The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-01-20

care TO let the handle of Edward Johns
pistol protruds from my dressing-gown.
"I am poor, but honest; L only came
IN here for the warmth and 10 have
snooze.
How did you get in ?" ] inquired,
sternly.
ct just priced up tho washus win
der, was his plsintive reply, Sand laid
down 'ere."
"Then, you put out your boots in the
back hall to be cleaned In the morning,
/ suppose?"
At this he grinned a dreadful grin. 1t
seemed to say, GAS you have the whip
hand of me, you may be rs humorous
as You please; but il 1T was not for that
pistol, my fine friend, you would be
laughing on the other side of your
moubh, l reckon"
"Come, march," said L "Put on
your boots"
He got up a. wild beast rises from
his lair. and slouohed before me into
the hall.
Though he looked exceedingly wicked,
felt grateful to him for going SO peace
ably, AMI was moved to compassion.
"Were you really in want that you
came here?" said. "Are you hun
cry ~. :, .-.., -.,.,. 49,,
OF course he was intimating that he
had supped at my expense, and at the
time thought it frank of him to &C
knowledge it. If l had known then, as
l learned afterward, that he had eaten q
grouse and half, and the whole con-
tents of largo jar of Devonshire
cream which we had just received as
present, L should have thought it mere
impudence. ] did think it rather i'm
pudent when he said, as he stood at the
front door which / had opened for his
exit:
"Won't you give me half n crown,
sir, to put me in an honest way OF bust
ness?" But, nevertheless, thinking il
better to part good friends, gave him
what he asked for. He spit upon the
coin "for luck" as he was good enough
to explain, and also perhaps Is sub
stitute for thanks, since he omitted to
give me any, and slouched down the
gravel sweep and out of the gate.
1t was o'clock; the mist had begun
to clear, and the moon and stars were
shining. A sort of holy calm began to
pervade me. l felt that 1 had done q
good action and also got rid of very
dangerous individual, and that it was
high time that 1 should go to bed III
peace with all men. My wife, however.
who had been reused by the servants,
was on the tiptoe OF expectation to hear
all that had taken place, and OF course L
had to tell her. l described each thrill
ing incident with such dramatic force
that she averred that nothing would ever
induce her in my absence to sleep In the
house again. This was perhaps but the
Just punishment for trifie of exaggera-
tion in the narrative with which L had
here and there INDUCED myself, but it
was very unfWtunate. Now and then l
find myself detained in town, after dining
at the club, by circumstances over which
l have no control (such as q rubber at
whist, which will sometimes stretch like
india RUBBER, and hitherto L had only
had to telegraph in the afternoon to ex-
press my regret that there was possi-
bility of my non return. Here was an
end to all this, unless could reassure
her. 1 therefore began to dwell upon
the unlikelihood of a second burglar
ever visiting tae house, which / COM
pared with that famous hole made by a
cannon ball, said to be place OF secu-
rity from cannon balls for evermore.
sob, don't tell me-" cried my wife,
with just a trace of impatient irritation
in her voice. Hank goodness gra-
cious, what is that coming along the
road ?"
She thought it was burglar on horse
back, whereas, if may SO express it, it
was The very contrary--namely, the
horse patrol
"Knock at the window; call him in.
insist upon your seeing him." she ex-
claimed. L had no alternative, since she
said "insist las any married man will
understand), but to accede to her wishes !;
SO l went out and told the patrol what
had happened.
How long ago was the fellow hero.
sir ?" he inquired.
"More than an hour. It is quite out
of the question You can overtake him.
And besides, really think he is repen-
tant, and means for the future to lead an
honest life"
lyon do, do you ?" said the patrol, in
that sort of compassionate tone of voice
in which the visitor OF O lunatic asylum
addresses an inmate warranted harmless.
"Well, as 1 ana here, I'll Just go over
the house and make sure there is no
more of them. 1t ia not impossible,
you see, he may have left pal behind
him."
"Therc was only one pair of boots"
said confidently; "of that L am GER
tain"
Nevertheless, as I felt it would be
satisfaction to my wife, acceded to his
request He tied his horse to the scrap
err, and came in with his lantern, and
looked about him. There was nobody
in the front hall, OF course, for L had just
come through it in the drawing-room
nobody, in the vestibule nobody-but
on the table where they had stood before
stood pair of gigantic navvy's boots.
what dye think of that p whispered
tho patrol. pointing to one of them.
They're the same" L answered in
hushed amazement, " they're the very
same. could swear to them among
thousand. What can it mean? 2"
UWall IL poaens that tho oantlanoan