The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-05-26

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light vehicle dashed swiftly down the
road and drew up with great precision
at the door of the Green Dragon"
while the voice of newcomer became
audible. Seton, however, could only
catch few disconnected words, such as
"Caught in the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
--Chiselhurst-a closed carriage"
Then the door opened, the landlord
presented himself upon the threshold,
and said, in q very pointed manner, ''f
You please, sir, young lady, driving
over to Sevenoaks in light, open trap,
has been caught in the rain, and her
servant wants to know if ! can give
her sitting-room while he drives back
to Chiselhurst for q closed carriage"
"And this is the only one You
have 2" rejoined Seton. "Oh ask her
in by all means. However, am sorry
the room smells so of smoke" he
added, knocking the ashes from his
pipe.
"Don't you mention it, sir, and
thank you very much" replied the
landlord, retiring.
In another moment the door opened
again, and the unexpected intruder en-
tered-a lady, tall and very graceful,
having pale Madonna-like face, and
gold hair shining like an ameole round
a small classical head.
Seton's face had grown white to the
lips, and his voice quivered perceptibly,
as, extending his hand, he said,
"This is a very unexpected meet
ing"
"Very unexpected" echoed the lady,
removing her wet mantle, and sitting
down on the wet leather SOFA The recog-
milton had been mutual, but women, as
a rule, are more self-composed than
men.
Let me recommend this chair, " said
Seton, laying his hand upon the one
from which he had just risen.
"No, thank you, 1 prefer sitting away
from the fire.'
CT am sorry the room should smell SO
of tobacco" observed Seton, after a
pause, "but you see 1 did not expect
the pleasure. of visitor"
She smiled rather forced smile by
way of answer, and Seton folded elab-
orately and put into an envelope a
sheet of blank paper.
"The country is very beautiful around
here" he observed, writing his own
name, with great care, upon the en-
velope.
eve have only been back from the
Continent about six weeks" she OBJ
served, after a pause. Mamma has
taken house near Chiselhurst. / was
driving over to Sevenoaks this morning,
and / was caught in the rain, and in
duced to ask for shelter here"
"And how is Mrs Clarefeld2 2"
Mamma is quite well, thank you. =
Then, after pause, in full, sweet, low
contralto voice, which had ring OF
infinite pathos, care you stopping
here2"
Hardly" said Seton, with an as
sumption of gayety in his tone; "bui
I'll tell you all about it. My friends
was sticking too closely to work-that
wanted fresh air and exercise-so they
bound me over on my word of honor, tc
walk from London to Hastings in {
week. acquiesce in everything now
, so, of course, acquiesced in this, anG
, this is my first day of hard labor and
imprisonment
But you used" began the lady
) then she colored a little, and seemed un
) willing to finish her sentence; "you useC
to be so fond of walking"
But a man changes good deal IL
J three years." he replied, YEARLY.
Then came a long silence, broken al
{ last by the pop of an ale cork, at which
} they started as if an explosion had taker
place.
, "Oh you grow used to it in time,
observed Seton.
1t seemed impossible to imagine these
two persons, more formal to each Other
in manner than the most distant &C
quaintances, could ever have been pas
sionate and devoted lovers. What
thoughts had they, 1 wonder, as they sal
together, and yet so far apart, of the ole
days wherein love led them, and all was
well 1t would weary you, dear reader,
and to no purpose, were / to set down
here the dreary commonplaces with
which these two tried to beguile the time
for over an hour. At length, worn out
by the arduous effort of trying to enter
tain each other while their thoughts were
so far away, they took refuge in silence,
and the wind roared, and the rain dashed
the window, and the dusk came on pre-
maturely, and Seton, looking out on the
cheerless prospect, shivered as with the
cold. Then that other person in the
room rose very quietly and stirred the
fire into a blaze, and resumed her seat
on the sofa.
ono, you shouldn't, really" said
Seton, not turning round, however,
though with look of great pain on his
face. 1t was wonderful what suffering
some small, commonplace word or action
may cause us. What vistas of impossi.
BILE joys, again, may they not open up to
us
az suppose the carriage will soon be
back" said Alice, presently, and speak
ing with effort, "and our new coachman
drives so fast, too"
yes, and your term of imprisonment
will soon be up" rejoined Seton, resting
his arms upon the mantelpiece, and ex-
aiming with critical interest the photo
graph of Mr.. Hunters defunct mare.
How the time passes, said Alice, in
low voice, as if speaking to herself.
Then, with sudden energy, "I cannot
talf-yYhan mo ol,ol ,x.ook