The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-02-11

Il Wo kc<p Aio bJOa ttaSSoy - $50
! would furnish our house for US from
I cellar to garnet when you and l are
married."
| Was that faint chuckle that came
from the other side OF the thick bank
OF ferns and palmsf
: One morning Uncle George failed to
4 come down to breakfast. This was
not an unusual thing, for Mrs. Leslies
avuncular relative was in the habit
OF taking long morning strolls, "jest
to brace up my appetite a Bit" he
would explain.
But when he failed to come back to
lunch, to dinner--when night arrived
and still no Uncle George-Nirs. Leslie
began to be alarmed.
II. am afraid something has hap
pened to him." she said to her hus-
band. "IIs 10 not very much ac-
quainted with the city. Who knows
but he may have been robbed and
murdersd7"
So Mr.. Leslie hunted up the chief OF
detectives and reported the mysteri-
GUS disappearance. He described the
matter All over, and before she slept
had made up her mind what course
she would pursue with regard to the
pleasant friendship that had sprung
up between herself and Josiah Evans,
who though considerably older, had
gained more OF q hold upon her affec-
tions than she had realized.
Very unlike his sister his converse
ton, devoid OF any approach to Curl
osity, had been very agreeable in
the many times they had chanch-
al 30 To- D ka
gether; now as she looked back over
the spring and summer she realized
that 1t had happened very often that
he had started out just about the
time she did, and she remembered too,
that he had been very ready to re-
spond to her invitation to come in
when they got back from the Office,
and seemed in no hurry to 60; it had
come about so naturally that she
had given the subject no further
thought, but it was evident from what
she had heard that evening that Miss
Lucretia was taking a serious view of
the matter, and that it was by no
means an agreeable one to her.
"And 80 she thinks there's danger
Of his becoming interested in me does
she?" thought Martha, "what mis-
take" but moment after when she
thought to convince Miss Lucretia of
her mistake by being careful to keep out
OF her brothers way she was obliged to
confess, that it would not be so easy
for her as she at first thought, but
those dull gray eyes, which seemed to
have so little expression, flashed now
with q determination which would
have made Miss Lucretia vince had
she caught but one glimpse; once sure
that course OF conduct was best,
Martha Osborn was not the one to
falte-, 80 it was not strange that
weeks passed by without Josiah's
having u chance to speak to her.
The sense OF loss this gave him re-
vea'ed the fact OF which he had hither.
to been unconscious that he really
cared for her, and the more he
thought about the matter, the more
determined he felt that he would rs
cert his rights and ask her tn be his
wife.
His parents having died when he
was very young, he had always look
ed up to Miss Lucretia, who was many
years his senior, but surely a man OF
forty might think for himself; how
ever, he found it much easier to plan
than to execute, for all his efforts to
see Martha failed.
For while, Miss Lucretia kept a
close watch, but not seeing anything
to arouse her suspicious, concluded
the lessons she had given him had
proved sufficient, and that if he ever
had cared anything for her he had
forgotten all about it, SO she cleaned
house, made preserves and gathered
all the village gossip to her hearts
content.
Autumn came, and with it., the
favored time for Josiah to obtain the
interview he had so long desired.
"She won't see me coming If I 20 after
dark" he said to himself, $50 she
can't keep out OF sight and send some
one else to the door that's certain"
and as If to favor his plan, Martha
herself answered his ring.
Don't call your mother" he said
as soon as he was shown into the
coy parlor, II have an errand to you
first. Will you 60 to the concert with
me tomorrow EVENING""
Here was indeed agreat temptation;
she had felt a very strong desire to
attend this concert and now to have
this chance-could she refuse?
Taking advantage OF her evident de-
sire to comply with his request, he
went on, 1--WE hardly caught q
glimpse OF you all summer and I've
missed you very much: there's no use
OF my going into any roundabout
way; don't know how but ! do
know that Pm very lonely; will you
consent to 60 with me through life?"
For few minutes Martha was SO
stunned by the suddenness OF it all
that it seemed rs il her tongue was
paralyzed. She was not pleased with
mankind in general; she really loved
this one, that she could not deny.
Then the recollection OF her resolve in
view OF his sisters opinion, came back
to her, and endeavoring to conceal
how much it cost her to say it, she
said, II thank you very much for
1 - 49, Al 4