Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1891-11-18

word and by q girl who could not
utter word.
AS weeks went on he sank deeper
and more hopelessly into the morass OF
his infatuation.
He set to work TO learn the sign Ian
guage. He would do anything to meet
her upon her own ground.
One afternoon he started out for
stroll. He left the town walks and
struck for the open country. He de-
cided he would skirt the institute
grounds and return by another road.
He had quite cleared the suburbs
when, not far In advance, he saw an
object which for moment seemed to
turn him to stone In his tracks.
Upon a narrow, rude stile leading to
a field beyond stood woman. Dis
tress was in every line of her slim fig.
ure.
With violent plunge of his heart he
saw II was Miss Westlander. At the
sound of his approaching steps she
quickly turned her face in his direc.
ton. She looked as IL upon the verge
of tears.
At the same moment the secret of her
distress was revealed. A goat that was
pretending to cross the track near by
lifted his nostrils, scanned the new
conner resentfully and took several ag
gressive steps in his direction.
Rawleigh had cane and was by no
means inundated. But as he ad.
vanced the goat lowered his horns and
prepared to charge. This he did at
once and with such directness and force
that Rawleigh had no alternative but
to dodge him, aim a wild blow at him
and run.
The stile was the only refuge at
hand. He reached 1t with commend
able alertness Two lower steps were
missing and he scaled the rickety fight
at bound.
He found himself suddenly standing
by Miss Westlanders side on that mar.
row space.
He did not speak, for of course she
could not hear. Then both began to
laugh.
isn't it absurd?" he spelled slowly
with his fingers.
She nodded gleefully.
81 have been here moro than an
hour" she answered rapidly with her
fingers, pointing to the goat.
Cant we sit DOWN" he asked in
pantomime.
There was just room, by sitting close
together, for them to perch upon the
top step. They adjusted themselves
there as If to consider the situation.
L.
acted into the keenest sense of the ri
diculous. Her gray eyes brimmed with
mirth.
"How long must we wait here?"
pointing to their captor.
81 don't care" with q dash of ex-
ultation he could not hide, and at which
she blushed.
'Do you understand me readily?" was
his next question.
She balanced her little hand in the
air with slight, expressive shrug OF
the shoulder, as II to say: "Only passa-
bly,"
II read you perfectly" he said, "but
you do half the talking with your
eyes"
But why did she talk so fast2 Her
fingers few through letters and signs
until he was bewildered.
"Hold on" he cried, aloud.
"Ah-we read from the lips some
times-you said hold on"
"Yes," he spelled, clumsily, ''pray
do take breath"
But she would not. Letters, gest-
ures, changes of expression, often in
terrogative, followed in whirlwind.
ooh, the witches are in you," he ex.
claimed. ~ can't understand word
you say" with a.despaiiing sign of not
having caught her meaning.
She still went on. To counterbal.
ance his chagrin he began a running
fire of comments aloud with the Intense
satisfaction of knowing she could not
hear.
"You little windmill. You talk me
blind. II you belonged to me should
enjoy being scolded like that, because
should simply look away-like this, u
and he turned an immov able gaze up
on their friend, the goat
She was forced to stop for want Of an
audience.
Presently the owner of the goat ap
peared with q rope In his hand. That
hostile creature ran to meet him with
bleat and allowed himself to be lee
away.
There was no longer any reason why
they should not escape. Rawleigt
helped Miss Westlander down from hel
perch with regretful sigh.
He walked to the gate of the insti
tute grounds with her. He asked leave
to call upon her. She hesitated plead
ed that she was busy-and did not seem
to wish il.
He went home dazzled and confused
beyond anything he had ever known.
From this day on mere dreaming in
Rawleigh's passion was over. He lief,
no means untried to be near Miss West
lander. But In one way or another he
was nearly always thwarted.
But his opportunity came at last.
One of the banker Westlander's
daughters was to be married II was
to be quiet wedding to which Raw
leigh as special friend of the groom
was invited He was certain he should
meet the lady of his heart there.
He sent her a bunch of roses and
asked her to wear them. He supplied
himself with tablet, so as to avoid
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