The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-01-04

ing out by the recollection of Tom
Eldon's words" He is a gentleman and
a man of honor"
"Tom Eldon never was wrong" said !
one morning. az / sat alone, Sand for |
a man like that, after my kindness, to
take advantage of his position to win that
girls love from me, would be the act OF
the greatest scoun-"
"May L come in, Mr.. Burrows ?'"said
the voice of the man of whom / was
thinking.
eyes, come in" I said; and there we
stood looking in one another's eyes.
"He's come to speak to me-" L said,
and my heart grew very hard, but l con-
sealed my feelings till he spoke, and
then l was astounded
"Mr. Burrows" he said, GIVE come
to say good-by."
Good-by," said.
eyes, sir, good-by. have Weakened
misery of which 1 cannot speak. Let
me be brief, sir, and tell you that shall
never forget your kindness.
But you haven't finished the pict-
ure."
"No, sir, and I never SHALL" he said,
bitterly. "Nlr Burrows, L cannot stay.
THAT isl need not be ashamed to
own it, / love your child with all my
heart"
81 knew it," said, bitterly.
"And you think / have imposed on
your kindness. No, sir, L have not, for
/ have never shown by word or look"
"No, you scoundrel," / said to my
self, "but she knows it all the same"
"And, sir, such a dream as mine
could never be fulflled-it is impossi-
ble."
Yes" l said, in cold, hard voice,
cit is impossible"
"God bless you, sir Good-by."
1" You will not say good-by to her?"
said, harshly.
He shook his head, and, as I stood
there, hard, selfish and jealous of him,
saw him go down the path, and breathed
more freely, for he was gone.
Gone, but there was shadow on my
home. Cobweb said not word, and ex.
pressed no surprise, never even referring
to the picture ; but went about the house
slowly, dropping day after day, month
after month, till the summertime came
round again, and knew that in my jeal
Gus selhshness was breaking her younS
heart.
She never complained, and was as Low
ing as ever; but my little cobweb wa
broken, and the tears spangled it like
dew whenever it was alone.
1t was as nearly as could be year Of
ter, that /, feeling ten years older, wen
to seek her one afternoon, and founC
her as 1 expected in the little wood
standing dreamy and sad in her old pc
sition leaning upon the tree, listening t,
no bird-song now, but with a far of
longing look in her eyes, that swep
away the last selfish thought from Ia,
heart.
l did not let her see me, but wen
straight up to Elden's, learned what
wanted, and q short time after / was il
a handsome studio in ST. Johns wood
staring at the finished picture of M
child-painted, Ct course, from memor,
framed, against the wall.
As | stood there i heard the door open
and turning stood face to face with Grant
ly.
We looked in each others eyes for
few moments without speaking, and thel
in a trembling, broken voice, L said:
"Grantly, I've come as beggar now
My poor darling-God forgive me Tv
broken her heart.
1t was my turn to sit down and CRY
like child, while my dear boy tried t.
comfort me-telling me, too, with pride
how he had worked and become famous
and in few more months he meant t
come down and ask my consent.
But there, I'm mixing it up. o
course he to d me that as we were rush
ing along, having just had time to catcl
the express; and on reaching there wa
no conveyance, and we had to walk.
That scoundrel would not wait, bu
ran on without me- and when l got there
painting and hot, / found my darling
heart was mended with all OF that be
longing to the good man from who's
arms she ran to hide her rosy bushes o.
my breast.
I'm not the selfish old fellow that
was about Cobweb, for here in the oil,
place, where they've let me stay wit
them, l pass my time with those tw
fiossy- haired little tyrants, Cobweb III
Second, and the Spider, as we call littl
Frank. AS for Cobweb the Second, age
2, she said to me this morning. with he
tiny arms about my neck, and her soft
cherub check against mine" Oh
ganpa, dear, l DO yove 90 pas ] low
her with all my selfish heart. CaSseH
Magazine.