Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-06-21

i ike ueF money, anu ~ WOulO Zip
into my pockets without any trouble.
hate work. And 1t seemed such q
soft thing to get rich wife,
Z" You shall have the child, said
the mother. i can keep that jacka-
napes away. Fine clothes and city
ways have caught her fancy, that Is
all. Besides, how do you know the
man means anything.
I" BY his looks, said Tom, i kept
wondering what he saw in her pale
little face to roll his eyes for. Why,
] think she Is very nearly plain
II went up stairs without my
gloves, but my heart was very light.
! could have no pity for fortune
hunter, and the words ! had heard
made me happy.
ITO cut long story short, lest /
bore you, it was not long before ] was
engaged to Mr.. Lorrimer. My aunt
had permitted his visits, and told me
that she hoped would not leave her
until was married. knew that the
money l contributed to the house.
hold was valuable, and agreed to stay.
Tom ! seldom saw nowadays; when
did, he was sulky.
II had known all along that my be-
trothed husband was going to Balti-
more for few months before our
marriage, but when the time came,
it was very hard to part, and when
he was gone / was very sad and
lonely. AS l told you, in those days
the mails were very slow there
were no steam cars.
For a long time / was not
alarmed, but at last terror beyond
words fell upon me, and l expected
nothing but to receive tidings OF ill
ness or death. What came to me,
however, was this:
IA paper in which was marked in
pencil q notice of the marriage of
Arthur Lorrimer to Augusta, daugh-
ter Of Everliegh Turner, Esq, and a
note in an unknown hand.
+" 'MADAM'-it read-'As one of
Mr.. Lorrimer's closest friends, am
charged with message to you. You
will see that he is married to his love
with whom he quarreled two years
ago. That love will have it's way, is
the only excuse he can offer. He
prays that you may be happy, and
begs you will forgive him.
"A. APPLETON
II did not faint, did not weep,
when received this letter, but / felt
the shock in every nerve. My cousin
had brought the mail from the post
office, and as sat gazing into the fire
he touched me on the arm.
" Cousin Belle he said, i read
the paper on my way home. See
now what false heart you have been
trusting in, and setting aside love
that would have lasted you for life.
DO not utter falsehood, Cousin
Tom said. You care nothing for
me you want my money, for l heard
you tell your mother so. But / will
marry you and show this deceiver
that / am not pining for him. Only
remember, I do not love you any more
than you do me; and l will never
give you even kiss
"'Oh, Belle, / do love you'll / said
what / did out of pique! cried Tom,
and / am sorry you heard me. We
shall be q very happy couple yet
'Never!' / said.
"I'll write to this fellow said
Tom. Pretend we have not heard
the news, and tell him you've found
out you like me the best, and want
to be of with me-
eyes, / said, you may do that, /
hate you both; but tell any lie you
like And he ran away.
Sitting in the room where ! stood
was looking-glass which reflected a
portion of the kitchen. AS / hap
pened to turn my eyes that way, l
saw my aunt standing near the open
fire reading a letter. AS she read,
she seemed to watch and listen.
"In those days we used both black
ink and red for correspondence, and
Arthur had fancy for red. This
letter was written in that color. The
writing, too, looked at that distance
like his, and the secrecy of Aunt
Cynthia's manner awakened my sus-
picions. / took step forward, and
she flung it into the fire, and l saw
her run out ut the garden door. The
next instant / was in the kitchen.
1.-THE paper had not blazed up at
once, for it had fluttered behind the
back log. / caught up the tongs and
brought it safely out. 1t was scorch-
ed and yellow, but knew l could
read it; and running to my room,
bolted myself in and examined the
paper.
1T was letter from Arthur, and
from l learned that he had written
many times, and having received no
reply, had grown so anxious that he
had resolved to come back again.
am greatly irritated to-day, he
said. Some rascal has thought it q
good joke to publish false marriage
with an unknown, probably imagina-
ry lady. 1t is unlikely that you will
ever see Baltimore paper, but cam
not help troubling about that, too.
However, we shall meet in q few days.
The stage should arrive at - next
Thursday
II saw it all-my cousin had play
ed deep trick. The advertisement
was his work, and he had forged the
letter, but was master at last.
LAS for my aunt. the cruel crea-
<,,~a boJ Jaofroyad tho laftora for