The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-10-29

| say 10 exchanging mats Milne IN very |
nice straw, but / find it's somewhat heat
ing to the lrain."
You are quite welcome, sir, faltered |
the tremulous Nathan, speaking all the |
more rapidly in that the freakish maniac
had already deity effected the change.
"And your coat, too-nice cool linen.
Upon my word, now, that coat is in
finitely preferable to this swallow-tailed |
concern of mine, with the brass buttons. |
Yes-it fits me very nicely. hope you
don't object, sir, to the accommodation"
"N-no I" faltered Mr.. Tripler.
swell, good morning." said the
stranger, looking round with a bewilder-
ed air. 81 don't really see where my
chief orderly isl told him to be here
precisely at nine o'clock-and everything
will be in confusion if l don't attend to
it persistently."
He plunged into the green, dense
Businesses of the woods, talking restlessly
to himself as he went, and Mr.. Nathan
Tripler was solus in a coarse straw hat
and coat of coarse blue cloth, garnished
with huge metal buttons, whose brill
lance was considerably furnished.
"Dear me, what figure cut, )"
groaned Mr.. Tripler, cycling himself
with disgust. &c must go directly home
and get on something decent. A man
would be hooted through the streets of
New York if he ventured to make his
appearance in such costume as this.
He rose, brushed away the chill drops
of perspiration from his forehead, and
was just replacing the crimson silk pocket
handkerchief in it's resting place when
he was suddenly grasped from behind
and thrown skillfully upon the ground.
"Well, we've cotched you at last, my
hearty" said burly man who stood over
him, while another had bound both his
hands and feet together before he could
find words or breath to demonstrate.
"You thought you was going to give us
the slip, heya Come, it isn't worth while
to cut up like that, you know, unless
you want the straight-jacket brought
out"
Straight-jacket gasped Tripler.
"What do want of a straight jacket !"
"Nothing, unless you behave yourself
; unruly like. Steady, then Tom, bring
up the wagon"
I "Where are you taking me to-"
"To the asylum, to be sure, where
, you'd have been two hours ago if you
hadn't been little too spry for the stage
driver and your keeper.
, Light began to dawn on the troubled
l chaos of Mr.. Tripler's much bewildered
, mind.
! "It's all a mistake, my good fellows
aridiculous mistake" he exclaimed, "I'm
not mailman !"
"No, of course not; we know you're
not" responded the larger of the two,
. with wink to his companion" Drive
5 on, Tom Ton
taking me for somebody elsa man who
, just forced me to exchange hats and
, coats with him, and went down into the
woods-he is the mailman"
"Oh, no. guess not" said the big
keeper, with fearful attempt at pleas
ant irony.
: "My good men, you are laboring UNI
. der some very singular delusion," remon-
strated the victim, trying to speak plain
ly between the iolting of the wagon and
his own excitement. 81 am Mr.. Nathan
Tripler, of No. =, John street.
? ooh, yes" said the keeper, lighting a
cigar, yesterday you was Napoleon
Bonaparte, and to-day you are Nathan
Tripler, and to-morrow-likely as not
, you'll be the King of the Sandwich
/. Islands. I've heard this kind of talk be-
FORE"
, Tripler's heart began to stand still with
: underlined horror. Was this hideous
l dream or was he to be actually immured
within the high stone walls of the asylum
, he had so often walked past with feel
!; ing of dread and horror beyond descrip-
ton, the lifelong victim of some scarce
OF To In no
argued, protested his words fell on the
,inheeding ears of his two conductors
like drops of rain pattering on the ste ny
l surface of Table Rock, until at length he
was carried-more dead than alive-into
L n narrow apartment at the end of q long
row of similar ones.
: 1t was lighted and ventilated by an
= iron grating in the door, with CORE
3 spending window high up on the wall,
Q and furnished with only narrow couch
3 and n stand built into the wall and
3 there, Mr.. Nathan Tripler, released from
his continuing bonds, was left to enjoy
5 the uninterrupted society of his own
cherries meaitations.
3 cit can't be possible! / must be
l asleep and dreaming - thought Nathan.
l But it was possible, and he never was
wider awake in his life.
3 Toward evening pitcher of water and
3 piece of bread were dealt out to him.
7 Mr.. Tripler ate it under sort OF mental
protest, to relieve the gnawing sensation
of faintness that was at his vitals.
"What would 1 not give for one of
3 Dorothy's hot biscuits" thought the
wretched captive. "My poor little
Dorothy! 1 have been too hard upon
her. Suppose i should die without
being able to tell her how ashamed / am
4 OF having been such brute"
0 1t was not the dry bread that cholSed
Nathan Tripler just then-it was the hui
= initiating sense of his own sins and short
| comings.
| Next morning it was bread and water
3 again. Nathan thought of Dorothy's
. despised coffee and grumbled-at steak.
+ "Ive deserved it," thought Nathan !;
| "there is no mistake about that. Poor
| darling little Dorothy how her heart is
, aching for me now. / wish / could
stroke down her hair just once. Oh, tia
: hard to be treated SO, even though L
? know I'm served exactly right If 1