The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-05-04


Norah is my only friend. But am not
very glad they are such friends. They
like to play chess, and that is game
that three cannot play; and they like to
drive in the dog-cart, and only two can
sit in front"
"And now they like to go alone into
the wood?" suggested Mr.. O'Hagan.
Eyes, it is preserve, you know, and
Bob thought it would disturb the pleas
ants if three people went through talk
ing, but he said he and Norah would
walk along quietly and speak very soft
~"
"Ohw said Mr.. O'Hagan, with a
heightened intonation.
"Why do you say oh like that p cried
Missy, pettishly. She felt glad that
Bob was not like Norah's brother, who
was so old-thirty, at the very least, he
must be-and who asked such strange
questions and made such singular eiacu-
lations.
"NIiss Missy-may ! call you Miss
Missy?' asked Mr.. O'Hagan gravely.
Just as you like" she said, indiffer-
emily.
very well, then," he proceeded.
Miss Missy, l want evidence upon a
certain matter. The swing is the wit
ness-box and you are in the SWING !;
ergo, you are the witness. Now, with
nature looking SO so fair about you,
with the sky so blue above you, the cool
green woods waving to your right, and
the gorgeous dahlias smiling to your
left, you feel undoubtedly that you
could not possibly speak an untruth !;
hence you are committed to speak the
truth the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth. Now commence"
Missy gazed at her interlocutor with
wide and astonishod eyes. She checked
the restless vibrations of the swing, and
pressed her feet. firmly on the ground,
while she encircled the ropes with her
arms, clasping her hands before her.
She was puzzled, but not displeased. A
lovelier witness the young man thought
he had never seen.
Miss Missy" he began, "do you know
what flirting is?"
"Yes," said Missy, promptly.
"Then define flirting"
81 did not say / could define it," said
Missy, with little appearance of pout-
ing.
"Then you do not know what flirting
is?"
ayes, I do" cried Missy. Flirting
is when two people seem to like each
other very much. and to live only tor
each other, and then they part and for
get one another altogether.
"And their intercourse leaves no
mark ?"
"No, they have only been amused"
"Btt suppose they have been more
than amused-suppose their association
has left mark ?"
"Then they have been in earnest"
"And what is the result of being in
earnest?"
at is love-" said Missy, in a low.
sweet voice. She glanced downward
and was completely unaware that Mr..
O'Hagan's gaze was fixed upon her, and
still less was she aware that his breast
was swelling with an uncalled-for in
d.gnat on on her account. His was al
imaginative nature, prone to leap to
superlative possibilities, and something
in Missy's youthfulness, beauty and
naivete had made him jump to posi-
bility of the most exaggerated evil. At
this moment he found himself specu-
lating about some man who might some
day be only amused with this innocent
creature, while she, perchance, might
be in earnest. Il would horsewhip such
a fellow within an inch of his life," he
said, wrathfully, in his heart. Then he
suddenly remembered that, as far as he
knew, there was no such man, and he
smiled contemptuously at his own fan
tastic conceit. Moreover the present
was all his own.
"What is love, Miss Missy?" he asked,
abruptly.
Love is when the beautiful youth
comes" she said, still looking away.
"And who is the beautiful youth?" he
inquired He felt curious to know
whether young man of 20 or ~ years,
not bad-looking- by no means bad
looking-and not altogether stupid,
certainly with some prospects of pro-
fessional success, might be looked upon
as beautiful youth. Perhaps tinge
of unsupported jealousy unwittingly
heightened his curiosity.
a sort of glow diffused itself over
Missy's face; her vision seemed to be
lost in the dim recesses of the little
chase; her whole manner seemed to be-
speak state of ecstatic feeling.
"The beautiful youth, she said slowly
and pensively, lis all glorious to be-
hold, like the early sun in summer, or
like the splendor of the apple orchards
when the fruit is ripe. He is q peerless
knight, clothed with dignity aud virtue
and truth, and burning fire goes out
of his heart and consumes all iniquity
as he passes by. He goes through the
world like Sigurd, redressing every
wrong, and the hearts of the people
| trust in him, and when he speaks, or
even when he comes near, men and
women are happier and better, and
little children are gladder and holier.
His locks are bright, as if the sun had
kissed them, and his eyes are calm and
pure, rs if the stars sojourned within
them. His hands are mighty, like the
resistless north wind, and his feet are
rapid, like the rushing of many rivers,
and his heart is deep-deep like the
! unfathomed sea-"
"And?" uttered the young man
breat lessly. He was amazed at Missy S
u 4 L.