The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-10-29


the old man. "Why couldn't yer"
Because don't love him." said
the daughter. looking her father
steadily in the eye.
"Love him, Luce! I tell we people
don't marry for love. They marry
to make a good thing. When
they get the worst OF it it's
like any other bad bargain; but
young Hinton has money and, Luce,
you'd better change your mind and
send him word that you like him well
enough. I'll give you a good start,
and you'll find out that you have
pretty good old dad after all.
Lucia kissed her father, but replied:
'Not him. lean never marry him.
| The years crept slowly by and
brought their usual round of bright
and cloudy days. Lucia had grown
taller and more beautiful. Her father
was still as grasping as ever. "Iagree
with you, Luce" he used to say;
There's no special hurry; but you
drop them almost too quick some
times, it seems to me-" One day he
hobbled into the room where Lucia
sat at work, and said in q severe, low
tone; 81 hear that you get letters
from that Ang Rowland. Is it true?"
IL have received letters from him"
Lucia replied. "and he is doing very
we'll, understand"
Il don't care how he is doing That
feller'll die poor" growled the old
man. He went outside and sat down
on the garden bench. ''I'll see Cicely,"
said he, with crafty look on his
| face. Cicely was the girl who sorted and
dealt out the mail at the village post
Office. Not long after this Lucia ceas-
ed receiving letters with a California
postmark.
Time passed and it was now nearly
| ten years since Lucia and Angus had
| st bod at the garden gate and said
good-by. Old Marsden had fallen into
a state OF dependency 80 utterly alb
| ject that Lucia was sometimes on the
point OF yielding to his wishes, but
she thought: "Pll wait while long
err; something has happened or he'd
never have broken his word"
One day her father called her to
him. He was unabieto get about the
house now, but lay propped up in his
chair all day with his eyes closed, o
very unhappy old man. "Luce," said
he, I'll make short work of it. The
last investment made / staked all
and lost. 1t was the first time,
Luce, and your poor father has made
many bargain in his day, but this
time has outdone them all. In
month from now we won't have a
house to cover our heads. hoped
this sickness might hurry me of but l
see it g going to give me time and I'll
have to 60 to the poorhouse, Luce.
unless" and the old man looked at
her pitifully, "unless you save your
dadP'
an work for you" cried Lucia.
"You shall never 60 to the poorhouse."
| And she was more tender in the care
| of her father after that.
One day she stood near her favorite
bed OF flowers, sadly thinking how
soon she would have to leave them, a
| voice broke the silence OF her medita-
tions. 81 beg your pardon, but your
| flowers look very pretty and had to
stop to admire them" and looking
up Lucia saw tall, well-dressed gen
tleman standing at the garden gate.
~ raise great many flowers myself"
said the gentleman, "and l always
take an interest in them, but live in
q flower country, where they grow
much more luxuriantly than here"
| Lucia gave startled LOOKOUT
no; how foolish; it couldn't be he. An
gus Rowland could never have devel-
oped into such handsome man.
| ~ declare, Luce, you don't know
me-" said the gentleman with a smile.
| "Oh, Apg! know you now, for you
speak with your old voice, but you
have been away q long time.
"You stopped writing, and read in
q California paper that you were mar
ried," said Angus, "but recently
learned that it was false report, and
/ am here once more to ask you to be
mine"
Father, this gentleman wishes to
see you," said Lucia as she ushered
Rowland into her fathers room.
The old man opened his eyes and
murmured: "Well, have chair"
~ understand that you have suf-
fered misfortune" said the gentle
man, kindly.
The old man groaned. "I'll have
to die in the poorhouse; there's no
help for it."
said the gentleman.
The cd man turned on him fiercely,
"What do you want with me, I'd like
to know? Amt it bad enough to be
ruined, but u lot of vultures have got
to come and hover around me before
Pm dead?"
have beer investigating the mat
ter" said the gentleman, land Pm
sure that it is not quite so bad rs
you think, and here is evidence that
you will not be turned out of your
home at any rate" and he opened be-
fore the old mans eyes the cancelled
mortgage. "The place is yours" said
the gentleman, land all your other
property is safe, for have been maxi
ing investigations"
"Who are your" cried old Marsden,
"that comes at such a time and saves
me from the poorhouse?"
It's not so bad as that" said the
gentleman, smiling, but my name is
Angus Rowland.
The remaining few months OF the old