The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-08-10

4
asked, in o voice at once humble, en-
treating. and full of love. She under
stood mo, for the blood leaped into her
cheeks. and her eye shst quiet side
long glance into mine. She put it
quickly away, however, and l thought
of John with jealous pang that sent
all the blood back to my heart. making
it beat painfully hard. slow, and un-
even. L said no more. however. for
knew our friends would DO sure to
observe US, If we continued 80. / did
not feel quite so contented as L had
before, and was making pretense of
feeling desperately hungry, to find an
excuse for changing our embarrassing
situation; when, at this opportune mo-
ment, q friend of ours, who lived near,
came and invited us to his house. As
his invitation was warmly seconded by
his wife, and extended also to our
friends, we ali four accepted. and soon
found ourselves comfortably housed
Evening came on, and in the cleaning
my heart went out so strongly to my
| girl friend. who had seemed to be half
afraid of me ever since the little episode
| just mentioned, that / went and spoke
quietly and indifferently ON subjects of
no particular interest to reassure her
But knew the thought of the hand
kerchief was uppermost in her mind, as
it was in mine. L swallowed whatever
of resentment L might feeL and con-
tinued to do the agreeable" but,
finally, finding ourselves alone, / said
in low, firm way:
| "May," Git was the first time l had
ever called her so), "if you don't want
me to have the handkerchief, say so,
and / will never bother you about it
again. / can give up the idea of having
it, or your affection, either; but oh,
don't call me to do it unless you despise
me-"
Her hands were futtering here and
there, nervously, and she said. Il don't
despise you, Mr.. Raymond, but
here pause ensued, and we heard
some one approaching; but there
was that in her timid and frightened
manner that emboldened me to lay vio-
lent hands on the little piece of cam
brio the next time 1 saw it, and she
dared not resist for fear of what 1
should say. Strangely, as she seemed
to lose courage L seemed to gain it, and
l felt myself master of the situation.
| / regarded her almost as betrothed to
me, although L had not asked the all
important question yet. / would do so
on the home drive, | told myself
But MAN proposes; God disposes :"
and what should happen but that May
should be sent for? L see you stare,
but Mrs. Newman, her aunt, had been
| t,1 v,o1o i
she called all the time for her niece.
OF course she had to CO. and / went
back to Covel alone after seeing her go
away with her uncle.
1t seems to me that the feelings with
which watched her leave must have
been prophetic of what was TO follow.
Utter lonesomeness, mingled with I'M
utterable love, filled my heart, and a
wild desire to go and snatch her in my
arms before everybody, and claim her
as my very own, seized me. Crushing
back all such foolishness, l resolved to
see her in a few days, at farthest, and
then all would be right; yet l had an
inner consciousness that all would not
be right, and so it proved; for the re-
doubtable aunt took terrible dislike
|
her premises. She fingered along,
however land 1 shall always believe
she feigned much of that sickness to
keep May with herr, and my friend
John went constantly to their house
Then the "Green-eyed monster,
commenced to tear me. Another fell
low, too, went there, but l had this
consolation-John would be rs Jealous
as was myself. Things went on this
way for weeks.
L wrote to May, but got no reply
and then / stigmatized her as vile
firt ! told myself hated her. Any
body that would blush and tremble rs
she had in my presence, aud let a fell
low take the memento that she knew
to be the dearest TO his heart, was not
worthy the love Of any honest man.
despised her, OF course | did. How
l longed for an opportunity to tell hel
! gently just how regarded her. Yet
treasured that little square Of muslin
as never before had treasured any
thing.
Why is it, that when man is jeal
Gus he is the most unreasonable ANNA
on the face OF the earth? l though
she was trifling with Johns heart JUS
as she had trihed with mine. He was
not to blame any more than had been
Yet, when 1 met him at rare intervals
such was the unreasoning anger fel
against him that / could hardly fore,
myself to treat him with common court
esy, let alone the old-time cordialit,
, that subsisted between us He fel
the change, as l could not help know
ing he would; but he also knew tn,
reason for it, and there was such an over
strained friendliness in his bearing to
ward me, and suppressed, though
very apparent, exultation in his Who'll,
manner, that L only restrained mysel
from an open rupture of his friendship
by an almost superhuman effort.
1 saw her only once during the res
, of the fall and winter. 1t was in
crowd, and could not for momen
, dream of saying anything out of tn,
commonplace to her. Strange as j
seemed, even to myself, L could hav
{ kissed the remotest hem OF her gar
{ ment. L worshiped her; L actual,
r did, as she stood before me. clad in tn
: ;o1 ,o1No % l,ar