Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-09-25

II was a blue-eyed maiden, grace
full as a fairy, who first convinced Syl-
vester McCracken of the fact that
there were other women in this world
beside his mother. He loved Louise
Selwin, and to his great, strong ma
ture, love was serious thing.
How lovely she looked one summer
evening as she lounged In saucy ease
by the vine-wreathed window, gazing
out into the night, while he stood out
side, unseen by her, gazing in at what
seemed to him the golden day OF his
whole existence. A meteor unusually
bright shot across the sky, and clap
ping her hands with delight, she
sprang from her seat quite upon the
window sill, when she perceived Mac.
"Oh did you see that? IL was a
real star, for / was looking at it burn
ing steadily up there. when all at once
II started from its place and was lost
in the distance. Oh, | am sure now
there are lost stars, and believe that
/ must have witnessed the fight of
one of them. Say, Mac. did you see
it?"
mo; / saw none of the stars out
side; / was looking at a brighter.
purer star within, which | hope will
never, never be lost. Do you know.
little one" said he, vaulting over the
window ledge, what tumult you
have created in my heart? ! have
| learned to love you so, that If all the
II IL
] out, ii would not be darker than my
existence would be without you"
perplexed face was turned stead
lily away from him. His avowal had
n come so very suddenly, that, taken by
Is surprise, she was casting about for a
It way to gain a little time for the
expected reply. She had, long ago,
learned to love this magnificent man,
and was now inwardly wondering what
he found in her to deem a fitting ex-
change for the grandeur she saw in
n him.
Speak to me, Louise" he went on,
land tell me if you can consent to
shine for me alone; to be my dear lit
e tie wife?"
~ half frightened at being thus sudden
n ly brought face to face with so seri-
IL Gus a question, half bashful, too, and
5. altogether thoughtless. sudden in
"a spiration of mischief prompting her
70 with an idea, she burst into a merry
10 peal of laughter.
e, What have you found so amusing
IL in my proposition, Louise? | regard
a the matter under consideration as far
u too weighty for such unusual mirth."
n "Oh! OH OH / was just thinking,
y you know, that then, when / grew old.
"a I-oh, oh. oh,-should be-Mother
d McCracken, you know"
III You'd better be that than Mother
d. Goose" he burst forth, stung to the
% quick by this irreverent allusion to his
8 honored mother by one, too, whom
"a he had regarded as little lower than
X the angels. Then without another
word he strobe from the room, from
, the house, out into the darkness-a
starless night.
!" Realizing what she had done, Louise
threw herself prone upon the sofa
% in an agony of tears.
. "Oh! why did | say that? And his
mother must be such a grand woman,
too, to have such a son. If | had
only known her personally l never
could have said such thing. | know.
He adores her. too Will he ever for
give me?" then the natural hopeful
ness of her nature asserted itself.
Yes, l know he will. He is too grand
to stoop to mean spitefulness. He will
be back tomorrow"
And wiping her eyes, she fell into a
pleasing reverie over the scene that
would be then and there enacted.
But he did not come back to-mor-
row, nor the next day. nor the next.
He had received a pressing offer of
a very advantageous business connec-
ton in a distant city, which was the
real cause of precipitating his pro-
posal.