The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-04-13
GOLD AND GILT.
A Love story.
I'm EARLY SPRING.

n Aoto StoTys
In EARLY SPRING.
She was a very pretty girl, and she
knew it, and did her best, in an innocent
sort of way, to let other people know it !;
and she could not help thinking, as she
walked along the Feltham road, that
keeping company with Tom Dawlish-
who was just plain, honest, hard-work-
ing young fellow-was rather waste of
time, and that marrying him would be
altogether throwing herself away.
Her reflections came to an end at the
door of Messrs. Bradbury's Office, and
she walked in, wholly intent on the bill
she had to pay. A smart-looking young
man received the money and, when the
receipt was made out and she turned to
go, she found that the shower which had
threatened for some time was coming
down with vengeance.
go, dear f." she said, "and have no
umbrella"
"Wait here few minutes, miss it
will soon be over" said the smart young
man; and then, having accepted his
offer of shelter, Mary found herself after
a minute or two thinking that he was "a
very nice-looking young gentleman Gas
she afterward described him to the cook
and that he had beautiful hair-it was so
nicely curled-and he had little dark
mustache, and wore such a pretty blue
necktie 0 he was very nice-looking,
indeed.
"Are you Mrs. Poole's sister ?'' he
asked, after few minutes conversation.
Mary flushed as she replied truthfully-
for she was far too good girl even to
equivocate-tha she was not such dis
tinguished individual, but only the
housemaid and nursemaid combined
And then he asked her what her name
was and with another blush she told
him that it was Clara, but Mrs. Poole
said it was too fine name for q servant,
and so called her Mary.
81 shall call you Clara" he said
"shall L 2" he added, with an appealing
glance. Mary felt her heart beat faster
something seemed to tell her that her
destiny had come and she had no words
to say, so he followed up his successful
sally with another one /: "Do you ever
go out of an evening for walk ?"
Sometimes" she said, softly.
"Wi1 you go for walk with me next
time ?"
eft wouldn't be right; you are
quite strange, you see," she answered,
slowly.
90! well soon get over that, you
know. Perhaps you are engaged,
though 2" Mary's inconvenient heart
gave thump, for here was good prac-
teal question, which showed that he
meant business. e., matrimony.
"No, I'm not but I'm wanted to be. v
Not very lucid answer but he under
stood it.
"Who to ?" he asked, coaxingly.
"Well, perhaps 1 oughtn't to say his
name," she answered, slowly for in
this, the most important moment of her
life, as she felt it to be, words seemed
altogether to fail her.
"What is he p
He's-he's carpenter" Mary
never felt the truth more difficult to tell
in all her life.
"a carpenter p he said, in a telling
tone of injury, not unmixed with scorn.
"Well, of course, if / am not better
than carpenter"
90 you are you are, SIR" said
Mary, in her excitement putting out her
hand, and resting it for just moment
on his sleeve.
Mary lost her heart to the smart young
man with the blue tie and the we'll
oiled hair. He never said anything
more definite than he said that first day
but he was always ready to take her out,
and most particular about her dress ;
and the result was that all her little
hoard of savings went in more or less