The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-09-10


sciously came to wrecking my young
neighbours happiness for life. "Min-
ME-" / said again, spray do not cry.
Tell me-. nv dear neighbor, word for
word, il you wish me to know all your
troubles. And l drew near her, and,
unreservedly as father might fold his
infant child in his arms, gently drew my
arms about her sinking, trembling form.
"Oh, sir she exclaimed, drawing
back, "you-you must not do so, you
forgive me, kind friend, but-but you
have no right to comfort me now. You
can no longer be a father to me. You
must go away from here Immediately,
until Charley" She hesitated, look
ing at me through her tears, her hands
tightly clasped now beneath her turbu-
lently-heaving breast in an attitude OF
uncertain despair.
"Why, Minnie-why, you greatly
puzzle me-" l stammered. "Tell me at
once what has happened? Why must l
go away?"
Because Charley-he's terribly an
gry-calls you awful names, and says
he'll have you arrested, and charges me
with-with being unfaithful. Oh, such
q TRADE of Inconsistencies never before
heard uttered" she breathlessly an
swered.
"Where is Charley ?" asked.
"Gone to get a warrant for you. Oh,
sir, please make haste. Only think of
the scandal He is so angry he will
not reason. He-he-" She broke
down then with hysterical cryings. L
here made known to her with more
sternness than felt that she must calm
herself and explain at once, as it was all
a mystery to me, and could not judge
how to act. [ gave her to understand,
however, that certainly should not run
away-that if 1 was deserving of being
arrested the officer would find me ready
to do his bidding. This had the effect
to calm her somewhat, and between her
anxious fear, lest some uniformed SER
want of the law should really burst in
upon us, and her efforts to further ex-
plain, clinging alternately to me, and
running to the window, 1 finally OBJ
tanned an intelligent understanding of
the case. you know, sir, the other
morning when l ran in with the roses,
the first in bloom. and told you that the
evening before 1 saw they were opening,
and SO had arisen unusually early that
morning, because knew they would be
open and fresh and-and other things
besides L said which 1 do not now re-
member. Butch, sir, you know L
meant no harm, do you not Z? Oh, say
you know it, my dear friend-say you
know il" Thus the poor wounded
child-wife continued her explanation.
L fastened to assure her that she said
nothing censurable on the occasion in
question that in all our friendly inter-
course she had ever conducted herself
with the grace and purity of an angel
that any one who thought differently
was consummate brute, any one who
declared to the contrary was an infamous
liar.
80, don't say that" she pleaded, 'for
that means Charley"
But I'll never take it back" L re-
piled, "Charley or no Charley"
" He was just entering his carriage Mt
our door, you know" she continued,
"and could easily hear all that was said.
and, as he drove out of the yard, could
see U.S."
L remembered that such was the fact. |
and nodded assent. "And, as L gave |
the roses to you, L said some compli-
mentary words relative to the merits of |
your last-published article, you remem-
Der; spoke of the thrilling pleasure the
perusal of it gave me, and how plain
and easy it seemed to make LIES duties;
that L never expected to meet any thorns
In my pathway now that your splendid
words had removed all fears of your frail
friend, and for which reason L had re-
moved all the thorns from the roses
w / nd III
pierced my thumb, which you kindly re-
moved"
GO think those were your very words
at least their import. And your rough
physician praised your bravery in bear
ing the pain ell, my child" L replied,
my eyes feasting on the versatile, earn
est expressions of her fair, care-clouded
face, bespeaking such beauty germs of
character.
1es-and sir-just as Charley drove
10y, do-do you-do you know what you
did TOTO me?" she asked, with trem-
bling, anxious simplicity of an innocent
child.
81 took the bouquet, Minnie, did I
not, and thanked you for it ?" ,,
ooh, yes, but-but something else
you did, sir. L thought nothing of it
hen, nor do L now, and would never 1.
nave spoken of it only Charley saw it, d,
he is irrecoverably angry, L
ear" 9
"Angry at me, Minnie, for some of
ense of mine when you gave me the
'oses ?" curiously inquired. .
Angry at you for that, and angry at !.
ne for not resenting it, and for what he /.
$ pleased to term my seductive, siren /.
ways and language He says you are l
III not tell You what he said, but he
1lames me the most Oh, what shall we
10? am sure we are innocent of any v
ii intent, cir" S
L assured her / could remember moth II
ng which should have given offense- v
hat was sure there had been no acts
II words between us of censurable ma q
IRE and mentally cursed the con- c
emptible jealousy that could so blindly 8
and wound the most ex- l
ellent and faithful of wives.
81 see you do not remember" she
aid, $50 L will tell YOU" And the first
,lush of maidenly modesty which bore
r Il Al