The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-03-03

musty coat, stop and look after you on
the street, and every night, when | 60
home, he is sitting at the window that
looks over this way. The poor fool is in
love with you. Only think of it And
/ chuckle to myself when | see him, and
say, Don't you wish you could reach so
high !" declare, it's funny
In that one speech Colonel Pearson
dashed his chances to pieces. He could
not account for the sudden return of
winter in Jennie Morton's manner. And
all this sunshine was powerless to dispel
it, or to bring back the least APP
proach of spring.
" Poor Jennie! You can imagine,
Doctor, how she paced the floor all that
night. She began to understand some
thing of the courage of Henry Gilbert's
heart, and something of the manliness
of his motives. All night long she
watched the light burning in the room
in the widows house and all night long
she debated the matter until her head
ached. She could reach but one conclu.
sion Henry was to leave the day after
tomorrow. If any communication should
ever be opened between them, she must
begin it. 1t was as if she had seen him
drifting away from her forever, and
must throw him rope. ! think even
such woman 's-rights man as yourself
would hardly justify her, however, in
taking any step of the kind"
" | certainly should" said the Doctor.
I" But she could not find a way-she
had no rope to throw. Again the Colo
mel, meaning to do anything else but
that, opened the way. AT the breakfast
table the next morning she received
from him II magnificent valentine. All
at once she saw her method. 1t was st.
Valentines day The rope was in her
hand. Excusing herself from breakfast
she fastened to her room.
To send valentine to the faithful
lover was the uppermost thought. But
after all, she might be mistaken in
counting on his love, or she might offend
his prejudces or his pride by so direct
an approach. She went fumbling in a
drawer for stationery. She drew out a
little pine boat that Henry had whit
tied for her many years before. He had
named it Hope but the combined wis
dom of the little boy and girl could not
succeed in spelling the name correctly.
And here was the little old boat that he
had given, saying often afterward that
it was the boat they two were going to
sail in some day. The misspelt name
between them. Now-but mustn't be
sentimental
:" 1t did not take Jennie long to draw
an exact likeness of the little craft. And
that there might be no mistake about it,
she spelled the name as it was on the
side of the boat 'HoAP.'
There was not another word in the
valentine. Sealing it up, she hurried out
with it, and dropped it in the post office.
sea in one frail bark, ever watched the
departure and trembled for the result of
a venture as she did. Spain did not pray
half so fervently when the invincible
Armada sailed. 1t was an unuttered
prayer-an unutterable prayer. For
heart and hope were the lading of the
little picture-boat that sailed out that
day, with no other wind but her wishes
in its sails.
"She sat down at her window until
she saw Henry Gilbert pass the next
street corner on his morning walk to the
post-oflice. Three minutes after, he went
home, evidently in a great state of eX-
element. with her valentine open i'll his
hand. After a while he went back again
toward the post-office, and returned.
Had he taken a reply?
Jennie again sought the office.
There were people all around with those
hideous things they call comic valen-
tines open in their hands. And they
actually seemed TO think them funny
She had reply. 1t did not take her
long to find her room and to open it.
There was another picture of boat,
SPAIR' And these words were added
Your boat is the pleasantest, but un-
Outstanding that there was no vacant
place upon it, have been obliged to
take passage on this Slowly the mean
ing forced itself upon her. Henry had
fears that she whom he thought engaged
was coqueting with him. think, Doc
tor, you will hardly justify her in pro-
ceeding further with the correspondence.
"Why not? Hasn't woman as much
right to make herself understood in
such matter as man? And when
the social advantages are on her
side the lurden Of making the advances
often falls upon her. Many women do
it indirectly and are not censured. y
"Well, you know, | am conservative,
Doctor, but I'm glad you're consistent.
She did send another valentine. ! am
afraid she strained this figure of speech
about the boat. But when everything
in the world depends on one metaphor,
it will not do to be fastidious. Jennie
drew again the little boat with the mis-
spelt name. And this time she added
five words: The masters place is va
can't
"And quite late in the afternoon the
reply was left at the door, Il am an
applicant for the vacant place, if you
will take that of masters mate
Good cried the Doctor; II always
advocated giving women every liberty
in these matters"
I