The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-07-20

ner, and saucy small hat, turned up on
one side and trimmed with scarlet ber-
ries and green leaves. was perched inse-
curely on the top of her satin-smooth
black head. tt,ry, far.
Mr.. Lynde - said she,y in a. voice.
that implied " Tn not to be contra,,icted
under any circumstances whatever" as
she confronted Rufus. f ddu r
Rufus replied, ''At your service"
with smile. He'd have been more than
mortal if he could have looked at that
bright face, with its frank, fearless gray
eyes, cunning pug nose, dear little mouth,
and general air of cheerful independ-
ence, without smiling. hi - yiA, i.ici
90 i" 1 am Bright Il 90. "oolsa yiio ol 10 d
p Sand rightly named, flashed through
Iiynde's mind; and then his face betrayed
the great astonishment he felt, but he
bowed and said nothing. GAG 10 'i'' &
"You look surprised" said the little
l woman. illigs Dd are q md o1,ri s.H
su" / am" said Rufus. 81 thought
mean was sure---that u.s. supposed---"
No matter what you supposed" in
terrupted Bright & Co." in manner
that in anyone else would have been
rude, but in her was decidedly charm
ing. " I'm Bright-Lond Co. and Co.,
and / want to know why, in the name of
pins and needles, you're 50 awful hateful
about that sign? q 1t can't hurt your
house-if il is yours--or you, extending
only that far" (holding out two tiny fore
fingers, with nails like wee pink Shells,
about half an inch from each other)" be-
You'd my house-it is my house-and you
kmoaO il you have one grain of common
sense, it can't" tLfi n4a.a in9 aGf
She paused, but Rufus said never a
word yls nuo1a ion e. o.r4ru a.
81 suppose" the little woman went
on, shaking her pretty head so emphati-
cally that the saucy hat nearly slipped
OFF, just hanging on her back hair in a
manner that suggested to Rufus the
days of his boyhood and the "Sailor's
Hornpipe," you think have injured
your business. If have, didn't mean
TO- The building next door was left to
me by nm old aunt, and the store was
stocked from the wholesale establish
ment of an old uncle. Now, L couldn't
set up a millinery shop or flower store,
or confectionery with shirts and socks,
and collars, and cravats and suspenders
and such things-could I?"
"Of course not" replied Rufus. CT
see no way in which they could re con-
verted into bonnets, bouquets, or candy"
"Just so, said Bright 81 Co., putting
her right hand into her pocket and
drumming softly on the counter with
the fingers OF her left. 81 took the
house and thanked my lucky stars and
my auntie; and / took the goods and
| III
uncle. placed Bright over the door
without any Miss. (Rufus could not
explain for the life of him why he was
so relieved 60 find it wasn't Mrs. cor
Christian name, because it looks more
business-Ike, and added the Co. be-
cause it sounds well, and my small
brother (the one your Fred tried to
thrash the other day. is my general as
sistant, and my big cousin Ito whom
you refused to look at your Window
helps me in every way he can, though
that isn't much, because he has his own
business TO attend to"
"Glad OF it, " thought Rufus. "And
/ have pair of lovely twin sisters only
years old, and dear mother and grand
mother to take care of--and oh how can
you be 80 hateful about that sign?"
"Good graciousw exclaimed Rufus,
running his fingers wildly through his
red-that is, his aubur1l-curls, and caus-
ing the aureole to rise again. Don't
say another word about it. Cover the
whole of your house and mine also
though it isn't mine; there, too, You have
the advantage of me, rs you have in
anything else-with signs if you will. L
can make living for my mother and
myself somewhere else, ii not here. 1
nave no large family depending on me,
like Bright & Co."
"Oh, dear, no, Mr.. Lynde, that
wouldn't please me Mt all" said the
little woman; the somewhere else,'
you know Stay right here. There'll
be room FOR us both after while, I'm
sure Of it. "
Rufus looked into the rosy, earnest
face with an almost lover-like smile, as
Fred burst into the store shouting, "The
lawyer saws come to his Office at 10
O'Clock tomorrow morning, and he'll see
that the old sign comes down in iitfy."
"Oh. you wicked boy /" said Bright &
Co.
Never mind that, said Rufus. CT
give you my word that the sign shall re-
main Just where il is" and Selling his
hat he escorted her TO the door, leaving
Fred in the act of executing a break
down, illustrative of extreme astonish-
ment, but too much astonished to whistle
an accompaniment. h7nH
And the sign didn't come down - that
is, it did eventually, but not until the
next May, and then another, still larger,
and stretching twice the distance, took
its place.
"Lynde, Bright & Co., the new sign
reads, and the two small stores are
turned into one large one, and Rufus
Lynde and /" Bright & Co." are part
ners for life.
A DjsasfrOus Young Woman.