Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-01-11

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In another moment he would
have explained his poor jest, but
Corridor, his face as white as ashes,
had merely bowed and passed on.
She had danced with another
man and against his wishes, and
she had given away his mothers
ring. He left that town that night
without a word. Rose waited for
him-waited one year, waited half
a score. If he were dead, her heart
was in the grave with him, and
whether he were dead or not she
could not know.
u n
1t was a wintry night in one of
those islands that are the outports
of our northern coast, where a per-
son still young, still beautiful, but
with strange still sadness in her
beauty, who had CHANGED upon the
place in it's summer radiance of
smiling seas, had come again to
make a home the year round, to
teach the children of the fishermen
and to live the life of Sister of
Charity among the jewellers in the
fishing huts, half driftwood and half
primal rock.
She had her dead Cousin Mar
garet's fortune, and she spent it
with her own, on these people, but
she gave them more than money,
for she gave them all herself, read
ing to those that could follow, talk
ing to those that would listen,
working with them and for them,
and finding her onl y cheer and con-
ISOLATION so.
1t was the last night of the year.
A group of young girls had come
down to Roses cottage to bring her
their gifts of shells and seaweeds
and were lingering there, when sud-
denly in one of the awe stuck silences
came the sharp report and rolling
echo Of a gun.
In moment men were running
to the boats, the women thronging
to the shore, the young girls and
children, and Rose with them, were
building a bonfire on the cliffs
Dimly could be discerned on dis.
tant reef the dark outline of huge
steamship that had struck the reel
with tremendous force, had broken
in two, and with frightful rapidity
was settling to her fate. Will
ropes about them the fishers
waded and swan out; thrown bach
breathless, once again venturing; a
length one awful screaming billow
seeming to soar into midair, am
then throw them all together in
mass upon the shore.
1t was more than an hour tina
the auld wives worked on the un
conscious being whom the sea ha'
cast up, and whom they had takel
to the nearest cottage--the cottrg
where Rose dwelt. At length ;
long shiyer ran through his frame
and he opened his clouded eyes ant
murmured something huskily ant
fell into deep sleep.
1t was an hour or more afterwar(
that he awoke. The others had al
gone, dismissed by her. Rose sa
at his feet, distinct against the sap
phire vault of the moon lighted
sky seen through the uncurtainet
window, and only low CLEAN o.
fire now and then falling across
her.
"Rose is dead, them" he said
And you are some hooking spirit
in her form. Oh; you cannot de-
ceive me, though you comb thu
curl out of the yellow hair, though
you put nuns cloth on that supple
shape, for you wear my ring upor
your finger, and she never looked
so till | broke her heart!
"You are talking in your sleep,
she said, bending forward and tax
ing his burning hands. "This il
Rose. Your Rose. All the rest il
nothing now"
He gazed at her steadfastly a mo
ment, the cloud clearing from hi
eyes, the oppression from his brain
Nothing" he cried, nothing
the words coming in quck gasps
II was coming back to find you
Out in the desert | had seen my
foolishness. / had said: She il
mine! She always was mine! She
loved me! May the thing be ac-
cursed that parted us-ring or dance
or childish freak or maddened tenn
per. | shall never ask her. She
shall never tell me-"
"Oh, there is nothing to tell!
cried Rose.
He held out his arms to her.
1--WE have lost ten years" he muir.
INJURED. "We will have the rest OF
the threescore. Nothing shall part