The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-11-12

l.
excuse me for the merest moment, Mr..
st. Ives?"
Now. it was not really necessary for
Drusilla to be led about in house where
she was perfectly familiar, but she wished
to influence Fred, and knew OF no way
more certain.
How her soft, magnetic hand thrilled
him. Why, her hghtest touch was like
ceress, She talked very earnestly ss TO to
and wine. Said she had heard such
rumors, but would not believe them.
Would he promise that the gossip should
be without foundation? He would prom
Use anything. He would reform
Re-entering the parlor, she remarked
to Maxwell: "My college boys are so
much to me like brothers, / can reprove
and admonish them in truly orthodox
style without their resenting It, They
! need some one to scold them little
sometimes.
Maxwell said, in his abrupt, argu-
mentative way: Fred Devine does not
consider himself merely boy friend
! he thinks himself man and comes a
wooing."
The color crept into Drusilla's pale
face: "Hush, Maxwell st. Ives, l will
not believe it. Ny own regard for this
| lad is so different. 1 want him to re-
gard me as a friend want him to look
up to me-, and come TO r.e for counsel
and sympathy; want his esteem;
i'm short, L want earnest, respectful,
beautiful friendship, instead Of tickle,
passionate, fatal love ~ Hs1t
She was much excited. Ali the con-
troll she had shown when Lu tainted
her was swept away. She had suffered
SO much through love that she could
bear no mention of what had darkened
her whole life. .,,,,. - .rt,r-
-" Whenever and wherever ] try to es-
tablish friendship, it is shortly trans
formed into reckless and despairing
love-" cess ia eyinFsro o's .sarais'
All that she said WAS received in utter
silence. Surely he was, not man but
marble. ALI this was such deep grief to
her, and he did not care. Any other man
would have expressed some sympathy /;
not so this impassive Nurtherner;
cynical and bitter, thought it a fine bit
Of acting. He had been drawn toward
I ner at first, but an anonymous letter had
\ told him to {" beware of Drusilla Ster-
ling" that she was an actress by'birth,
and by education, and utterly without
heart. From that time he had been on
I his guard. u,......... - 81,
'.Pardon my emotion" she said, after
moments pause. Pardon me also if
! / go on to say more Of myself.
70 SCI want you 70 know if there is any
sufficient reason in the past why my
present should be SO full of passion and
pain You have before now accused me
of being coquette Upon my honor
do not mean to be. What / do cannot
help. 1t is deep and sad fatality. Let
me tell you the story of my birth that
you may Judge for yourself how l came
to inherit my birthrigbt of sorrow.
My father WAS an English artist and
marriee q woman who made her living
by singing and dancing at the theaters.
She was as deceitful as she was beauti-
full. My old nurse Jeanette has often
told me how mother would say to her :
The Englishman is an ogre But to
him she would say: You are grand
like the gods. She won him, not be-
cause she loved him, but because he
was supposed to be wealthy. He loved
her with his imagination rather than
with his heart. He was very suscepti-
bic to beauty and gracefulness, and both
were hers to remarkable degree. The
fact that she was married did not pre-
vent men loving her. She died when 1
was but three days old, and father and
Jeanette brought me to England.
"From my tenth year have been con-
scious of possessing my mothers fatal
fault of fascination. There is nothing l
SO much deplore, for have my fathers
honest English heart, and would win love
only where could return it. Until the
last few months / have never known
! what that word meant. You are still ST.
/ lent. / have lost Your esteem by con-
Tossing my mothers profession. Oh,
Maxwell st. Ives, / trusted you! Are
you not still my friend ?"
In her earnestness she laid both her
little caressing hands over both of
his. All his reserve and skeptlcism
were swept away. He pressed her hands
like rose leaves in his own, and an
swered
Before they parted they were betrothed
lovers. Drusilla had some misgiviIfgs,
and said i. ,--,., .---,.. ..,.-.-
Can you go to your proud mother
and tellher that youhave espoused the
daughter of dancer?"
"Drusjlla Sterling, I can say any,
thing to anybody. If only you are true
lstosme there is no obstacle to our union
that | will not easily overcome. L have
given myself to you, body and SOU, and
God help him who comes between usf'
ohefelt her heart grow cold as he
spoke. Was this love also TO prove UNI
happy? o, it was too sad that in this
first glad hour of betrothal there should
be shadow of impending evil. She
loved him so 1t was cruel that she
could otlbe free from forebodings.l At
tile moment Of farewell she sobbed as If
her heart were breaking, and he had
scarcely reached his home when note
followed him, saying
"MAxwELL ST. IVES AS / love Won
Unjust never see you again. I would
only bring YOU ,inhappiness. 1t is my
sad fate. Forget me and farewell.
Yours, with love and regret,