The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-09-06

battalion of hotel walters, laden as they
were with plates and platters. cakes and
biscuits, and all the other things that
60 to make up the delicious array that
we see spread out on picnic-table, to
please the eye and tempt the palate.
Florry waited q long time for Mr..
Ducey. He came at last very late, offer
ing no excuse for his want of punctu-
atty, and acting, she thought, very
strangely altogether.
By-and. by John Myers came, looking
flushed, heated; but, whatever was pass
ing in his mind, he maintained an out
ward calm.
"Tm so glad you've come II said
Florry. "We are enjoying ourselves
finely"
just then word came that the refresh
ments were ready.
"There's Nab Townley over there,
John, and she looks lonely. Go and
wait on her :" and the little witch fiut.
tered of, leaving him no alternative but
to obey.
The company were just taking their
places for the picnic, and Florry stood
quite still, looking anxiously around for
her escort, who had excused himself a
half.hour before, and had not yet re-
turned.
Five minutes more slipped by, and
still he did not come. She felt grieved
and mortified. He had never been so
neglectful of her before. What could
be the matter?
Where is Mr.. Ducey?" some one
asked.
His protracted absence was now for
the first time generally noticed.
"Yes, where is heg" from chorus of
voices.
"What have you done with your cava-
lier, Florry9" Mabel Townley broke in.
"You must learn to take better care of
him in the FUTURE"
"He is old enough to take care of
himself, said Florry, lightly, yet with
a very red flush on either cheek.
"Very true" whispered Mrs. Digby,
con6dentially, to Tom Lacy. "He's
FIVE and thirty, if he's day. To think
of such chit of a girl as Florry Castle
marrying man old enough to be her
father-the very idea p
Mr.. Lacy, as in duty bound, agreed
with every thing the enchantress said.
eve must find him." said somebody.
He may have met with an accident"
And dozen of the party fastened off
in various directions through the grove
i'll search of Casper Ducey. One of the
girls found him out at last, as little
scream attested, and they were all
around him in moment. He was lying
PROSTATE on the ground, just within the
shelter OF little thicket not far away,
with his eyes closed and his face looking
swollen and purple.
| What is the matter 2"
"Is he dead p
"He is in fit"
Three or four of the girls screamed in
breath; the gentlemen looked at him
hard, then at each other, but said moth
ing.
DIR. Granton glanced at the red, bloat-
ed face, then ruefully at Florry.
"Speak !" she cried, with very pale
lips; lis he dead 2"
"He is-drunk !" exclaimed Jack
Blunt, one of the party, who did not ad-
mire Casper Ducey.
She was silent moment, standing
motionless as marble, staring into va
cancy, like one in dream. Then the
pallor in her face gave place to hot,
angry flush, and her black eyes flashed
as she answered, "And this is true ?"
There was no denial, and she went on :
"Then he is dead to me. / never wish
to look upon his face again. 1 want
him to know how utterly scorn him
after what has happened. Give me a
pencil and bit of paper, John; I will
write few lines for him to read when
he comes out of his stupor. Then 1
wish you to take me home"
She had finished liz moment.
"You shall all hear it." she said,
bravely. cit is not a love- letter"
She stood up in the midst of the ex-
cited throng, whose eyes were all fixed
eagerly on her resolute little face, and
read what she had written:
Mr.. DUCEY: I scorn and detest you l
never want to see you again
FLORENCE CASTLE.
1t was very brief, very concise; but it
answered Florry's purpose-it was to the
point. She bent over end drew some
thing from the breast-pocket of his coat.
1t was q small flask. Then she rolled
the paper up and thrust it through
dainty little ring which she had slipped
from her finger. Next she drew the
stopper, and, after emptying the con.
tents upon the grass, replaced it with the
roll of paper. Then she put the flask
back where she had found it.
He will discover it there soonest"
she said, simply. "Come, John; we
will go now"
The grove was deserted in few min
utes, and Casper Ducey, in his drunken
slumber, was its sole occupant. They
never saw him again. His reign was
over. One of the places that knew him
once knows him no more, and that place
is Boroville.
What John and Florry said that after
noon as they rode home we will not at
tempt to conjecture, but certain it 10 that
Mr.. Castle gave his sanction. And so
John won Florry, after all.
Horses in Burning Barns.