The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-08-14
foolish, but I distinctly heard-there!

and fair head fell heavily upon my
shoulder.
Sometimes il happens that bright,
courageous idea takes the place OF wan
ing hope and fearful uncertainty, acting
as a pendulum to the giddy brain and
the shattered nerve. Such relief came
TO my rescue, rendered as | was, hOrS
dc combat, and Miss L. to support.
Angry as / was, from the force of cir
cumstances, l laughed Looking up
wildly, then inquisitively, Miss L.
sprang from me, exclaiming: "What
is it then? WaS frightened, and you
are cruel 70 make light of it -
A dilemma L certainly was in. APP
pearances were against me, but my
heart was not hard. / had laughed
from thorough evaporation, for was
helpless. Gould / have hoated away
with my charge could then return and
defy all the imps and COLLINS ever ex-
orcised, and topple the wretched,
moldy, ghostly old shell into utter
ruins. It was at this crisis that large,
woolly head, with protruding eyes, a
display of ivory, and breadth of lip,
appeared at the door.
4. f" You black scoundrel |" I yelled,
"do you know how you have frightened
Miss E. ?"
"Gorry, Massa Use right sorry.'
"Never mind. Sam," interrupted
Miss E., "my wits have returned. /
am so glad it is YOU" 1t was her favor
tie servant.
We were to hasten back to accom-
pany party to Anemone Vale, beau
tiful spot beyond the town limits.
was not sorry; neither did Miss E. re-
greet the change, nor the assurance
that the COLLINS of the Redwood man
sion were not now likely to modest us.
"But did you find anything?" she
eagerly asked. "Wait and see !" was
my answer.
The breeze was fresh in Anemone
Vale, lovely in its carpet of the soft
flower which gave it its name.
"There is faint of mustiness about
it. and an ancient look, ;" remarked my
friend, as he unrolled a manuscript
handed him.
"Well, there might be, replied his
sister. at is snatched from the haunts
of COLLINS but let us hear it "
A piece OF paper tiuttered to the
ground, as the pages were unrolled. Ii
read:
November 10, 1870. Will this sheet
ever mold? 1t is pleasant to hope
that it may be read when the writer is
incorporated OiH mold. Read my
story and learn TO guard the heart and
control the passions. Il. S."
Seating ourselves upon bank OF
wild flowers the manuscript was begun.
can eye for an eye. A tooth for a
tooth-Holy. am an invalid, waiting
for life's thread to snap. The present
is a mixture of hope, memory, the
future, and reality. Hope results in
disappointment memory in dissatis-
faction the future is vague, while
reality is fruition. Imagination is
false, for it garnishes barren hills with
verdure transforms face of ugliness
to one of beauty; makes misery
relative generous donor pictures
yourself more perfect than the whispers
of conscience, and causes the hopeful
heart sadness. / will not deal with it.
What l write is reality. Failing health
pushed me into travel. 1t is hard to
bid adieu to the old gables and the
arched gateway, in doubt that one may
see them again, not from age, not from
the necessity of long absence, but
from the certainty that you are chased
by disease at which physicians shake
their heads but mutter hope.
&" had been upon the road several
days before anything of interest aroused
me from my depression. Passing a
4 tx-hn ~
tracted my attention, the notes of a
peculiarly plaintive song attracted me-
l first refined my horse and then, dis
mounting, L followed winding walk,
adorned on either side with simple
flowers, to the open door. [ had been
noticed and was met by young man
who cordially bade me enter.
We were singing a song l learned
at sea, of which my sister is quite
fond, but we shall be glad for an in
terruption. 1t was the introduction of
an import sequence, and the story which
follows.
4" Frank Lavender, the father of my
host and narrator, became, in the early
years of his marriage, entangled in
wild dissipation with neighbor's son,
Dick Perry Their recklessness in
creased until the murder of wealthy
planter in the township made their
flight necessary, and neither had ever
returned. The exertions of justice
proved futile, and with the lapse of
years the supposition gathered strength
that by some other means retribution
had come upon the fugitives.
My friend, who had been reading the
manuscript, exclaimed: 81 well re-
member, my grandfather once related
this very tale to me. His description
of Lavender was that of very hand
some man, of fine figure and of a pre-
possessing air. L cannot recall the de-
tails, but the son and daughter here
spoken of were very fortunate in in
heriting large estate quite strangely.
My old sire made a moral, and, while
upon his knee and staring into his
wrinkles, was warned from evil COM
pany and the haunts of the enemy"
The manuscript was resumed:
"There is no silver in my locks
and never will be. The worm has his
mortgage upon them and he is already
after foreclosure. Recorded pharma-
copaia has not sufficient knowledge to
deter the grim bearer of the hour-glass.
He knows it, and so do L. For months
l have been absent from the gables. L