The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-04-21

ing out OF the darkness m he poured the
money back, and / saw ragamufiin
figure move slowly off. Lucky there
are two of us, thought.
II was a brilliant little dance. The
ooms were PRETTY and gayly deco
,nted, the local confectioner had sur
passed himself in the supper, and the
Pryse-Davies girls looked as fresh as il
they had not passed a whole day under
a broiling sun on the race-course.
els this wise ?" L asked Miss Winnie,
as we stood in the open French window
of the dining-room.that looked on to the
parade.
"Wnat? the open air? Oh, it never
does me any harm and the moor is
rising so exquisitely."
81 didn't mean that exactly I; but isit
safe to leave these windows open Look
at the mob ont there. The races have
brought all the vagabondage of the
country together.
There was a small inclosure in front
of the house, and over the dwarf wall
crowd of shabby looking people were
gazing In at the brilliantly lighted room.
"Tll send two of the men round to
The last that departed looked round
at me with the curious eager eyes l had
seen before.
Meanwhile tho fun was becoming
rather fast and furious. They were get
officers had brought his bagpipes, on
which the miscreant was distinguished
amateur performer. MacLeish was one
of the noisiest and gayest tkere. could
hardly recognize the proud, reserved
boy knew. The Pryse-Davieses were
bewitched with MIN and he with them.
"What has come to you, MacLeish ?"
asked, when / came upon him, sitting
in a dark corner alone, his fnce buried
in his hands. He looked up with
queer, wild smile.
"I'm not mad, Jones, or melancholy.
I'm fey that's what it Is"
"Come home now, there's good fell
low it's past 2, and you wanted to be
early"
mot bit of It'll I've valse with
Miss Winnie, and half dozen other
dances to dispose OF"
The other men departed by degrees
MacLeish staid on to the last, and
with him
/ might have left him, but some in.
stinct detained me. At Last we took
leave.
Our shortest way home was through
Lady's avenue, and took it without re-
Election. Half way through the grove
MacLeish stopped. He had forgotten
some nonsensical commission OF one
OF the girls.
"Tn overtake you," he said. CT
must go back"
was too provoked with him to argue,
but walked on then sat down in the
gloom on an overturned wheelbarrow
and waited.
Som cone passed me few minutes lat
er. He was in the full light of the
moon, and recognized the same shabby
figure L had seen twice before-a young,
broad shouldered, slouching rough. He
seemed to disappear suddenly behind
one of the trees as footstep approached
and MacLeishs voice was heard singing
valse tune. 1 caught glimpse of his
Glengarry and plaid as he crossed q
streak of moonlight, and the next mo-
ment heard sudden exclamation.
There came q scuHae-blows-an be-
fore [ could reach them heavy fall-a
groan.
MacLeish was on his knees struggling
to rise, held down in the grasp of fallen
man. He shook him off as l got up, and
staggered to tree, against which he
leaned, painting and breathless.
"He tried to garrote me, and when
managed to twist out of his hands dealt
me heavy blow on the head. I only
~, To hn
damaged?"
turned the fallen man over on his
back. He lay still. dragged him to
the moonlight.
MaoLeish F.! He's dead |"
But MacLaish had dropped on his
knees beside him, and was gazing into
the dead face with a face as CHASTITY
Fergus Fergus MacLeish Have
we met? At last |"
He rose perfectly panic stricken. It
was his cousin, he was assured, and in
deed the likeness would have convinced
me of the fact without the additional ev-
idence Of the marked eyelid.
MacLeish was distraught with terror.
1t was murder he had done; he should
die felon's death. Nothing L could
say would reassure him.
"Leave him here. Who's to know
anything about him ?" L said Mt last.
"Society is well rid of him. What on
earth are you going to do now?"
He had seized one of the pickaxes left
by the laborers, and was digging in
fierce haste under the last elm tree.
His grave was to be here" he said.
"He came to show me the spot.
suppose it was a mad thing to do,
but seeing him resolved turned to with
the spade and helped him. The earth,
beine newly laid, was light and easily
moved, and we soon made trench deep
enough for grave. Then we laid the
body gently down, and shoveled the
earth in with feverish haste. The broad
staring moon showed every pebble on
the pathway, every leaf on the earth.
We removed all traces of the struggle,
replaced the tools, and hurried home, in
utter silence.
MacLeish held out his hand without
speaking, as he stopped at his own door.
took it without hesitation. L am glad
to remember that. He fixed his wild,
woful eyes on me for moment, and
then hurried away. / was too excited
4 4 L.. l. - T.