The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-01-01

stance or other, and limited an inten-
ton of looking into his accounts. AS
soon as he learned this he made busi-
ness in the country a pretense for his
flight, and it is supposed that he is on
his way to America.
To Lottie's strained ears every word
of this was horribly audible, and the
next minute she was running down
stairs, putting ON her shawl as she went.
eff l am asked for" she gasped to
the wondering housekeeper, "say that
am ill-that have gone to my moth
er's; but don't stop me-don't ques-
tion me, or / shall die"
But it was to the home of Austin
Crawley, fellow-clerk of Charles,
she first took her way. She Would not
give up all hope till she had seen him,
and heard his lips confirm the dreadful
tale and as she went along she tried
to comfort herself in repeating, "It
cannot be Charlie Morrison a default
er, fugitive from justice--it is impos-
sible !"
Mrs. Crawley herself answered Lot
ties knock, and her smiling, cheerful
face made the girl feel her own misery
grow sharper,
"No, Austin had not returned from
the city yet" she said would not
Lottie come in and wait for him? She
was quite alone, for Mr.. Crawley had
been at Smithsons' all day, taking the
place, she believed, of Charlie Mori-
son, whose absence seemed to have put
the firm very much out of their way.
There was nothing amiss, was there ?"
she added, as she took closer survey
of her visitors face.
But her question remained unan-
swered, for Lottie was already hurrying
away. The last faint hope that the re-
port was a dreadful mistake had per-
ished before Mrs. Crawley's placid ut
terances. Austin, the gay and careless,
whose spendthrift habits had often dis
pleased his parents, had preserved his
integrity while Charlie Morrison, the
son of many prayers, the steady, intel
lectual young man, who INDUCED in no
low tastes, no cloud attire, had for
feited his high character and disgraced
his family-this was her conclusion
Away through the busiest streets of
London, hurrying on with her face
muffied in her veil, lest any one should
pSlCCANC Vic lllbll utDlClcl Ou IL, bllc
walked, till she found herself in front
of the well-known Office of Messrs.
Sraithson. They had been closed hours
earlier; but the old man who was por-
ter and eare-taker was standing at the
door, talking to some curious acquain-
tances.
Unperceived by the garrulous speak
er, Lottie paused long enough to hear
her lovers name coupled with words
indistincly caught relating to the large
sums of money that were missing.
" His father was here this morning
as soon as the news was made pub
lie" the porter went on" such re-
spectacle old gentleman. But here
his voice was lowered, and Lottie
passed by, hearing only something
about the young mans broken-hearted
mother as she went but it remind
ed her that she was not alone in
her grief that the loving parents, who
had cherished their son in his child
hood, and seen him gradually expand
into the bright. intelligent man, must
be well-nigh crushed beneath the blow
that had fallen so suddenly upon them.
| Oh what was her grief TO theirs
Anu uOM IIObJlc lltW 10 IltI OWL n0-
ven, the arms of her mother, and there
wept the first tears her burning eyes
had shed.
Shocked, and for some time incred-
ulous, Mrs. Warde, with infinite pa
! tience and tenderness, sustained her
child during those hours in which her
anguish was almost more than she
could bear.
Never again would Lottie accuse this
dear friend and comforter of being
wanting in sympathy. Who else would
have borne so kindly with her wild
| bursts of impatient sorrow-her rest
less pacings to and fro--her passionate
complainings? Who else so skillfully
taken advantage of her better feelings
/ to bring her to her knees, and teach
her to bow her head to the Divine will d?
How good you are to me, darling
mother p she sobbed, when Mrs Warde
had prevailed upon her TO lie down, and
was bathing her aching head and
/ indeed don't deserve it. / have been
so selfish, so ungrateful, that if you
knew all my hard and bitter thoughts
you would surely cease to love met
Mrs. Warde's only reply was to stoop
the last fiber of selfshness in her child's
heart. Never again did Lottie let van
ity stand in the place of duty and in
the midst of her trouble she could be
humbly thankful that this dear mother
was stiil all her owu.
All that night she wept and bewailed
herself, but when morning dawned and
she saw how weary and exhausted Mrs.
Warde was looking, Lottie put her
good intentions in practice and restrain
ed her grief.
While her mother rested, she moved
quietly about, dressing the little ones,
whom her altered looks and swollen
eyes awed into unwonted soberness
nor was it till every task had been &c.
complished that could spare Mrs.
Warde fatigue that she seated herself
at her mothers feet and wept herself
into the sleep of exhaustion.
But stronger arms were sustaining
her when, with start, she awoke. 1t
was not the mild face of her mother
that bent over her and smiled at her, it
was Charlie Morrison himself, and for a
moment she believed herself to be i'm a
happy dream.