The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-11-17

OCi CCitu ~ IN NtIH
agreeable to me, as Mr.. Joyces friend,
to have a man of your honor and charac-
ter as the friend of MIR. Jones, to ex-
plain to you what it was needless to tell
him-ns one knows it better. Mr.. Joyce
was playing billiards last night at
Lynch's, when this gentleman came in.
While the game was going ON, Mr.. Jones
made several observations on the play,
which my friend considered a great lib
erty on the part of stranger. Joyce
had, as he tells me, just executed very
mastery stroke, when Mr.. Jones burst
out into a laugh, and cried, "What
fluke, by Jingo!" Now my friend, who,
may observe, prides himself on his
playing, felt very much irritated that
any one, especially stranger, should
presume to attribute to chance what was
really the result of skill, and told Mr..
Jones-as, in my opinion, Mr.. Williams
he was quite justified in doing-that no
gentleman would make such an observa-
ton. Your friend replied angrily; one
hot word led to another, till your friend
here gave MIR. Joyce the lie. This of
course brought the matter for the time
to an end; cards were exchanged, and
| yOui ltlb tnC iOoul. IltIo 10 Ills
card, and now you understand what
brings me here this morning.
Perfectly. And now, Jones, what
do you say to all tksl'
al say that I know no more about it
than you do.
"'On your honor, Owen2'
"'On my honor, Bill
"' Pray, Captain Bodkin, were you
present
"No, was not. Joyce told it all to
me this morning, when he asked me to
come here as his frie ld.
Then you never saw MIR. Jones
befSre2'
GO Never, till this morning.
And you don't know, of your own
knowledge, that my friend here was at
Lynch's last nj htl'
Certainly not but Owen Jones is
the name OF this gentleman, and here is
his card
"Yes, but he tells you he never was
there, and never gave his card, and 1
believe him..
"'Am J, then, to understand, Mr..
Williams said the Captain, with great
gravity, that you don't believe my
friend9'
"'That does not follow. I have not
said so.
"Matters were now looking uglier than
ever, and / began to fear that, instead
of getting myself out of scrape, bad
got my friend into one Also
"There can be no mistake about it,
Lynch's people saw the person who gave
this card go IN here from the billiard
room. Your friend slept here last night,
and nobody else of the same name was
in the hotel. You can ask Pat.
Pat was summoned.
"Y Your honor said he, 'oply two
gentlemen slept here last night-Mr.
Jones, here, and the gentleman that put
his name III the book under the verses,
and went away early this morning.
"' Bring me the book, Pat, said
Williams.
"Pat produced the book in the short
est possible time, and handed it to
Williams, who looked at it carefully, as
if he was reading every word OF it.
"Well, Mr. Williams, are you con-
vinced now3' asked the Captain.
GO / am, Capt. Bodkin.'
"' And do you now believe that MIR.
Owen Jones was at Lynch's last night 2
" do, Clpt. Bodkin.'
" And that he gave my friend, Mr..
Joyce. this card2'
7" Yes, Capt. Bodkin.
"Upon this the Captain gave me q
look as if he would annihilate me and,
indeed, felt as if I was going TO lose
my senses, or had lost them already.
| Good ,,o \V,Il,o,,o, mil
what is the meaning of all thisi Are
you, too, turning against me-you, my
Oldest and dearest friend2'
"' Look at that, said Williams, COM
pressing his lips, as if to control some
emotion, as he handed the book to me,
and say, am I not justified in what l
admitted to Capt. Bodkin!'
81 took the book and read the Ines
and the signature. The whole thing
broke upon me like n flash of lightning
"'Ay, Bill see it all, see it ALL
IT'S his handwriting, every word of il
and the signature too.
Go Nota doubt of it, said Williams.
"'N Not a doubt of it, ] repeated
'and the signature "John Sm,th," the
travelling name of my scapegrace cousin,
Owen Jones, of Llancwmrust.
Williams could control himself no
longer. lie burst out into roar of
laughter that made the glasses ring upon
the sideboard. 1 couldn't help follow
ing suit; and / don't know how long
we'd have gone on laughing, but that
we saw the grave and somewhat offended
expression of Capt. Bodkin's face.
" Gentlemen said he, your mirth
seems somewhat ill-timed. This is no
laughing matter. May l ask an expla-
nation2'
as Indeed you may, Bodkin, said
Williams and funny one it is, too
"And then he explained the whole
matter to the Captain, adding that my
namesake sometimes INDUCED In little
too much after dinner, and that in the
excitement of the alteration he no
doubt forgot his incognito, and gave his
card with his own name Oh it /; and that
in all probability he woke in the morn
ing q soberer and wiser man, and de-
camped without beat of drum. The ex-
PLANTATION proved entirely satisfactory,
for Bodkn knew Williams well, and
,iaca6 i,,,,li,it nc lance on, oDvtb;oc he |