The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-11-10

al uty lOuSVL, Iuobliy ldih dDOub sell
defense, and, if hadn't done this, he
wouldn't have done so-and-so, as much
as you please, You can never quite phi
Josephine away the very disagreeahle
sensation which will arise occasionally
if you have ever had the misfortune,
however unintentionally, to kill man.
My hot temper has often given me cause
for regret, not 10 say remorse; but, since
the night when flung the robber into
the Rhine, hope can safely say have
curbed it. Whenever it comes bubbling
up, there also comes with it the vivid
recollection of that brief struggle on the
balcony, and 10 il is subdued on the
instant; but tho recollection, alas is
not SO speedily dismissed; it still hovers
painfully in my memory at times, though
twelve years have passed since the deed
was doue-twelve years during which
no mention, that ] have ever seen, has
been made in the papers of any one
having been missed from the hotel.
Of course, / have been often to
Switzerland since, but somehow L have
always avoided the town where stands
the hostelry of Les Trsis Sages, and l
certainly should never think of going
up the Rhine again. strike the Alps
now by other routes, and have ten
dency 30 get ell to the italian side of
them. Indeed, have but lately re
turned from saunter among the hills
an the neighborhood of Como. What
capricious fate led me there to the spot
where l was to find the sequel to " My
Murder" need MT be speculated upon;
it was one OF those strange condolences,
suppose, which, when met with in
fiction, excite little surprise, but which,
when stated as facts, are generally
doubted. Here it 10, however. and, if it
had not been fact, there would never
have been any record on paper of "My
Murder.
Well, 7 pulled up one day at an I'M
pretentious little albergo, on the side OF
a steep declivity overlooking the lazy"
lake. The light refreshment which ]
ordered was brought to me as / sat at a
little table in the garden, sheltered by
vines, olive and fig trees, by the padrone
himself, venerable gray-bearded man.
Only as he set the fruit and bread down
before me did I observe that he was
blind. He had walked SO steadily and
direct from tho house to where sat that
no one could have guessed at his afiiic
ton. The sudden discovery of il, to-
gether with sorrowful expression which
his face wore, touched me, and / began
talking to him with what Italian could
muster. His speech showed him to be
above the common herd, and, af or con-
versing for awhile about the neighbor
hood and such ordinary topics, ven
tured to touch on his blindness.
"Oh |" said he, that is very little,
signor; men can be more severely tried
than by having to live in the dark.
There are worse Affections than that"
Indeed, answered; edo you speak
from experienced
"Truly, siRnor, do"
"You surprise me; / should have
thought nothing could be worse. Do
you mind telling me what you have found
so2"
"No," he said, slowly sitting down
opposite me; "but it is sad tale. 1
doubt if it can amuse the signor; but, if
he is willing to listen, 1 am willing to
| tell. 1t sometimes eases the heart to
pour out its troubles, even into the ear
of stranger. But stay, let us know how
the time goes, for L have some affairs to
attend to by-and-by."
While speaking be thrust hand into
the pocket of his vest, and, drawing out
watch without chain, held it toward
me, adding:
"What is the hour, signor' We
blind folk are little helpless in these
matters"
looked into his large brown palm,
and was about to answer, but the words
stuck in my throat, for surely it was not
the first time l had seen that dial
Permit me" said after pause, as,
pretending not to quite be able to see it,
endeavored to turn the watch over in
his hand, that might, by glance at the
back of 1t, verify the idea which had
crossed my mind. He felt what I was
doing and said
"The signor will find the time by the
front and not the back"
"Suiely, L answered, cit is Of clock.
But That is an English watch you have,
is IT not2"
"Tho signor is curious can it signify
to him of what manufacture it ISL" re-
Piled the padrone, in rather an altered
tone, but not rudely.
"Oh, no." answered carelessly, not
wishing to arouse any suspicion in him !:
:" it only struck nae as strange to find an
English watch in these parts. Pray let
me look at it.
With return OF his former sorrowful