The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-04-20

"It is long. We might have taken
the steam-cars for once" hesitating.
"No; we must save every penny now.
There are the bills for moving to pay
What is the matter ?"-for n sudden
change had come over his wife's face as
she looked over his shoulder. He
turned sharply, and faced a tall man in
an oil-skin coat, who was holding by a
strap and watching Mrs. Danford with
what appeared at the first glance to be a
look of keen significance. 1t instantly
deadened out of his face, and he turned
to Danford paif of heavy black eyes as
unmeaning as the flabby, close-shaven
cheeks below them.
"Why, L thought that fellow was go
ing to speak to you," he said, as he
helped her out of the car. He was used
to seeing Lizzy attract notice. He al
ways thought of her as his middle-aged
wife-Charley's mother-unless when
people turned to look after her as she
came into car, and when he saw how
singular and delicate was the beauty
that still hung about her, and how fine
the smile in her pale face.
"Whew how it pours !" he said
"Step up on this porch, Betty, until 1
| nOlSt the umbrella.
Several other passengers had left the
car, and stood huddled together, strug-
Cling with their umbrellas and the wind
Next to Mrs. Danford was man in an OIL
skin coat. His mouth was mufhed in it,
and the pelting rain drowned every other
sound, but it seemed as though he spoke
to her.
Tomorrow, at noon," she answered
"I shall be alone"
"Now, little woman ~ Danford
hustled up, Juggling the valise and flap
ping umbrella. Usually she would have
helped him with one of them, but now
she hung heavily on his arm, tagging be-
hind.
"Tired out, Betty?" Then, glancing
down into her face, You've been hav-
ing one of those old headaches. Did
you see DIR. Thayer, as told you ?"
"No, no. DIR. Thayer cannot help
me. Besides, L have no headache
Come there is Nelly at the window"
There were fires i'll every room OF the
little house, the square windows glowed
through the tracery of vines, and the wet
trunks of the trees reflected the lights
through the rain.
"See how pretty it is p she said,
stopping at the gate. 81 told Charley
to make an illumination. We won't
think of expense-iust for this night "
"That was right" Danford pushed
on hurriedly. He felt choking at his
throat. They had worked so long for
this home, and here it was at last
home.
Afterward, when he tried to remember
Al e 4
ing that life or death depended on his ac-
curacy, he could recall little that was pc
culiar in his wifes conduct. She and
the children had dragged him all over
the house in a fever of delight and tri-
umph. There was not a closet or Granny
left unexplored. Charley acted as show
man, baby clung to her mother as usual,
old black Sally went before with the
candle, the proudest of all. His wife
said little, as was her habit, except when
alone with him. He remembered how
some boys came to the door to make
plans for to-morrows holiday with Char
ley, and how anxiously she asked who
and what they were. "Why, it was
only the other day." she said, with a
quaver in her voice, "that Charley was
baby in my arms, and now he has his
friends-his plans. He is going from us
out into the world. And have no hold
ON him-I have no hold on him -
Nonsense, Lizzy," Mr.. Danford re-
piled. Never was a woman with as
much influence over her children as you.
Well not let him leave Philadelphia
until he's man. The boys safe enough
when he can come home ut night to such
a mother as you"
He remembered that she suddenly
quailed at this, and was silent, in a way
which seemed strange to him ut the time
When the boy came back, Danford was
sitting by the fire, his wife on low stool
beside him, her head ON his knee She
had some childish, undignifed ways,
which somehow made the boy and his
father look on her as a chum and Jolly
good fellow.
Father" said Charley, with the self
assertion of 13, "I think that after
this I shall go to meet you at the depot.
1t is hardly proper for mother to be out
alone after dark.
"No harm will come to me, my son, "
she said, smiling.
81 don't want her to act as if she were
! poor woman, sir, with nobody to look
after her." he cried, hotly. Ladies in
fine houses don't go about alone, and
mother is"
Mother has her fine house, too, and
we two stout fellows will take care of
her." laughed Danford. But his wifes
head lay still upon his knee, and she did
not laugh nor look up.
When the children were asleep he re-
membered that she began a strange talk,
which he tried to check once or twice, OF
how her brothers (who were Kentuck-
ians) had both gambled their property
! away.
, "It's in the blood" she said. "If
Charley should show any sign of it,
, you'll watch him, Richard, and be pa
tent with him. A father ought to be as
patient as God with his child"
, Now Danford was apt to be irritable
, with the Lad, and his mother always had
stood between them. Before he could
answer, however, she went on. "I know
: you'll bear with Nelly's faults you un-
derstand women so well, Richard. No
body could have borne with my folly as
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