The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-12-29
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a delightful, easy-going world It would
be 1t seems to me, Will Maunder,
that you are always finding some fault
with me, and"
"You've not been used to it. 1 don't
see any fault in you, Betty" he added
presently.
"Oh, there, there, Will! Do be still
with your incoming Come in and sing
this new song with me; it needs great
rolling bass" And so Will would go IN
and sing with her, his voice trembling
as he heard hers; would 60 out and walk
with her, to be left for the next gallant
that sought her side; would be her ab-
ject slave, waiting on her least wish and
every breath, and would get no thanks
for his pains.
"Why isn't it enough for him that 1
like him as he ISL" she would say.
"He's all very we'll for cousin-a little
too good for ster-cousin; but should
as soon think of falling in love with a
satyr. He's like great Newfoundland,
always tumblirg at your feet" And so
she would go on, while she looked in
the glass at night and made her toilet
for sleep--the only time the little witch
had for much confidential conversation
with herself-and lightly troubled by
the parting look of his sad, reproachful
eyes, that would return to her like a
haunting shade. 81 declare if were a
man would have some spirit" and then
very likely she began singing-as she
combed out her long hair where line
of sparks followed the comb, and know
ing that Will heard every word where he
sauntered up and down the garden:
"'If were lover, and woong would go,
Would fall on my knees and entreat of her? No.
1 would bend from my saddle and snatch her slim
waist,
And be of to my aerle in gallopng haste ."
Sand if you did," Will would mutter
beneath the window, "there'd be the
very deuce to pay !"
1t was when affairs were in this pos
ture, Will pursuing, and with the van
ground of residence in the house,
Betty retreating, yet half-relentiDg, that
Mr.. Valerino, the young exile, came to
Freneborough to give lessons in music
and in his native tongue. OF course his
supposed story fired the Peterborough
heart-the feminine auricle of it-and
all the romance of Betty's dreams rose
to meet it. AS for the young exile him
self, he was the very creature of romance
so tall and pale and dark and melan-
choly; his immense dusky eyes seemed
full of the strange, sad memories of
wonderful adventure and experience in
the Apennines, and on the Campagna,
and among the brigands of the Romagna
and the light of heroic days and nights
made, as one might say, halo round
him as he walked.
Certainly, now, it was hardly Mr.. Val
erino's fault he never said he was an
exile; he never said he was patriot he
never whispered of conspiracies among
old ruins and in the Catacombs; he
couldn't help being tall and pale and
melancholy; and there was no reason
why he should mention that his father
had for forty years played the piccolo in
the orchestra of New York theatre. If
people chose to take him up and make
his way easy for him, it seemed all right
and natural. After he discovered the
reason, his lessons being nearly through,
and his vanity too sensitive for an ex-
PLANTATION, he quietly left town on end
ing his engagements. But mean
while this little Betty Wilmarth
was frightfully beautiful-to a man
who knew she was rs much forbidden to
him as though she lived in one of the
fixed stars. It was very pleasant to re-
ceive the admiration of such being he
had not the strength of mind to unde-
ceive her and Betty went on, making a
simpleton of herself, studying, and con-
versing of such Italian literature as was
a terra incognita to the teacher asking
the youth unanswerable conundrums
Italian history, which he
evaded with what she deemed q delicacy
of reticent modesty and when she saw
the slender, sinuous shape of the young
exile, and the proud, sad beauty of his
flce, beside Will Maunder's burly thews
and sinews, his bluff and commonplace
honesty of countenance, she grew impa-
tient at the contrast, and wondered at
herself to think she had once been al
most on the point of relenting and being
kind to Will. 1t annoyed her at the
time, even to look ut Will the sight of
him may have been reproach for her
folly; his hearty ways offended her-so
much higher breeding there seemed to
be in the insinuating air of the italian
ind then his affection irritated her, for
she was on the point of a grand poetic
passion for an unhappy exile whose con-
ISOLATION she was to be. And thus the
nan who belonged already to her pro.
'aic everyday life, and would have
pound her down to 1.-THE life she had
always known, without charm of im-
Igination, of the unknown, or the ideal
II it, and toward whom she felt kind
less that might possibly grow kinder,
md make her yield one day to his per
Iistence if he were still here to continue
that man was becoming intolera.
Die, and she wished him out of her way. |
And out Of her way she became deter
mined he should go.
She couldn't stroll with Mr.. Valerino |
Iowa. lonely lane, talking nonsense far
90 high for the youths comprehension,
'ut there was Viii just stepping over a
ence, or lying under tree, or very
possibly laughing at her-if he was not
ngry. What right had he to be angryi
he had never given him any She
ouldn't go into the church on week
ay, and take her seat in pew alone,
D hear Mr.. Valerino prac ticing in the
rgan- lott, and making roof and rafters
ing and viDrate with delicious melody,