The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1876-09-15
KATY DID FIND THE BEARS HOUSE.

I||..t
"Where you dom, Tousin Taty (?
piped tow-headed urchin, as he hung
upon the gate. beside which stood
handsome horse, whose flashing eyes
small, nervous ears, and restless motion
spoke as plainly as words his impatienc'
to be going. His chestnut coat was lik,
satin; dark in the shade, but with
golden CLINT in the sun.
"Tousin Taty" came sweeping down
the path, in trailing habit, high hat ant
riding gloves, and giving the tow-heaG
tweak of the nose and kiss, replied
mischievously. "Doin toe woods tc
find'e Bears House.
"Don't go far, Katy, called the moth
er of the urchin, from the house door
"These Jersey woods roads are all alike
and you are perfect stranger, you know
and it will be the easiest thing in the
world for you to get lost. And if you
should, you might ride for hours with
out seeing house or any person to di
rect you home" n E fI
Oh, there's not bit of danger
aunty. If l should get lost, which
don't propose to do, the horse won't.
He'll bring me back all right. Wont
you, old fellow 2''-stooping from hel
saddle aud patting his glossy neck.
T" You'll not see me again till tea time,
mind that" she shouted back, as she
cantered gaily away.
There was hint Of rain in the soft
moist October air. and in the light clouds
that at times hid the face of the sun
but to Katy, fresh from the prairie coun.
tries of the West, there was some.
thing SO new and delicious, and allur.
ing Ill the shadowy stiffness of the
pines, tneir murmurous whispering, and
spicy breath. that she rode on and on,
oblivious alike of time and distance
now threading some old unused "wood
road, a winding avenue, shut in over
head by lnterlacing branches, and car.
peted underfoot with the needles" OF
the pine, and now emerging suddenly
into grassy opening-once cultivated
field-with the remains of human hab-
itation yet visible-a heap of broken
bricks, al old well, an apple tree or two,
and a clump of sweet briar-and then
plunging again into the pleasing gloom
of the pines. Once or twice she passed
house with few sandy fields about it,
and ragged, sulburnt children playing
upon the roadside.
She bethought herself at last to look
at her watch, and was thunderstruck to
find that she had been out two hours,
and that it was past 4 o'clock. Her
arnt's tee hour was 5, so quickly turning
her horses head, she gave him the rein
and began retracing her steps, Gliding
herself severely for the anxiety which
her long absence would cause her aunt.
"Come. Barney, my lad !" said she,
a." let us get home, now, as quickly as we
can. Well leave the bears house till
another time. 1t was your part of the
contract to take me home, you remem-
Der so the responsibility of our get
ting there safely, rests entirely upon
you. [ wash my hands of the affair
altogether"
And we'll she might, for she was per-
fectly at loss herself as to the direc.
ton, even, she ought to take for, dur
ing the last hour, the clouds had been
gradually thickening, so that now the
sun was totally obscured. After riding
half on hour or 80. she began to suspect
that they were not upon the road over
which they had just pas. she soon be-
came assured IF it. But what Of
that Z" she reasoned "There are so
many roads, and they all run into or
cross each other, sometime or other. It's
all right. j dsre say, Barney knows, of
course T; md we'll be home all in good
time ytt--an! noue too SOON either -
she adde', glancing up at the clouds,
"for it wi, rain vithin hat al hour, OF
I'm NIT taken.
Another half hour of brisk ri ing,
aud still no familiar landmark appeared.
Kate's dark brown eyes widened little
with the unc rtaint, of the situation,
but she WAS not in the least dismayed.
She had long ag). by hfr ready wit,
presence of mint VI Ter difficulties, and
ability 20 " take 6 ie f hersslf," earned
the sobri1uet among her friends, of
Kate The Daun'l ~. and now, al
though ehe rralz ii That she had been
guilty OF very fooish thing in thus ven
turing mt ssrange country, trusting
to the sa2acty af her horse to guide her
back, still she lelt no fear and even
thought she would rather enjoy an adj
venture OF some kind. one that she could
hterward relate--so that il did not prove
OF too serious nature. SO she dashed
boldly on, wherever Barney's inclination
directed. 1t was near sunset when they
merged into well-traveled but rather
narrow and sandy roadway. Here Bar
ney halted, raised his head and gave
voice TO loud and joyful neigh, and
then dashed off along the sandy track at
the very top of his speed.
=, Good !" CALCULATED Katy, thinking
tney we're nearly home at last; but what
was '.er surprise when in about ten
N Ses time she suddenly found her.