The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-11-20
ND order which prevailed on every

novation.
"Well, now, Mrs. Harcourt, that pie
DOuid come on the table anyhow.
tried two or three times to make 1t I'M
derstand that faint the proper thing
to do but, you see, / hain't baked but
two-fact was, tomorrow being Thanks
giving, l felt unusual particular, and
thought I'd just like 10 have you all ex
press an opinion about 'em, and then,
you see, can bake the rest of the stuff
tomorrow morning in a iiffy
"Betty desires an opinion expressed
about her pumpkin pies, Belle, laughed
Mrs. Harcourt, as her daughters en-
tered.
"Oh, Betty, can eat whole one
myself" replied Belle, STOPPING over
the artistically Drowned affair, as if
about to prove her words by immedi-
ately disposing of it.
Why, Belle 7" exclaimed her sister
Grace, chow can you behave in such
hoydenish manner
Hoydenish, is it, to admire this rich
golden brown Hoydenish to have an
appetite? Mother, l never thought of
it before, but there is a certain poetic
charm about pumpkin pies. The shade
and the shape-in short, the whole
artistic makeup, from the fence of
iaky crust to the yellow pulp which
Betty understands so well to bring to-
gether, is an exquisite piece of poetry.
Help me, mother, quickly Don't you
see l am starving ?"
Mrs. Harcourt smiled at her daugh-
ter's enthusiasm.
Grace silently slipped her tea, evil
IDENTIFY good deal bored, and just then
paterfamilias entered, and the bright
tea-room grew several shades brighter
as he drew up to the table.
Everybody loved Judge Harcourt,
just as everybody respected his wife.
No two individuals could be more I'M
like in character than this pair, who
had walked tremendously side by 81 lie
for twenty-five long years. Outside of
their domestic life there was hardly a
subject concerning which they cher
ished similar ideas.
Mrs. Harcourt was a rigid Presby-
terian--the Judges religion the broad
est eclecticism and the strangest part
of all was that in this matter of creeds
they both agreed to disagree 30 per-
fectly that there never was the slight
est perceptible ripple on these two
totally dissimilar theological surfaces.
Where is William ?" asked the
Judge, noticing the vacant place at his
wife's right hand.
"I'm sure don't know" replied
Mrs. Harcourt. Didn't hear him
talking with you, Betty, a short time
ago."
Yes'm," answered Betty !; g" and l
guess he's over to the Squire's. At any
rate, saw him go down the road.
81 believe our Will is bewitchcd,"
broke in Belle poising piece of pump
kin pie on her fork, and holding it off
way to admire.
Why, Belle - said Grace, with a
little shudder.
This time Mrs. Harcourt echoed the
"Why Belle" which seemed to afford
the young lady considerable amusement,
for, with merry laugh she turned to
her father and said
Why don't you say, why, Belle {!
father? It only needed an exclamation
point from your lips to make my hap
piness complete.
Will is bewitched ?" asked her father,
without appearing to notice her last re-
mark.
You know as well as 7 do, pa.
Hasn't he spent half his vacation over
to the Seymours', and isn't the attrac-
tion there that vain, deceitful, hard
hearted, brazen, idiotic-"
"Belle, stop right where you are %
broke in her mother, the very picture
of CONSERVATION.
Maude Flanders, finished Belle.
This time the Judge was almost as
much Disconnected us his wife.
Belle had always been plain-spoken
young lady, but for such string of OPP
probious adiectives from his daugh-
ter's lips he was entirely unprepared.
"This is the second siege of Miss
Flanders for my brother VIII. I'm in
clined to think she'll fetch him this
time" continued the vixen, entirely
regardless of the black looks cast upon
her. "There is more real genuine
womanhood in one drop of Elsie Cor
hams blood than there is in an ocean
full of such stuff as runs through the
veins of that creature.
" Have you lost your senses, Belle
Harcourt Are you really insane 2"
said Mrs. Harcourt, in unfeigned dis
tress. THAT name, you know, is never
to be mentioned in my presence, or by
one of my family. Your dreadful words
about Miss Flanders are bad enough
and unlady-like enough, but your tenn
Gritty in speaking of that abandoned girl
is unbearable.
The Judge was mute with surprise.
Never in her life had Belle so asserted
herself, and there wasn't the least sign
of flinching as she answered:
" No, my dear mother, am not in
sane but | am very much Disguised
with certain shams which / am COM
PEELED to meet every day of my life. L
have winked at them about long enough;
now l intend to defy them by speak
ing my honest thought on every oc-
casion."
Such course will make you very
popular young lady, Belle 20 broke in
her sister, disdainfully.
To this harmless remark Belle vouch-
safed no answer.
The Judge asked in kindly manner.
with just the least shade of protest in
his voice
"You haven't heard anything recent