Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-05-14
CAUGHT IN HISOWN TRAP
BY JOHN ALrURN.

BY JOHN ALTURN.
Poor Tom He was a fellow among
thousand; brave as n lion, merry as a
lark, and so handsome and dashing
Shoulder to shoulder we marched
many long mile under the baking
African sun; and when Tom sdccumbed
to fever and died, there was not dry
eye in the regiment.
''Harry, old man." he said to me,
watching through an opening in our
tent, the last sunset his mortal eyes were
to look upon, ~ can trust you ID give
these trinkets to my sister Mary, can't IL
She will prize them. She always had a
tender spot in her heart for her good
for-nothing brother. Poor child; she
will be alone now-quite alone. A
risky fate for pretty girl OF twenty.
Well, never mind. My little Mary
Harry, / wish"
The sentence was never finished, and
the voice which, with its merry ring,
had given courage and hope to many a
fainting heart of late, sank into eternal
silence.
Reverently took charge of the poor
boys legacy to his sister. his medals and
crosses, won at the peril of his life.
Soon afterwards fate led me back to
Europe.
Toms sister was in Paris, and thither
/ was eager to betake myself with all
possible speed, to resign my charge, and,
If possible, on the strength of my init
macy with Tom, to wiz. place in his
If a fellow can fall in love with pho
tograph and glowing description, ],
thanks to poor Toms affectionate elo-
quence, was in love with Mary Marsden.
/ believed that my comrades halfuttered
dying wish was that l might win the
right to protect Mary.
Arrived at Marseillcs, found letter
from my aunt, Mrs. Cashmere, begging
me to visit her for few days at Mentone,
as she had an important matter to dis
cuss with me.
This invitation, interfering as it did
with my desire to seek out Mary at once,
was most neutrality-suspicious. as l
strongly suspected the reason of my
aunt's ardent wish to see me- She had
doubtless been playing little too reck-
lessly at Monte Carlo-the love of gam
bling being long established infirmity
with her-and wanted me to help her out
of tight place. Well, one good turn
deserves another. In my bread-and jam
days many half-sovereign had found its
way from Aunt Cashmore's purse to my
jacket pocket; why should | not put a
cheerful face upon the matter and be-
friend her now. though l devoutly
wished the summons had come at some
other time.
Accustomed rs | had been of late to
| the attire of African ladies on their native
soil, my aunt's toilet and appearance
struck me forcibly.
She was handsome woman, perfectly
aware of the fact, and the rustling.
tinkling. and faint odor of padchouli
which accompanied her movements, at
tracted an attention which was not, on
the whole, ill paid for the trouble il
took to look. She wore her silky, white
hair high above her still fair forehead; a
soft tinted shawl hung usually about her
silken shoulders in loose, picturesque
fashion; glittering profusion of costly
rings detractcd from the beauty of her
hands, and pendent from her waist
dangled a bewildering array of orna-
ments, mostly of considerable value-a
velvet bag with massive silver clasps,
embossed with jewel-studded scent bot.
ties, and chatelaine so loaded down
with trinkets that it was as il she had
dragged silver graphing hook across Q
jewellers counter, retaining all the mis-
cellaneous haul.
thought all this display vulgar in the
extreme, but contented myself with ex-
pressing a fear that she might be robbed
some fine day on one of her walks
abroad, as she persisted in wearing al
this war paint.
"Don't be fussy old granny before
your time, Harry, DEAR" was all thu
thanks l got for my solicitude. -
haven't lived ten years on the Riviera fol
nothing, "-she had not, as her losses al
Monte Carlo could testify-''and I'm
quite able to take care of myself and my
property. We have, fortunately, out
lived the days of highway robberies upor
public thoroughfares."
NV aunt had known Tom Marsden'
family in years past, and was deeply in
terested in my mission to Paris. Yer!
reluctantly, to satisfy her almost childish
pleading, / showed her Toms souvenirs
placed in my hands in trust for his sister
1t seemed a sacrilege to produce them il
such an atmosphere. My annoyance wa
extreme when Aunt Cashmere begged t
be allowed the custody of these valuable
until evening, as she particularly desired
to show them to friend. / refused a
first. but her voluble pleading at las
made me weakly give in.
A few hours later, as l was particularly
distinguishing myself over a game o
billiards, a fellow brought me note sum
moning me to the Hotel des Painters
where my aunt lived, with all possibl
speed.
Here found pretty state of commo
ton. Mrs. Cashmere, my aunt, had bee
attacked in the avenue and robbed, tn
thief escaping with his plumber. AS 500
as had ascertained that my respects
relative had come off without bodil
hurt, could not rcpress an unworth
feeling of inward triumph at my astut
prediction being so promptly and fore
1 bly, verified, but /, of course, maintaine
discreet silence upon this point Will
listening to the victims account OF nc
misfortune.
81 was returning to luncheon leisurel
enough" she began, "when, on turnin
into that quiet BIT Of lick walk, VIZ
startled by man jumping over the hede
: and saying something to me which oil
z not understand. Then, all in flash, b
pushed me back against a tree, clapPc
y 1 Al. am