Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-03-08

asked, UremDllnSly. Are you angry
with me, Rose?"
She held out to me her hand. On
that, my heart seething with audaci-
| ty, my head on fire, cried:
Rose, ! swear it l will be your
husbandl"
And as she shook her head and
looked at me sadly added: "Ohi 1
well know that my uncle is self
willed, but will be more self-willed
still, and he must be forced to say
yes will force him to say It'll"
''But how?" asked Rose.
Ali how? That was exactly the
difficulty. Bat no matter; / would
find way to surmount it!
At that moment heavy step re-
sounded in the street. Instinctively
we moved away from each .other; l
returned to my double-handed sword,
and Rose, to keep herself in counte-
nance, set to busting with corner of
her apron little statuette in it's
faded red velvet case.
My uncle entered. Surprised at
finding us together, he stopped short
and looked sharply at US, from one
to the other.
We each went on rubbing without
raising our heads.
Here, take this" said my uncle,
handing me bulky parcel from under
his arm. "A splendid purchase, you'll
see."
The subject did not interest me in
the least.
] opened the parcel, and from the
enveloping paper emerged steel he'll
met-but not an ordinary helmet, oh,
no Ia superb, a monumental morton,
with gorget and pointed visor Of
strange form. The visor was raised,
and tried to discover what prevented
it from being lowered.
1T will not go down-the hinges
have got out Of order" said my uncle ;
''but it's a superb piece, and when it
has been thoroughly cleaned and
touched up will look well-that shall
be your to-morrow's job"
Very good, uncle" 1 murmured,
not daring to raise my eyes to his.
That night, on reaching my room,
l at once went to bed. / was eager
to be alone and able to think at my
ease. Night brings counsel, it is
said, and had great need that the
proverb should prove true.
But, after lying awake for an hour
without receiving any assistance, /
fell of to sleep and till next morning
did nothing but dream the oldest
Il IN
church in a strange bridal costume,
fourteenth century cap, three feet
high, on her head, but looking pref
tier than ever; then suddenly the
scene changed to moonlight, in which
innumerable helmets and pieces of
old china were dancing wild taran-
dola, while my uncle, clad in COM
plete armor and with formidable
halberd in his hand, conducted the
bewildering whirl.
The next day--ah, the next day -
was no nearer. In vain, with clenched
teeth, / secured the immense helmet
brought by my uncle the previous
evening-scoured it with such fury as
almost to break the iron; not an idea
came to me. The helmet shone like
a sun; my uncle sat smoking his pipe
and watching me; but l could think
of nothing, no way of forcing him to
give me his daughter.
At o'clock Rose went into the
country, whence she was not to return
until dinner time, in the evening. On
the threshold she could only make
sign to me with her hand my uncle
had not left us alone for single in
slant. He was not easy in his mind;
/ could see that by his face. No doubt
he had not forgotten our conversation
of the previous evening.
went on rubbing at my helmet.
"You have made it quite bright
enough-put it down." said my
uncle.
/ put it down. The storm was
gathering. / could not do better
than allow it to blow over.
But suddenly, as If undertaken by
a strange fancy, my uncle took up
the great morton and turned and ex-
amined it on all sides.
"A handsome piece of armor, there
is no doubt about it; but it must
have weighed pretty heavily on it's
wearer's shoulders" he muttered;
and, urged by know not what de-
mon, he clapped it on his head and
latched the gorget-piece about his
neck.
Struck almost speechless, watched
what he was doing-thinking only
how ,,olv he looked
Suddenly there was sharp sound
las if spring had snapped-and-
crack !-down fell the visor; and
there was my uncle, with his head in
an iron cage, gesticulating and swear
ing like pagan!
/ could contain myself no longer,
and burst into roar of laughter, for
my uncle, stumpy, fat and rubi-
cund, presented an irresistibly comic
appearance.
Threateningly, he vcame toward
me.
1.-THE hingesl the hinges, foolW he
yelled. e
/ could not see his face, but / felt
that it was red to bursting.
"When you have done laughing,
idiot ~ he cried.
But the helmet swayed so oddly on
his shoulders, his voice came from it
in such strange tones, that the more
ba yacf;oulofad tho morn ha va11ad