
the cheeks, how hstless the eyes.
bent over the poor fellow and kissed the
feverish brow, though he could not tel
that did; his reason had left him aud
he was quite unconscious OF his sur
roundings.
stayed for some minutes in the room
and once heard the lips Of the sick
man murmur my name-"Anna." But
Zeke did not recognize me.
Down stairs / saw the doctor, whom
l had known during my residence at the
Corners.
"Ah, Miss Brooks" he said, kindly,
"this is serious time with poor Rug
giles. The crisis will come in the next
twenty-four hours, and II we can not
rouse him from this delirium shall
fear the worst. He thinks much OF
you, and l think would recognize you
much quicker than any one else. For
give an old man, my dear, for seeming
meddlesome, but the poor fellows
whole soul was bound up in you, and
his mind dwells upon no one and moth
ing else. This evening when it is cool
and quiet come up again to the room.
You used TO sing to him, / think; try
that"