The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-05-10


at the portrait.
He made as if to GO out, but, led ire
sistibly, turned around, and went close
to the picture.
"Strange | did not see it before
strange | did not guess what it was that
was so sweetly familiar in her face-why
her smile was like an old melody half
forgotten. May May looking into
the lovely, pathetic eyes will be
good TO her-I will be true. Oh, will
not that atone ~
1t was dark when he at last passed
out of the room, and into Gertrude's
presence. Mrs. Give, sitting in an adj
Joining room, heard their low voices,
and guessed that Bernard was prosper
ing with his love-making.
Late in the evening Gertrude stood
there close by him, the white moonlight
falling around her, and making her love.
illness supreme. Half wild with the i'm
patience of love, yet Bernard controlled
himself. Slowly but steadily she was
drifting toward him. Patience, and she
was won Her hand fingered In his
when he said goodnight, her eyes had
soft light, whose meaning he knew
well. Yet he restrained himself. He
told her he was going away tomorrow,
to be gone all day. and saw the gentle
regret cloud her bright face; but ne did
not take her in his arms, and bid her
passionate goodbye.
"She will come to me of herself
! resently-she will comet" he said.
The next day was somewhat heavy
on the ladies' hands. Gertrude, in par
ticular, was afflicted by strange dis
auietude, and could not rest. She
missed Bernard he was fast becoming
the one thing necessary to her.
Late in the afternoon Gun-blue
smoke filled all the valley visible from
Willoughby House. The servants said
the woods were on fire.
Here was excitment, diversion.
eve will go TO Bernard's room" said
Mrs. Give. at looks that way, and is
the highest in the house.
But when they had climbed the stairs,
the doors were locked.
What nonsense !" said Mrs. Give,
and sent for all the keys in the house,
trying them one after another with
fateful pertinacity.
AT last one fitted, and they entered
the room. flush of maiden timidity,
a sweet, doubtful curiosity startled Ger
lrude at the first instant. Then she
looked up, saw the portrait, and in.
stan;ly forgot everything else.
"Who is ths?" going up to it.
" You can see the fire from this win
dow" said Mrs. Give. Good heavens,
! didn't think Bernard was mad enough
to keep that picture in sight" she
added, soto voce.
"Whose portrait is this, Mrs. Clive?'
The tone struck the gay little woman
as something awful. She came nearer
and looked at Gertrude.
"Mercy, Gertrude, didn't think
you'd be so jealous. It's only-only-'
"Tell me the whole truth, Mrs
Give"
Kitty was running over the matter in
her mind.
"What goose | was TO bring her il
here But, then, who'd thought she
was so jealous? If | don't tell her
she II think it worse than it il. I'd bet
ter tell her the whole story, as softly a:
| can. She loves Bernard, and she
won't cast him off for a woman who has
| been dead ten years
Mrs. Gives morality was not of the
supcrhne sort. 1t was, indeed, quite in
dulgent and accommodating.
" 1t really is nothing-nothing tina
you should be disturbed about. YoJ
didn't think, Gertrude, that you were
Demands first love-you are too sensi
ble-he is thirty-tive years old, my
dear. And for my part, | always tolc
Give, / don't care who was your frs
love, if Pm only the last But thi
girl-Gertrude. you look so white anC
awful you quite frighten mel tell you
she's dead-been dead ten years a
least. Bernard wasn't much more thar
a boy when he met her abroad. He
parents were professional people-ac
tors, in fact, and | don't suppose Der
nard ever thought of marrying her
but-of course 1t was wrong, but al
young men do these things-he took
her to Italy, as his wife, and they LIVED
there a year or two"
DO you mean to say" asked Ger
trude, in a hard, cold voice, "that h,
went through a false ceremony intend
ing TO deceive herr"
Tim afraid there was somethin,
of the sort; but then of course, sh,
might have known. As if Bernard vii
loughby could marry a ballet dancer
"Go on. How did it end?
"Why,' said Mrs. Give, warming t
her subject, " the girls father found he
out, and tried TO make Bernard marrl
her. He was very insolent, and o
course Bernard would't be driven, anC
then, | dare say, he ha6 gotten over hi
infatuation-and so they parted. Sh
went back to her father, and died sooi
afterward. 1t was great pity see
ing rain of tears falling from Ger
trude's eyes great pity, and BEL
nard is so sorry, know. He has beer
very UNHAPPY about it. But such thing
can't be undone. One can only 70
sorry. The past can't be helped"
" No, it can't be helped" said Ger
trude.
She was trembling from head to foot
A light football startled them.
: 4" Would to God it could ~
} They turned, and faced Bernard. III
: swarthy face was pale, his black eye
had smouldering fire in them. II
looked like a man who despaired, bu