Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1902-11-07

a girl had well-nigh upset his whole
| career. Full well his memory pie
tured that morning four months be
fore when he had driven the homely
: family cart To the depot to meet this
daughter of his employer. and how
she had treated him with striking
hauteur. She had even mistaken him
( for her fathers coachman, and yet
! her very prudishncss seemed but 10
! lend a glamour of romance TO her,
which had caught him in a yeritable
web How often she had entered
! her fathers store accompanied by
some Of the youthful professionals
! Of the place. and seemed To delight
! i'm airing her superiority 10 this
common Office man. True, her pet
tishncss and Alterations sat well
upon her dainty figure, and a certain
indefnable odor of perfume seemed
! To pervade the dinginess OF the Office
when she entered. At times he
seemed TO see beyond her outward
nature, and at these rare intervals
he caught momcntary glance Of a
! character which, if allowed 20 AS
sert itself, might have cndearcd her
20 the coarsest mortal He often
noted how old Josiah watched her
every move. and how the ~t1id. old
fashioned home of the .lamiesons be
came the center of the fashionable
house parties and afternoon teas.
Then as "a browning tribute TO Tire
witchcriD-. Nomg ar Ames voted
by an the mothers OF marriageahle
daughters as the SWEETEST match i'm
the district, had quite lost his heart
20 this coquctti-h little heire~-.
Since tire day 81 their first meeting
Tom had fought down his feeling
| by apply ug himself 10 his desk with
redouoled ,gor. cudcayoring 10 con
vince himself that lis opinion Of her
was much the reverse OF favorable
On this night IN question he had
ceased TO Wrcstlc, and upon the eve
of resignation 10 the hand of fate
he had summed The whole matter mp
and voted himself one of the great
est fools that ever lived square
/ pink envelope lay unopened upon his
dresser and after arriving at this
fairly salts factory conclusion hc tore
| of the head and scanned the con
tents, although he could have CUES ed
what II contained. II was am invita-
tion which the youthful mistress Of
the Jameson household had sent
him. 10 spend the evening, no doubt
prompted uy the advice OF her father.
The weather had developed into one
Of those January b1f/ta riI- ,,.Ifah mo-
/ riodicaliy sweep across the North
west prairie almost overwhelming
the town which lay within its circle,
and Tom was loath 10 brave its fury
for such cause, and yet uneon-
sciously he began TO dress. and in
time - had reached the home Of his
employer To his surprise he found
that HHt One guest besides himself
haa been hidaen nome other than DR..
Amos. who of late had been almost
constant visitor.
supper bad been served. While Jean
and the doctor con'er.ed I'm low tones
at one end Of the long drawing room,
Tom sat at tine other with Mr. ia
mie-on and exchanged mutual conf
tll'f- t'l II|f' l..|" mess DIS peer OBJ IIIt
coming season. Yet he was not who'll
~ Indifferent TO the scene before
him The little lady looked peculiar
/ ly bewitchuc and altogether dis
dainfuL and to his eve She was play
ing her cards with the young medical
with tact and grace which appar-
emily absorbed his entire attention.
The hour was wearing slowly along.
TO Tom especially. and then a hur-
ried summons at the door brought
Mrs Jameson from the regions of
/ the dining-room i'm answer. A sudden
noise. as Of people scurrving past.
! followed. and Tom realized that the
call Of fire had been raised. Mrs.
Jameson cried out i'm a frightened
voice that it was the mill. aud then
Tom had passed her i'm the hallway.
and was out on the street
Already the flames caugbt bv the
7orm that bowled without were
lighting mn the town like n new sun
The scene Of indescribable con