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


Everything goes wrong" said Mr.. |
Tripler, laying down his knife and fork !
with the face OF a martyr.
There are some people in the world
with whom everything seems chron-
ically 70 go wrong there are some whose
first lntantile wall is uttered i'll the MINOR
key, and who go on lamenting through
life, and of this much abused class Mr..
Nathan Tripler was burning and
shining light
Whats the matter, dear?" question
ed Mrs. Tnpler, who sat opposite her
husband with round-eyed baby on her
knee, and two or three little ones clam
oring for their share of the matutinal
meal on either side of her.
Mrs. Tripler was trim, neatly made
little woman, with blue eyes and fiaxen
hair-a woman who might have been
pretty could she have Invested herself
of certain frightened, apprehensive
look that came over her face whenever
her liege lord spoke or even looked
toward her. Not that Dorothy Tripler
was actually afraid-her husband had
never beaten her nor used coercive meas
ures, but when man begins to find
fault a woman never is easy in her mind
lest some domestic screw should be wax
ing loose.
81 can't eat a single mouthful, Doro-
thy" croaked Mr. Tripler, dolefully.
"Such cooking and such food You
may as well turn that new cook of yours
into the street Mt once"
" But, Nathan, II am very sorry,
but ! cooked the breakfast myself, dear,
this morning. Isn't it nice?"
"Nice! Yes-very nice for those
who can digest leather and drink dish
water"
"The biscuits are fresh and hot, Ma
than.
q don't want to be poisoned with hot
bread"
"And 1 thought the steak was I'M
usually tender"
No reply. Mr.. Tripler had folded his
arms and was gazing with an expression
of distracted despair at the ceiling.
"WM you have another cup of cof-
fee z" timidly questioned his wife.
Coffee: Is that coffee! Really I
thought it was hot water that had got
into the urn by mistake -
81 will order some fresh made" said
Mrs. Tripler, with her hand on the bell
rope.
"You will do no such thing, ma am,
If you please, said Mr.. Tripler, shortly
I" My appetite is completely destroyed"
Will you have an egg boiled 2"
ono"
There's some very nice ham in the
pantry"
CT dare say-there always is when /
don't want,it."
81 am very sorry, Nathan, said poor
little Mrs. Tripler, despairingly
Yes she was sorry, this faithful, much
enduring wife nor did the frequent rep
etition of this domestic storm at all abate
her penitence and sense of guilt Some
women would have got accustomed to the
daily disturbance and thrown it off as the
robin casts the dewdrops from her wing.
Not so with Dorothy Tripler. She was
too sensitive, too conscientious, too deli
cately organized to laugh off her troubles
az some surface.deep characters would
have done. So when her husband had
departed still grumbling under his
breath rs he slammed the door, she
leaned her throbbing head upon one
weary little hand and murmured softly
% herself:
"Oh, ] wish Nathan was different 20
Then, as if she had uttered high
treason, she started to her feet checking
the sensation of repining, and began in
dustriously to prepare the thee apple
checked, tow-headed little Triplers for
school.
"Its Monday morning and Nathan
don't like them to be late" thought the
meek spirited wife,
Meanwh lie Mr.. Triplcr was slowly
walking down the path through the wild
and solitary glen that led TO the road
where twice Il day the Lcadville stage
rolled by, conveying passengers to tho
train at Martin S station. 1t was cheaper
to live IL the country, and so Mr.. Tripler
lived there, although as far as actual
tastes went be didn't know a buttercup
from a burdOcS.
As Nathan trudgcd along, thinking
how best 70 get rid oil some troublesome
shares OF railroad stock that were sink
ing uncomfortably on his hands, he sud
denly become conscious OF the presence
Of mas, stout and middle-aged, with n
head as smooth and shining as a billiard
ball, wko was sitting on boulder of
moss-grows stone just where the path
way emerged into the Leadville road.
" Good moring, sill" said the stranger.
3" Have seat2 p
Mr.. Tripler had no very strong social
elements in his nature, so he stifiy in
clined his head and kept on his way.
But the first he knew two iron grasps
Were ON his shoulders, he felt himself
twirled suddenly around like human
humming top, and seated with more
force than was exactly agreeable on the
boulder.
" What do you mean"
Dear me, suddenly Interrupted his
uncomfortable companion, "what very