Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1893-11-01
DARLING's VICTORY

That Is, | haven't told her positively
she could come. | thought maybe
you mightn't like it."
"You knew | would not like it,
Mrs. Holiday. | leased you my
house with the understanding that
l would board with you, and
that any other boarders you might
take should be perfectly unobjec-
tionable people. Now, child is
the most thoroughly Objectionable
creature in the world"
"But, Miss West, this is such a
good little dear, and so pretty. Dear
me! She's fair little beauty.
Her mother is Susan Price, whose
husband was killed in the mill last
year. Poor thing! she's got to
work hard for herself and her child.
She's come to town to do fine needle
work; but she won't have any sign
out-oh, no, and she's willing to
take the little room at the top of the
house. You'd never know she was
there, or the child either"
mot know the child was there
You can't tell me. / know how it
would be. They are all alike-little
demons that scream half the night,
and catch whooping cough and
measles on purposeto aggravate you
tumble down stairs, pull your flow
ers, and slip into your room and
make it a chaos in two minutes.
Oh, shouldn't | know the child was
herew Miss West smiled scornful-
ly, and the plump kind-hearted
landlady WINGED a little. Then
suppressing sigh, she said:
"Well, she shan't be here, Miss
West. | am bound to do what
can to please you, for you've been
very fair and kind to me. I'll tel
Eliza Price she can't stay any long
err than to-day. let her stop this
morning because, poor soul, she
didn't know where else to go. She
don't know anybody in town but
me. | went to school with hel
mother, and I've known Eliza since
she was a baby. A nice quiet CIR,
she always was. I'll send her with
a note to Mrs. Cook. She'll take
her to board. No, you shan't be
worried about the child, Miss
West"
THANK you, Mrs. Halliday" sale
the cold, handsome owner of the
pretty Hill Cottage, as she stepped
out of the hall in which she hat
been standing, dressed to go out in
her gray hat and trim gray walking
suit.
She went down the steps and Out
upon the street, while the landlady
standing at the window, looking af
ter her, shaking her head as she sale
to herself: "She's good woman
and a just one, but she's hard-yes
she is bit hard, though she's kline
enough to the poor. But it does
seem a pity she don't take to child
rem. If she could see Darling il
surely would warm her heart
Well, | must tell Eliza Price | can
take her, and ! hate to. It dom
matter about losing the rent of thu
room that's triAe, but I'd like t.
befriend poor Susan's daughter
and that child-well, she is a darl
ing"
Meanwhile Miss West was hurry
ling down the street, carefully lifting
the hem of her neat dress from tn,
dust. Though lie was thirty-fve
she was fine-looking women, tai
and well proportional, with state
| ly grace in her movements. At thu
corner Of the street she encountered
DR.. Gray in his buggy. He bowed
and she slightly inclined her head
in response, faint color coming
into her cheeks. Years ago, wher
she was eighteen and the reignine
belle of Walton, Earnest Gray hat
been her accepted lover. The en-
gagement had been broken off-nt
one knew why. Miss West, ever
when a girl, kept her own counsel
but the neighbors laid the blame
to Eleanor's pride and imperiou'
will. Young Gray had o high
spirit himself, they said, and HI
would not submit to exactions ever
from the woman he must have loved
deeply, for he had never married.
Miss West stopped at the fruit.
er's at the next corner and pur
chased some oranges. Then sh,
went on to the bakers and bought
a small, crisp loaf of bread. Final
ly she entered a clean, fresh looking
dairy and laid out fifty cents fol