The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-06-09

hair and dropped at her dainty throat
George looked like pale shadow besid,
her, in her soft gray gown, unrelieved b,
a single dash of color, but, to my eyes
so sweet and fair in her grave, quiet com
posure.
Well, tine evening crept slowly on, ant
Ida grew impatient, flashing hither ani
thither in her quick, restless way, while
George, half hidden in the shadow o.
the curtains, knitted on steadily at some
piece of soft fleece work, apparently un
moved. The carriage had been waiting
at the door for an hour, and still no sign
of Mark.
Just as Ida was for the fortieth time
appealing to us to know if it were not
the strangest thing we ever heard of,and
where in the world could he be, the door
opened and Mr.. Merton entered. A tall,
fine looking man was this brother OF
mine, with silver hair and clear blue
eyes, and the port and bearing of O gen
tleman of the old school, with the pol
ished courtesy of that by-gone class, too,
and the dignified calm which scarce any
thing could ruffie. So it startled us to
see q shadow on his face, which deepen
ed after the quick glance which he cast
around the room.
"What is the matter, brother Paul 2"
1 asked and both girls looked up.
am vexed and puzzled" was his
reply-a most unusual thing for him.
81 came in hoping against hope: to find
Mark Drayton here. You have seen
nothing of him."
Mark Drayton Ida listened in earn
est now, and even George dropped her
work.
cit is a most perplexing thing" he
went on. " L would stake my life on the
young fellows truth and honor yet
what can have become of him 2"
Become of him A perfect hurricane
of questions arose only George was
silent as death in her obscure corner.
AS soon as Idn could be induced to listen
and let the rest hear, brother Paul told
his story.
How that in the morning lady had
entered the store, lady regal in silks
and laces, more regal in port and bear
ing, so brother Paul said, tall and fair,
with great flashing hazel eyes, and hair
of palest gold. How that this lady, af-
ter inspecting and lavishly ordering the
richest and costliest goods, velvets, silks
of every shade, laces-old point, Honi-
ton, guipure, Mechline-" enough to
dress you from head to foot, Ida had
suddenly discovered that she had forgot
ten her purse and check-book. In sore
perplexity she sent her card to Mr.. Mer-
ton-Mrs. Launce D'Arleton was the
name he bore-with request for an in
terview. Explaining that she was OBJ
lged to leave town that afternoon, she
begged him to send trusty clerk in the
carriage with her to receive and bring
back the money.
$50" said brother Paul, in conclu-
sion, "I asked Mark to go as a per-
sonal favor. 1t is hardly his business,
but i thought / could trust him."
"Wel, papaY" said Ida, as he
paused.
"Well, that is ALL" said brother
Paul.
"All, papa But where is Mark9"
"Ah that is the question. Since he
entered the carriage with Mrs. D'Arle-
ton, nothing has been seen of him. The
sum was large one, and whether he has
yielded to the sudden temptation-but
that is impossible. Yet foul play, the
only alternative, seems equally impossi-
BILE. 1 have set the police on the track,
but am utterly baffled and bewil-
dered."
cannot pretend to describe the scene
that followed this announcement. /
know that for moment there was dead
silence in the room. We were all,
think, too much shocked and stunned to
speak. Ida still stood in the middle of
the floor, with face from which every
vestige of color had fled. Then George
come forward, and, as if her movement
had snapped the spell, the silence broke
up neutrality-suspicious., surmises,
doubts, suspicious, set aside as soon as
formed, for none of us could really sus-
pect of any evil-doing the young man
whom we had known so long and so well.
But all came back to the one horrible,
unanswerable question, where could he
| be?
/ can only tell the story from my own
trying to enter into the details of the
police search, of the rewards offered,
the clews which they thought they
found, but which invariably led to noGt
ing. Had the earth opened and swal
lowed Mark and that mysterious woman
they could not have disappeared more
utterly. The detective system was {
mystery past our comprehension, ant
we could do nothing but sit at home anC
wait, deluded with fresh hopes or sick
ened by fresh fears as day after da,
crept slowly on.
You understand that, apart from tn,
horror of the mystery so suddenly thrus
into our midst, my heart was wrung TO
George, bearing her burden of anguish
so patiently. Day by day her littl
face grew paler and thinner, and TIN
wistful, yearning look deepened in he
eyes, and her lips were more firmly Sc
in their resolute line. But I knew tina
her dread was only of his death 1 kney
that no shadow of doubt of his trutl
and honor had ever crossed her mind.
And how was it with Ida2 The child
at first, was the most wretched of any o
us, and yielded to her feelings withou
restraint. But when the first horribl
shock was overflow shall express it
/ think the long misery of suspens
bored her. She could never endur
ennui, and, sad and shocking as it ma
be, there is q certain dreadful ennui i
oil r,rotracfed Grief Che orexv fired n