The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1872-03-15
with anxious sympathy, peering into the

with anxious sympathy, peering into the
faces of his componions.
Well, don't know" responded
Tom Flynn with some cheerlulness.
"P'r'aps We may. But how about your
wife, Old Man? What does she say TO
it?"
The Old Man hesitated. His conjucal
experience had not been happy one,
and the fact was known to Simpsons
Bar. His first wife, delicate, pretty
little woman, bad suffered keenly and
secretly from the jealous suspicious of
her husband, until one day he invited
the whole Bar to his house TO expose
her iniidelity. On arriving. the party
found the shy, petite creature quietly
engaged in the household duties, and
retired abashed and discomitted. But
the sensitive woman did not easily re-
cover from tho shock of this extfaor-
binary outrage. 1t was with difficulty
she regained her equanimity sufficiently
TO release her lover from the closet in
which he was concealed and escape
with him. She left boy of three years
10 comfort her bereaved husband. The
| Olb I4dil DlNHCill WIG idt bNSlA
cook. Sho was large, loyal and aggres-
sive.
Before he could reply, Joe Dimmck
suggested with great directness that it
was the "Old Mans house," and thai,
invoking the Divine Power, if the case
were his own, he would invite who he
pleased, even if in so doing he imperiled
his salvation. The powers of evil, he
! furtherremarked, should contend against
him vainly. All this delivered with
terseness and vigor lost in this neces-
sary translation.
"In cour'e. Certainly. That's it."
said the Old Man with sympathetic
| frown. "Thar's trouble about that.
It's my own house, built every stick on
it myself. Don't you be afraid o. her,
| boys. She may cut up trifle rough
ca wimmen du-but she'll come round"
Secretly the Old Man trusted to the
eXaltation of liquor and the power Of
courageous example to sustain him in
such an emergency.
As yet, Dick Bullen, the oracle and
| leader OF Simpsons Bar, had not spoken.
He nov took his pipe from his lips.
"Old Man, how's that yer johnny get
tin on? Seems 10 me he didn't look %
peart last time seed him OH the bluff
heayin' rocks at Cinnamon. Didn't
seem TO take so much interest in it.
Thar was gang of 'em by var yester-
day,-drovned out up the river,-and |
kinder thought o Johnny, and how
he'd miss 'em! May be now, we'd be
in the way eff he was sick ?"
The father, evidently touched not
only by this pathetic picture of Johnny's
deprivation, but by the consderate
delicacy of the speaker, fastened TO
assure him that Johnny was better and
that " little fun might 'liven him up"
Whereupon Dick arose, shook himself,
and saying, " I'm ready. Lead the way,
Old Man; here goes" himself led the
way with leap, a characteristic howl,
and darted out into the night. AS he
passed through the outer room he
caught up blazing brand from the
hearth. The action was repeated by the
rest of the party, closely following and
elbowing each other and before the
astonished proprietor of Thompson
grocery was aware of the intention of
his guests, the room was deserted
The night was pitchy dark. In the
first gust of wind their temporary
torches were extinguished, and only the
red brands dancing and fitting in the
gloom like drunken will -thewisps in
dictated their whereabouts. Their way
led up Pine Tree canon, at the head Of
which broad, low, bark-thatched cabin
burrowed in the mountain side. 1t was
the home of the Old Man, and the en-.
trance to the tunnel in which he worked
when he worked at all. Here the crowd
paused for moment, out of delicate
Difference TO their host, who came up
painting in the rear.
"Praps yed better hold on a second
out yer, whilst | 90 in and see that
things IS all right" said the Old Man,
with an Indifference he was far from
feeling. The suggestion was graciously
accepted, the door opened and closed
on the host. and the crowd. leaning their
backs against the wall and covering
under the caves, waited and listened.
For few moments there was no sound
but the dripping of water from the
caves, and the stir and rustic of wrest-
ling boughs above them. Then the men
became uneasy, and whispered sugges-
ton and suspicion passed from one to
the other. Reckon she's caved in his
head the first lick ~ Decoyed him
inter the tunnel and barred him up,
likely" "Got him dvwn and sittin' On
him." " Prob'ly bilin suthin to heave
on us stand clear the door, boys ~
For just then the latch clicked, the door
slowly opened and voice said, " Come
in out o. the wet"
The voice was neither that of the Old
Man nor his wife. 1t was the voice of
a small boy, its weak treble broken by
that preternatural hoarseness which
only vagabondage and the habit of
premature selfassertion can give. 1t
was the face of small boy that looked
up at theirs-a face that might have
been pretty and even refined, but that
it was darkened by evil knowledge from
within, and dirt and hard experience
from without. He had blanket around
his shoulders, and had evidently just
arisen from his bed. Come in" he
repeated, and don't make no noise.
The Old Mans in there talking to mar"
he continued, pointing to an adjacent
room which seemed TO be a kitchen,
! from which the Old Mans voice came