The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-08-30
%,4INIa %sz tine Z rII.n hi. hand

bu Il haa 0niy time 10 gasp his hand
and giga it q squssss OF oonsratulation.
when the drawing room door was opened
and we entered. The elder lady was
seated on couch before the Fireplace.
where fire had been lighted, for the
evenings were getting chill; the younger
was leaning over the grand piano. en-
gagged in looking over some music. Both
stood erect when we entered. The
Colonel, going over to the elder lady. took
her hand and led her forward, saying as
he did SO Maggie, 1 have much
pleasure in introducing Mr.. Phillips to
you. My daughter, Mr.. Phillips"
Phillips turned deadly pale. "And
nd-the--other-lady he gasped.
looking round at the beautiful young
girl standing at the piano.
"My wife,"
/ don't suppose our conformation
could have been greater had bomb
shell entered the apartment. Will
would have fallen had not supported
him. Every one seemed to take in the
situation at a glance. Miss Summer did
not faint or scream, or do anything
which younger or more sentimental
lady in similar circumstances might
| have done, but she blushed as deeply as
her faded complexion would allow of,
and, covering her face with her hands,
said: ooh, how dreadful he has
| Thought mother was my fathers daugh-
ter" Mrs. Summer glided to her side
and led her from the room, while the
Colonel and / applied restoratives to
poor Wills colorless lips.
"Poor fellow" muttered the Colonel:
"I see his unlucky mistake, wish, for
the sake of everybody concerned, this
had not happened
r"sThis explains the ready acceptance
of Phillips proposal, ard the Colopels
willing agreement to let his daughter
marry o comparative stranger" I in
wardly growled, in disdain of the whole
business, as I loosened the tie which
Will had 80 carefully arranged an hour
before. rIsJ
when he had somewhat recovered we
took him home, and laid him on the
sofa in the dining-room. L sat by him
all the evening, and, although he did
not seem in the least excited orfeverish,
| he kept asking me such strange ques-
tons, and seemed so unconscious of all
that had transpired, that was afraid his
brain was affected. /, however, was de-
termined that we should not, on any
consideration, remain day longer in
Dali d. Arroch; and summoning Mrs.
Martin, instructed her to get our traps
ready, as we required to be off by the
first steamer in the morning. "Mr.
Phillips does not feel very well, add
ed, in reply to a glance of inquiry she
| Oh hn 10 fl,a
sofa. "He has had unpleasant news
from home" 3I
My conscience smote me for the DELHI
crate falsehood uttered, but felt that
some excuse was necessary for the pros
trate condition of Phillips. But Mrs.
Martin was SO profuse in her express
sions of sympathy that somehow or
other'I could not help coniecturing that
she guessed somewhat of the truth.
At 7 o'clock the next morning q close
carriage was drawn up to the door, and
VIII and we're driven for the last time
down the trim avenue, and arrived at
the pier in good time to catch the steam
er. Phillips manner was unnatural and
excited, and I felt as if I dared not leave
him for an instant. What need TO relate
our miserable journey south ; enough to
say that when we reached London Phil
lips was in the delirium of fever.
The attack proved virulent one, and
for six weeks he lay partly unconscious,
even after the delirium had left him.
When at last he began to recover 1 took
run down to the Isle of Wight with
him, leaving him in charge of his
mother, who was staying there. In the
course of six weeks he came back, look
ing almost as well as ever. He showed
me letter which he had received from
Col. Summer, in which that worthy gen.
tleman expressed his deepest sympathy
The letter went on to say that the writer
had adjusted matters at home as deli
cately as he could, and that, had he for
moment supposed that Mr.. Phillips
had mistaken his wife for his daughter,
his friend should have been spared the
unfortunate denouement in the drawing
room.
The occurrence which so nearly cost
him his life was never again reverted to
by us. And up to this date, at least, he
seems quite contented with his bachelor
chambers and the society of his old
friend Frank Wollmerath.