The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-03-10

my reward for faithful serving, but had
scarcely arrived when l heard, inci-
dentally, that Jennie had gone with her
father to Europe, nor left one sign that
she ever remembered me-"
"Yon certainly did not let that fact
dampen the ardor Of your pursuit ?"
queried Ruth; "you followed her. Of
course"
81 did no such thing. madam. I re-
turned to San Francisco and plunged
into the excitement of gold-hunting
with reckle sness that woman CAN
not Understand. Six months after that
/ lost every dollar. but by that time l
had learned that experience is worth
nothing as solid capital until it has
been dearly bought l whistled my
rhyme:
Loss and gain, pleasure and pain,
Balance the see-saw II Life.
in the sensitive ear Of my friend Fritz,
Rugged his own brown head close to my
shouider-don't laugh, that dog was nay
friend rolled up my sleeves, and again
went to work with vigor that knew
meant certain success If the vein held
out. 1t did, and five years afrerward
had bank account which ran largely to
the thousands. 1 invested it in land.
BY that time was bachelor of 80.
Hard knocks and my own disappoint.
ment had shaken all the romance out Of
me, and when again went East it was
on business connected with the con-
struction of this railroad"
"And you have quite outlived Your
boyish fancy, as your heart began to
lose its youth ?" said Ruth, with the
least bit of cynicism In her tone.
90 think Fritz knew" said the con-
ductor, quietly. had become almost
misanthrope for his sake. If left him
to go into society-such as we had-f for
few hours, he either whined like sick
child or kept up such an increasing bark
ing and baying tllat to save him from be-
ing shot as n nuisance went to no place
where it was impossible for him to &C
company me. The old fellow went with
me even to New York, and on the jour
ney 1 often caught myself cogitating
how he, born in wilderness of wild
mustard, and as fond of camp life as an
Indian, would take to the constraint of
an old city. Well, had not been in
New York week before there was
strong Juggling at my heart to run down
to Philadelphia. Not that it was home
for me, for my parents had died before
first lett it. called the desire the
charm of association, and it led me.
"There, as / first went down Arch
street, my poor dog lost his wits and the
sober dignity of his maturity. He had
a remarkably fine scent. / always knew
that, but no sooner bad we turned into
that particular street than, with his nose
close TO the ground and rigid tail, he
ran zig gag to aud fro, as though he was
on the trail of an cratic fox. l called
him, but he gave no heed, People got
out Ct his way. The gamins shouted.
and with wild, shrill bark he suddenly
bounded into the doorway of large dry
goods store. bounded after him in
time to see him rush up to lady in
black, who was exam ming some gloves,
and danced around her with signs of the
most extravaganza Joy. There are tones
that live without the aid of photographs.
Roy Roy Dear old Roy was all she
said, but Id have sworn the voice was
Jennie's if had heard it on the summit
OF Mont Blanc. A white hand was laid
upon his head and my ring was on the
hand"
He paused.
Yours? sir I hope you did not claim
it" said the practical collocutor.
81 did, and the hand which wore it.,
just as originally intende d." Nor did
Alexander, in his hours of conquest,
ever smile n more serene approval of
himself than our conductor at this stage
Of the story.
But the conduct of Fritz, and the
lady's silence, and the queer concomi-
tults which exist only in fiction-how
do you reconcile them with an DER true
tale p said Ruth, the truth loving.
Fritz was Roy, the Roy who had
often been caressed by Jennie before
the golden fever, when l did, and came
to California never TO return. Jennie
had written, but her letters had never
reached Inc. She thought me dead.
Why the dog came to me when his mas
ter died is one of the riddles of my life,
which l will disentangle in the here
after"
"And to-day where is she 2"
We stood waiting for the answer.
"On our ranch near Sacramento, and
1 believe one of the happiest women in
the State. We have boy 10 years old
whose name is Fritz, and MI the dearer
for the sake of the old friend who has
gone where hope one day to meet the
human of him. 1 wish you would stop
off a bit and see my wife. Queer, isn't
it, that L should have introduced this
bit of private history upon you but the
truth is-Yes--coming I'll be with
you again, ladies"
A brakeman beckoned him inside, and
we had seen the last of our handsome
conductor.
The evening shadows had begun to
lengthen. The setting sun had turned
the vast plain of the Sacramento valley
into I" field of the cloth of gold," end
the distant peaks of the Sierras, clad in
their eternal snow, but now rose-tinted
and glowing, seemed to cleave the azure
above them as with wedge of FURNISHED
silver. 1t was starlight when we reached
the end of our car ride and were regis
tered for the night.
"The conductors story was pleas
ant little episode, Ruth, wasn't it? Do
you believe it all happened? ?" / asked,
as leaned from my pillow to hers to
u