The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-08-03

was doing as unconcernedly as could,
though feeling, let me tell you, any
thing but comfortable.
"But that will never do" said he; Il
don't know about your young friend OPP
pared to liquidate on the spot"
IL don't think that will be necessary,
do your" was my reply, looking for the
first time full in the strangers face. 1t
was not a pleasant one, but as l looked
Mt it felt somehow that he had no in
tention of showing fight.
He did not answer at once, but stood
looking anxiously about the room, any
where but at me. At last he spoke,
with an uncomfortable attempt mt a
laugh.
DO as you please. They say every
one has his own rules for loo, and if
these are yours here, why, suppose L
must agree to them"
Precisely so, was my reply.
Every one has his own rules; we have
ours, as you see; and you, as L think L
have seen, have yours. Tomorrow, if
you like, well discuss the difference
| chow fervently L hoped we should do
nothing of the sort; but now, L think,
bed will be the best place for us all.
Russell will see you to the gates, l am
sure; and I'll look after this young
gentleman, who doesn't seem verv ca
pable of performing that operation for
himself" For the freshman, after one
final and ferocious draught from a tum-
bier that had happily been empty for
the last ten minutes, had fallen asleep
in his chair, with an expression of more
hopeless idiocy than should have sup
posed the human countenance capable
of assuming.
Still the man stood there, stealing a
glance now and again at the others, but
never at me, and drumming on the
table with his cursed fingers.
At last L had rent the last evidence
of our folly into fragments.
Come" said L, turning to Russell,
on whose flushed face was slowly dawn
ing the idea of an unpleasantness some
where, "it is on the stroke of 12-had
we not better be movina2"
At length he rose. "Take that drunk
en- fool off to bed," said he, nodding
savagely at the slumbering idiot in the
1Nilh NOu, W Vic
come along; we must be quick, if we
are to clear the gate. You will find us
here tomorrow, if you want us.
The stranger took his hat and stick
and followed Russell to the door. As
he reached it turned and said to me,
still without looking at me, well have
little settlement of this tomorrow.
Certainly" answered, IF you wish
it. 1t won't be very big one, L dare
say"
Then he went out and / never felt
more relieved in all my life than when
/ heard their footsteps in the quad
rangle, and turned to wake the BOBBY
in the chair. And there's my story for
you, and I'll thank some of you for
something to drink"
And what became of your three
fingered friend ?" asked one of the
company.
Heaven knows" said Tommy. "All
1 know is that he left his inn, and
pretty long bill into the bargain, by the
first train next morning, and never
showed his ugly face in Oxford again
as long as l was there"
(Which wasn't very long, L fancy,
was it ?"
mo, it wasn't" was the short reply,
"if you want to know, though l don't
see what that has to do with it,"
And Russell-what became of him 2"
We'll, he disappeared, too, before
long; up like a rocket, down like a
stick. He is writing for a newspaper
somewhere, think, poor devil"
And the freshman"
"Oh, took him off to bed, and there
we may leave him. What beggars you
are to ask questions.
You must have been q nice young
lot at st. Dunstan's," said one of the
party, who had sat silent through
these interrogations. Il should like to
have been there with you; it would
have been more remunerative, / fancy,
than Newmarket. "-LondOn World.