The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1878-05-31

accept the offer for both gentlemen,
Fan. and write this morning, dear.
Then Clementine returned to the con-
sideration of the lace In c0quittes for her
new evening dress.
The plan 30 hastily sketched was sub
seauently discussed and carried out.
The cottage at Ryebank was taken, and
one evening, at the end OF June, the
two ladies' took possession of it, The
new Widow Clare had engaged maid in
New York, and fell into her part with
charming ease and a very pretty assump-
ton of authority and the real widow,
in her plain dress and pensive, quiet
manners, realized effectively the idea of
a cultivated but dependent companion.
They had two days in which to rehearse
their parts and get all the household
machinery in order, and then the gentle
men arrived at Ryebank.
Fan and Clementine were cutie ready
for their first call the latter in rich
and exquisite morning costume, the
former in a simple dress of spotted lawn.
Clementine went through the introduce
tons with consummate ease of manner.
and, in half an hour. they were very
pleasant party. Johns cousinship"
afforded an excellent basis for informal
companionship, and Clementine gave it
full prominence. Indeed, in few DAYS
John began to find the relationship tire
some it had been, "Cousin John, do
this" and "Cousin John, come here, "
continually and one night, when Cleve
and he sat down to smoke their final
cigar, he was irritable enough to give
his objections the form of speech.
"Cleve, to tell you the honest truth,
1 do not like Mrs. Glare"
81 think she is very lovely woman,
john"
CT say nothing against her beauty,
Cleve; l don't like her, and have nc
/ mind to occupy the place that beautiful
, ill-used Miss Marat fills. The way
: Cousin Clare ignores or snubs woman
to whom she is every way inferior makes
me angry enough, / assure you.
; "Don't fall in love with the wrong
woman, john"
"Your advice is too late, Cleve; an
) in love. There is no use in us deceivine
/ ourselves or each other. You seem tt
/ like the widow-why not marry here ]
am quite willing you should"
! "Thank you, John; have already
have been favorably received, think.
"You are so handsome fellow has nc
chance against you. But we shall hard
8 ly quarrel, if you do not interfere be
3 tween the lovely little Clement and my
self" l
{ ct could not afford to smile on her
John; she is too poor. And what OF
l earth are you going to do with poor
wife? Nothing added to nothing viii
q not make a decent living"
t 81 am going to ask her to be my wife
and, if she does me the honor to say
l Yes, will make decent living out Of
/, my profession. :"
|. From this time forth John devoted
Y himself, with some ostentatioD, to his
supposed cousins companion. He was
determined to let the widow perceive
e that he had made his choice, and that he
i. could not be bought with her money
Mr.. Selden and Miss Marat were always
= together, and the widow did not interfere
between her companion and her cousin.
a Perhaps she was rather glad of theil
close friendship, for the handsome Cleve
!. made much more delightful attendant.
Thus the party fell quite naturally into
: couples, and the two weeks that the gen.
tlemen had first fixed as the limit of their
2 stay heightened into two months.
It was noticeable that, as the ladies be
Q came more confidential with their lovers
e they had less to say to each other; and
2 it began at last to be quite evident tc
the real widow that the play must END
q for the present, or the denouenaent would
Q come prematurely. Circumstances ia.
r vored her determination. One night
: Clementine, with a radiant face, came in
to her friends room, and said "Fan, ]
have something to tell you. Cleve ha:
asked me to marry him."
"Now, Clement, you have told hin
:, all; / know you have"
: "Not word, Fan. He still believes
me the Widow Clare"
"Did you accept him?"
Conditionally. am to give him 6
: final answer when we go to the city il
October. You are going to New Yorl
this winter, are you not ?"
: eyes. Our little play progresses
? finely. John Selden asked me to be his
wife tonight.
"I told you men think and act il
| pairs.
, "John is noble fellow. / pretended
l to think his cousin had ill-used him, anG
he defended him until was ashamed o.
T myself; absolutely said, Clement, tina
you were a sufficient excuse for Mr.
Clare's will. Then he blamed his owl
past idleness SO much, and promised if
!, would only try and endure 6 the slingl
and arrows of your outrageous temper
Clement, for two years longer, he woulC
Q have made a heme for me in which !
could be happy. Yes, Clement, sboule
s marry John Selden if we had not five
4 dollar bill between us"
wish Cleve had been little more
explicit about his money affairs. How
ever, there is time enough yet. Wher
they leave tomorrow, what shall We
r do?"
eve will remain here anothe,
month; Levine will have the house ready
: for me by that time. 1 have written tc
I him about refurnishing the parlors."
: SO next day the lovers parted, with
!; many promises of constant letters and
future happy days together. The in.
terval was long and dull enough; but il
passed. and one morning both gentle.