The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-06-29

way the other? She felt ashamed that
she should take enough interest in him
to ask herself these simple questions, but
so it was Struggle as she would, her
efforts were too feeble to render it 9TH
erwise. "How very strange" she said,
softly to herself, that THAT he should
seem 80 near and" she had almost said
dear-"so agreeable to me, when, until
yesterday, we had never met. L don't
exactly like bim-how can /, after such
disagreeable conduct on his part? And
yet" Isabel leaned against the
side of the window, as if deliberat-
| ing the momentous question she had
just inquired of herself. 1t was quite
evident that, far from disliking him, she
was endeavoring to think of some ex-
tenuating circumstancas-of some small
loophole that might admit even the
shadow of an excuse for his conduct
She was not long in finding one.
Had he not declared that only his love
for her had urged him to measures
which he would never have thought of
taking but for the sake OF winning her
regard? Had not the first glance from
the eyes of her portrait thrilled him
with such delirium that he wo1lld have
gone through fire and water TO meet
and declare his passion for the beauti-
full original?
On tine whole, then, looking at the
matter in a more impartial light than
she had regarded it that morning, she
could not see that he had been SO very
much to blame, after all
She recalled the old maxim which
adorned the first page of her old copy
book: Faint heart ne'er won fair lady, ]"
and, in the light of her recent expert
ences, was fain to admit that there
might be more truth in that.saying than
even the famous author himself had
probably been aware of
Mari came, not only the next evening,
bringing several friends with him, but
many evenings after He proved to be,
as Mrs Darlington had told Isabel, an.
easy-going, good-natured young fellow.
And, only that Isabel had had deep
and intense insight into his nature, she
would have thought him too lazy and
indolent for any expression of passion,
such as he had so solemnly declared
for her.
He never alluded to that day, even
when they were alone, and they were
very frequently thrown together. His
delicacy touched her, and exerted, I'M
consciously, an influence favorable to
him. An hour did not pass in which
she was not comparing him to the
country swain of Plainville.
Not but what Ross Edgerly was not
q very good sort of fellow in his way,
honest and trustworthy and all chat,
still, when two people have been
brought up, as they were, from child
hood, to look upon themselves as des-
tined for each other, such business-like
arrangements naturally preclude any
but the slightest halo of romance from
hanging ever the affair.
Ross father and Isabel's mother, hav-
ing been engaged to each other in early
life, and each having, it appeared, pre-
ferred different partner when the
crisis came, made up their minds that
it would be a good thing to unite their
children in those bonds which they
had thought better of entering together;
and so in their wills left clauses to the
effect that Ross. and Isabel were TO he
set apart, so TO speak, for each other.
But Isabel long ago wearied of the
compact made by those who were dead
and gone, and showed but little DISPOSE
ton to fulfill her part. She tolerated
the lOver-lke advances of Ross, but
could not make up her mind to take
him for better, for worse; and conse-
quently, hailed with delight Mrs. Oar
lington's invitation to visit her at her
home in the city. Her first adventure
there was sufficiently romantic, and its
pleasant and harmless termination
added additional romance to that with
which she already invested Mari.
Two months had now passed since
Isabels arrival. Still he had said
nothing-no pleasing continuation of the
story he related so fervently and
ardently to her on that memorable
morning. Perhaps he was waiting for
some sign from her; perhaps he felt
that, after such a sudden avowal, he
could well afford to wait while before
overwhelming her with another.
One morning they were in the draw
ing-room together He had called to
take her out riding, but the weather
| beginning to look gloomy and overcast,
bueI COuCluueu 10 leululu N1JIlu. DOHle
choice engravings were lying on a table
in the center of the room. Mari
carelessly took up the first one that
came to hand. 1t was copy of Broca-
TELLS "Venus and Adonis
What are you thinking Off" asked
Isabel.
He dropped the engraving, and came
over to her side.
Il am thinking-well, every day L
make up my mind to tell you what L
am thinking of-and every day finds
me cowardly and unwilling to look fate
bravely in the face. How | could ever
have been so rash as | once was, passes
even my own belief now"
This was the first time he had ever
alluded to their meeting-to his pecu-
liar conduct then.
She was silent. A month-six weeks
ago-she might have replied calmly.
Now she felt that she could not trust
herself to speak.
He glanced toward her, but could not
tell whether her eyes foreshadowed en-
enlargement or the opposite. They
were downcast, and the heavy lashes
hid them completely from view.
| Az that noment there was a LIGHT tan