The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-07-14
A PRACTICAL JOKE.

ana war, and perhaps that Is some ex
euse for me.
had liked her a long while, and
knew that she liked me.
was as big fellow as she could SEE
anywhere about. had farm of my
own, and, when l was married, father
bad promised to build me a tirst-rate
house and stock the place for me.
And when l went to church on Sun
day, or to town, had good clothes, and
was never told / looked i'll in them.
On the whole, felt myself good, fair
match for Fanny Martin, though she
WAS 80 nice a girl. And her father and
mother thought so to, and she never re-
fused my attentions.
L had settled, in the slow, quiet sort OF
way in which countrymen do settle
these things, that we'd make match OF
&c.
The other young fellows knew it, and
If we were not fashionable we were so
far gentlemen that we had our code Of
honor. None of them ever interfered or
tried to cut me out.
But then she" came, you see-dapper
and pretty, and dressed like q tailor's
fssh18n plate, and he talked of things L
knew very little about, and his hands
were white, and he had graceful, gallant
ways that had never learnt.
Mr.. Williams, that was his name.
And In that summer holiday of his, while
ave were working hard over the hay and
were tanned, dirty and worn, and so
tired that sleep was about all we wanted
when work was over, why then he, soft,
sweet and smiling, made himself agreea-
BILE TO the girls, and crept into Fanny
Martins heart-my Fanny.
She scarcely looked at me. She did
not care whether she met me or not !;
and ON Sunday there he was making me
-keei somehow 80 coarse, rough and vul-
gar, aud when wanted her to go with
me into the woods where we used to sit
III taae great green shadows and listen to
the birds sing, she had some excuse for
staying at home, and when on the road
from church took her hand in mine,
she snatched it away, and said, quite
Grossly:
"Den't Ben don't, do such silly, rus
Gc things while the London folks are
here They never do it themselves, and
they laugh So.
Il
suppose, said L. "That's gentlemanly,
too"
And then she blushed and curled her
little lip and said {:
"You are criticising Mr.. Williams
.manDers, are your"
After that there was a GOODNESS be-
tween us but though it made my heart
ache L could not think that il mattered
much to her.
4 stayed away from her fathers house
and did not walk home with her from
church on Sunday; indeed 1 did not go
to church at all. And knew the young
fciEsS-aye, and the old folks, too-were
saying that we had fallen out with each
other and suppose every one guessed
why (; bat L would never answer any
another asked me-not L.
so The summer came and the autumn
passed on, and the town people stayed
and stayed.
saw that fellows silk hat and twill
umbrella and exquisitely- fitting gar
nxs,irs wherever 1 went. Farther than
/ could see other people used to see
him and her-Mr. Williams and Fanny.
They had never made Fanny work
much OF home, and she had plenty of
time 10 enjoy herself-an only daughter,
you see, L mean, and her people were
what is called forehanded.
L never intended that she should
drudge after we were married. When
bad hoped for that did not mind work
myself, but I'd never have made a slave
Of my wife.
This Mr.. Williams could not make of
her more precious treasure than
would i knew that.
I was thinking this all over one even.
ing in the meadow, when suddenly L
heard some one say:
" Ah-Mr. Burling."
q looked up, and there was Mr.. Will
iisAns n2t;ier than ever, with cigar in
his moNth.
If he had known just how felt to him
I'm not sure that he'd have come TO find
noe alone in the great meadow, and
thought o! tint just as l jumped up
from the grass and looked at him. But
be was smiling as politely as possible,
aud there is something in mans heart
that makes it hard to do the first rude
thing TO one who is civil. ~
Still j was not polite to him.
- That my name, +" said L to him.
ss Do You want me Z" GA H.yf
al want something Of you, said he.
g TbeYe's little excursion tonight from
oar house. We'ro going to take a lady.
Have you any little light trap, ana
home, of course. that you could let me
bire for the evenings I'd rather go
alone with her than in the big wagon
esse. You know, I'm sure, how it is
tlEas fellow had rather ride alone with
a pretty girl, and if you will help me
out l viii be ever so much obliged to
you"
So he he'd come to ask me to help him
10 have nice time with my girl-he
VINO had cut me out
/ looked, at him, just holding my
lands still by main force, and / thought
oil him riding along the. moonlt road
with Fanny close 10y him.
0axad m roalf - ~ a -. ...,..1,i