Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-10-04

| fame were less dear TO him than her
answering love.
TIE Chopin fantasy rippled on,
from faintest sounds to silence.
Presently Ethel came in and picked
up the paper that came with their
mail. Scanning it over she said sud-
denly is something that
will interest you, sister. It's about
the historical society. 1t offers q
thousand dollars for some old records.
Margaret, are you asleepT
But no answer.
"Graciousv" said Ethel, tiptoeing
away, II thought she would wake
from the dead II any one mentioned
old record"
When her sister was out of hear
ing Margaret raised herself on her
elbow and reached for the flowers.
"Ah," she said, laying them
against her flushed face, II don't
want to think about the dead past
just now, but about--about-the RAJ
diant futurev'
1t was not her habit to mention
getting letter from Bert until after
she had read it for fear it should con.
tain some confidence not intended
for an eye or ear 'but hers. He had
promised to confess to her if he
should be guilty even of 'gentlc-
manly peccadillos, as he termed his
waywardness; so it was not until she
had kissed her mother and Ethel
happier good night than usual that
she sat down by her own lamplight to
read this one.
Bert had been very complaining of
late, and it was always money,
money. She had been sending him
nearly all her own allowance, and did
not see how she could do more; but
the first few lines showed her that
there was something worse than a
renewed demand for money, and that
disgrace, open disgrace, would be
the penalty if it were not forthcom-
ing,
With white lips and eyes ahame
with indignation, she read on, each
word branding shame upon her heart
and brain. 1t ram
MY Dearest and Best Sister-Do
you remember what you said to me
on the ocean, about helping me out
of scrape? Well, I'm in the worst
one you could imagine, and, Marga.
ret, you must help me, or our good
name will be blackened forever. While
half crazed with wine | took $500
from my room mate Simpson-you
recollect him-and dozen Of us went
on ten days spree. did not know
what / was doing. sis, indeed, /
didn't, and that cad says he always
despised our pretentions, and will GER
unless every cent is refunded in
month.
IL feel more for you and mamma
than myself.
Yours, in everlasting regret,
BERT"
She sat like one to whom the death
sentence had just been read-wide
eyed, dazed. Slowly the reality of it
all, its horrible truthfulness, left it's
outward sign of her inward conflict.
The letter fell from her trembling
fingers to the floor, where it lay with
is fiippant announcement of great
crime Haunting itself shamelessly q
crime whose consequences were SO
brutally thrust upon her.
She drew back the folds of her long
clinging gown from coatact with the
miserable sheet, and pushing it
from her with the toe of her slim,
arched slipper, stood looking down on
it with no trace of pity about her
eyes or mouth; only scorn unuttera-
BILE.
There is mers 'gentlemanly
peccadillo,' / suppose" she said in a
harsh, unnatural voice. "A Copley
"a Copley! Oh, ray father, that Q
son of yours should haye done this
thing!" and she threw herself pros
trate before Copley's unresponsive
effigy. Help mo to keep disgrace
from your dear, dear name. At any
cost to me. Oh, my dear father, it
shall be kept unsIllied !"
She lay there till the great cathe-
dral clock struck one, trying to make
a way out of this terrible difficulty,
yet finding none. She knew that
their quarterly income was not due
for weeks, and besides she had
breathed a VOW 30 her father, whose
spirit she felt to be real presence,
that her sweet, timid mother and
Ethel should be- spared all knowledge
Of Bert's sin il she alone could pre-
vent it's exposure.
Suddenly, like an inspiration, she
thought of what her sister had said
about the notice in the Baltimore
paper when she had been so wrapped
in loves young dream that she
scarcely needed her, took her night
candle and cautiously made her way
down stairs. There lay the paper.
All was Still, the quiet sleepers un-
conscious of the tragedy being en-
acted under the same roof that shell
tered them.
Back to her room once more, she
sought tho paragraph with feverish
eagerness till at last it caught her
eye. A long account Of the Maryland
Historical Society wound up by say
ing; "And those old records, dating
from al,Out 1885 to 100, have never
been found. Among them is sup
posed IT, be list Of those who emil
grated to the province at the time,
and fc. the sake of important work
TO be completed the society offers
IN "a n \ e. -