Alpena argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1893-1909, 1894-09-19

pretty lady! but there's trouble
coming on you, my pretty" pursued
the old dame, bending her wrinkled
face until it nearly touched the vel
vet-white hand. "A dark, dark
trouble-and it's not far off,
neither-it's written as plain as
if"
Nonsense" calculated Lettice,
drawiny away her hand with a
slight shudder. 81 don't want to
hear any more of my fortune told
it's getting to absurd. Send her
away, Mr.. Vail, it makes me nerv-
ousw
She tossed back the lovely shower
of glossy, golden curls, as if relieved
to be rid of the matter, while Dud-
ly Vail dismissed the scarlet-cloaked
beldame with a gratuity that sent
her rejoicing down the steep, ro-
matte path that led to the beach
below.
Vail threw himself lightly Oh
the grass at the young beauty's
feet, while Ralph Seymour leaned
with folded arms, and dark, con-
tracted brow, against the gnarled
trunk of a gigantic old oak. All
day long he had been the sport of
Lettice Wynne's coquettish humor
and contradictory fancies, and now,
heart-sick and angry, he saw those
smiles lavished on his rival, for one
beam Of which he would have given
his own right hand.
MY scarf!' said Lettice, suddenly
looking around. "Oh! there it
hangs, just where those vines drop
over the cliff. Pray don't trouble
yourself, Mr.. Vail, Ralph will get
it for me"
Both gentlemen sprang at the
instant. Mercy Gregg looked at
Lettice with eyes of grave reproach.
"Lettice! how can you torment
those poor fellows so cruelly?--
You are heartless coquette! 1t
would serve you right to die an old
maid"
Didn't you hear what my shriv-
eled old prophecies foretold, that no
such fate was in store for me?"
Hush" " calculated Mercy, hold
ing up her finger in a listening
attitude.
For Ralph Seymour, light and
agile as wild deer, had stopped
over the dizzy cliff, and disengaged
the scarf from the bushes, where it
lodged by the September winds,
and stood looking scornfully tri-
umphant at Vail, whose brow was
purple with suppressed anger.
"Give that scarf to me-" he said,
in hoarse, stiffied accents. mo
hand but mine shall restore it to
Lettie."
"We'll see about that" was the
calm, contemptuous reply.
Vail sprang forward to wrest the
light trophy from the others hand;
at the same instant Seymours stepped
back a pace. There was crash,
rustic of tearing vines; the treach-
erous cliff gave way beneath the
unwonted weight, and Seymour fell,
still grasping the frail, fluttering
scarf-fell, down that dizzy height
with the hungry sea yawning
underneath.
Vail clasped his hands over his
eyes with faint cry, as if to shut
out the sick horror of his rivals
white, set face; and Lettice, utter
ing wild shrink, that rang through
the woods with awful distinctness,
fell fainting to the ground.
III have killed him! ! have killed
him! and would have given my
own life for his"
Sometimes a single moment Of
the souls agony turns a current OF
being from its warbling flow OF
sunshine to silence and darkness
lurking beneath life's saddest
shade-so it was with Lettice
Wynne.
"You are determined not to marry
Mr.. Gardiner, Letticep Child
you'll certainly be an old maid!'
Hush, Mercy! There was but
one man whom | could ever have
called husband, and he is gone where
there is neither marrying nor Civ.
ing in marriage"
"But, Lettice, that happened SC
long ago-ten years this September
and"
She felt Lettice's forehead grow
cold as marble against her cheek
she felt the chill dew on the trem.
bling hand that was laid upon hel
lips.