The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-04-13
u.-AFTER THE SUMMER.

nate ScnOOl, franky FOOle III
formed her one morning, as he sat on the
table while she sewed button on his
trousers, "I should like to be sailor "
Goodness, Master Frankly, what's / ut
that into your head ?"
go nothing only Tom Dawlish was
telling me about it; what they did in
wrecks, you know, and all that. ]
should like to be on raft, should -
and he drew his naked toes ON to the
table, and wriggled them about at the
thought of the great things he would
do. "Tom's coming to-day; 1 heard
mamma say SO; and, if he isn't gone when
1 come back this afternoon, 1 shall ask
him more about it.
"Td tell him not to go filling the
child's head with such nonsense, only I
don't want to get in his way" Mary
thought. But somehow Tom got into
her way that afternoon.
"Look here, Mary" he said; ST want
to speak to you. 1t isn't that want ysu
to look at me if you haven't a mind to,
though goodness knows I'd do anything
for you; but / don't want to see a nice
girl like you a-lowering of herself by
walking out with a chap like Alfred
Hill"
whats it got to do with you?" she
asked, angrily.
"Why, just this, that I've found out a
bit about him, and he's only laughing at
you, and thinking you are a nice-looking
girl when you are dressed up, to walk
about with; but as for marrying you
he'll no more do it than that and he
snapped his fingers, though what that
action had to do with Mr.. Alfred Hills
intentions he did not explain. "Why,
he's going to marry the daughter of Mr..
Brooks, what travels for the frm-thats g
what he's going to do. Ask him, and
see if he can deny it. Why, it's COM
ing off directly, only she's nothing to
look at, so he isn't fond of showing her
off; but she's got some money, she has,
and plays on the piano, and looks q
lady,"
How do you know it ?" Mary asked,
her very lips turning white, for her ex-
acting heart knew that he had fallen of
lately, that he was not what he had been
in the spring (the summer was over.
Not that for single moment she believed
Toms words.
"Why, work there, and the servant
told me. Besides, I've seen him go there
courting."
81 don't believe it. You ought to be
ashamed of yourself :" and she rushed
away to hide her gathering tears and
frightened face.
She wrote to him, asking him to meet
her that night but he replied with an
excuse that made her heart sick. He
would meet her tomorrow Saturday
afternoon in Kensington Gardens if she
liked, he said and to this she con.
sented, and for the first time, and foi
his sake, was false to her charge OF
Frankly.
"You run about, Master Frankly,
dear" she said "I want to talk to @
friend of mine-but don't go out OF
sight - and then, in her bewildermeni
she forgot all about him. Alfred Hill
looked rather bored than otherwise, but
he was smiling and shiny as ever. She
hardly greeted him when he appeared
but she looked at him with all the ad
miration she had ever felt for him in.
tensifed by her fear. He sat down be.
side her, and, elegantly crossing his legs
| pcBhu UhppiuS uiS ulBHly pOusueu DoOUs
with his bone-headed cane.
Alfred" she said, crossing her hands
and looking at him straight in the face
"is it true as you are going to get mar
ried directly?"
"Who's told you so p
g 1t isn't any account who told; is il
true as you are going to marry Miss
Brooks because she plays ON the piano,
and has money, and" The tears came
into her eyes, and her lips quivered with
anguish. 90, it isn't true j know il
isn't r. and she touched his hand in hel
dismay, and looked up into his face will
all her hearts story written in her eyes.
CT don't see why it shouldn't be, anc
so there's the long and short of it. til
no use making fuss about it, my deal
girl"
but it isn't9 it isn't9" she said, ap
pealngly.
"Well, yes, it is true, he said, slowly
not daring to look her in the face CSC
you may as well know il at once"
She stood up before him. "Truel d.
you mean to say, Alfred, after all that