Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-08-29

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posed to Julia, but nothing came OF
1t 81"
What q relief! Only Julial
So time went pleasantly on. and
then how can confess itf--my life
long creed was thrown to the winds.
my proud ambition humbIed in the
dust, and became willing slave to
| the sex had so long despised and
ignored. My only thought now was,
how and In what words / should be-
seech my darling Annie to become
my wife. Time after time ! was on
the point OF speaking. but Julia al
ways turned up at the critical mo-
ment.
One evening Julia announced that
week thence she had an engage
ment to play at concert. Then
burst upon me q brilliant inspiration.
l purchased two stall tickets for the
Lyceum for that same evening. and,
making pretense that had them
given to me. | persuaded Annie to
promise to accompany me. This
time Julia would not be able to in
trude, and / should know my fate.
In two months time should be TAX
ing my summer holiday, which would
| fit in Just nicely for the honeymoon.
On the eventful day / fastened
homeward with queer fiuttering in
my heart and flower spray for
Annie in my hat. Julia opened the
door, and hardly permitted me to
enter before she informed me that
Annie had been out in the hot sun.
and had been obliged to 60 to bed
with very bad sick headache. My
futtering heart gave one huge bound
and then seemed to stand still. How
ever, to disguise my feelings, said :
81 am sorry; and you have to play
at the concert?"
mo" she replied, "the concert
has been postponed"
Then may l beg the pleasure OF
your company? / did not ask you
before because of the concert en-
gagement."
"rhanks. l shall enjoy it i'm
mensely."
What O miserable failure that
evening proved to be! do not even
know what the play was called.
was thinking all the time Of my poor,
sick darling and not OF the acting or
the woman who sat by my side wear
ing the flower spray that was meant
for Annie.
The words were still unspoken
when my holidays arrived, and, tear
ing myself away from the two sis
tiers, who stood at the gate and
waved their handkerchiefs as long as
/ remained in sight, it was with no
feelings of joyful anticipation that l
betook myself to Hastings for rest
and recreation.
Restl Where could find it? Not
on the parade or pier amidst hun
dreds of couples promenading. as /
had pictured Annie and myself doing;
not on the beach where the Ethi-
opian musicians were eternally play
ing "Annie Laurie" 'Sweet Annie
Rooney" and Annie, Dear, I'm
Called Away" For whole week /
wandered aimlessly hither and
thither. Then l could stand it no
longer. So wrote long letter COM
mencing Darling" and pouring out
the impassioned, pent up love that
comes but once in mans lifetime.
l besought and beseeched her to take
pity upon me, or my lifeless body
should serge in the pillows that beat
relent lessiy on the rocks of Beachy
Head.
When 1 had finished, I happened
to catch sight Of photograph which
/ had purchased the previous day,
representing one Of the yachts pre-
pairing to start on her morning trip,
with my own figure in prominent
position in the bows. "Ah," thought
l, 'I'll send that to Julia"
Tit were possible had now less
rest than before, night or day, while
waiting for the answer. Rising in
the morning with haggard looks and
burning brow, the other boarders
would remark that the sea air did not
seem to agree with me, while under
the mask of supreme indifference
there ragged within me the fiercest
volcano that ever burned in the heart
Of man.
At last the reply came, and, bound
ing up to the privacy Of my own
room, and trembling fingers tore
open the envelope which hid from
me-life or death?
Dearest, l am yours forever. /
cannot say your proposal was I'M
expected, for / have felt that you
could mean nothing less, ever since
that evening when you so openly ex-
pressed your preference Tor me by
taking me to the theater"-
What Whew! Where I
looked at the signature-"Julia.
Oh, Heavens / saw it all. had
placed them in 1.-THE wrong envelopes.
and sent the letter to Julia and the
photograph to Anniel How / ragged
and fumed and tore my hair, until
at last, in sheer exhaustion, / sank
into chair and endeavored to finish
reading the letter.
Annie thanks you very much for
photo. and she desires me to tell
you that yesterday Mr.. Malcomb
proposed to her and was accepted.
We will have the two weddings on
the same day. Won't that be nice,
dear ?"
Nicer This was the last straw.
Nice, indeed, for me to be married to
a woman did not care for, and at
the same time to see the one loved
given to another mani / cannot re-
member what / did for the next hour
or two beyond cursing my foolish
ness and swearing wouldn't marry