The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-09-11

girl carry away the honors before your
face and eyes. detest entering the
lists against hired maid. but, to save
the reputation of the house, I'll think
it over, and let you ladies see what
can do"
We thanked her humbly and went
away. AS L re-entered my room i
spied the tall figure of Pat approach
ing my door.
"Now, then, Pat" said I, shaking a
wrathful finger at her snow, then,
you'll drop your colors. We've got q
match for you at last, you jade!'
Were you speaking to me, madam p
says Pat, innocently, swinging her
duster carelessly in her hand; IF so,
please repeat your words, l did not un-
derstand you"
But / merely slammed the door and
bided my time.
Promptly at noon down came Miss
Prettyman to dinner, arrayed for VIC
tory in pink stills, diamond ornaments,
and no end of style.
Young Howe, the beau par excellence
of the house, always sat next me at
dinner. All the single ladies were try
ing their very best to catch that willy
young man, but none could. boast of
any success. To tell the truth, Mr..
Howe had been abominably Indifferent
to all the ladies, except us married ones,
until the advent of Pat, when, to our
unbounded rage and CONSERVATION, he
| had Immediately struck his colors and
gone Internationally over to the "ene-
my"
Now, then" said to him, "what do
you think of the new arrival ?"
He adjusted his eye-glass carefully
and looked at Miss Prettyman.
"Nice girl" drawled he; "nice COM
plexion, too-if it's natural; but rather
stumpy little figure, eh?'
Stumpyl could have boxed his ears.
OF course he was making a mental COM
parison of the two girls, and Pats tall
| figure, which to me looked for all the
world like an animated telegraph pole,
was the standard of perfection in his es-
timation. 1t was enough to make a
disinterested person sick.
A week passed by. We could all see
that Miss Prettyman was doing her
very best to displace Pat from her
throne, and not without some small
prospect of final success. Mr.. Howe,
though, never finched an instant, but
was ready at any moment to lift the
cudgels in defense of the maid
"And we all thought you dead in
love with that cousin of yours, whom,
report says, you have never seen!" said
L, spitefully, one evening.
And for once you all thought the
right thing" retorted he, coolly
"only / have seen her often, and my
admiration increases daily"
Somebody ought to tell her about
Pat"
I'll tell her myself, if you'll give me
time enough" said he, lounging away.
There was little romance attached
to the story of Mr.. Howe and his
cousin. The story, as L heard it, was
something like this: Mr.. Howe's grand
father had two daughters. One ran
off and married an Englishman against
her fathers wishes; was disovned,
and disinherited. The other one mar
ried a merchant prince, and died young,
leaving a child-none other than young
Howe himself. Finding himself on
his death-bed, the grandfather relented,
and causing a search to be made for his
discarded daughter, found her still liv-
ing, though in humble circumstances,
with her Englishman. The issue of
their marriage was one child a daugh-
ter.
Now what did the old fellow do but
have his will drawn up, in which, after
providing for the Englishman and his
wife, he left the bulk of his fortune to
his two grandchildren, providing they
married each other; or, failing in this,
the money all went to the one who was
willing to marry. If both declined to
wed, the estate was to go to q charitable
institution.
Young Howe wrote to his cousin,
stating the terms of the will and signi-
| flying his desire to comply with his
grandfather's wishes. But she wrote
back, fatty refusing, on the grounds
that her mother had been wronged.
Then the attorneys wrote her, telling
her she was losing fortune by her oh.
stinacy, and still she refused.
The lawyers were obliged to turn
over the whole great fortune to Mr.
| Howe, who, worried at his cousins
passing her life in poverty and care,
determined to transfer half the prop
erty to her, and visited her home fol
that purpose: only to find she had dis
appeared, none knew whittier.
The upshot of the matter was thai
he inserted masked personal in the
Euenin journal. But so far he had
heard nothing in response. Mr.. Howe
had never seen his cousin, but he had al
excellent photograph of her that had
been given him by her mother.
OF course, this little romance in his
history made Mr.. Howe quite hero il
our estimation, and when he SO far for
got himself and his high position as tc
turn his eyes toward Pat popular in
dignation reached climax. Mis5P ret
lyman was making dead set" at Mr.
Howe, and L fancied Pat sometimes
gave her scornful glance from her big
eyes when they met, and meet they did
quite often, for it seemed as if Miss
Prettyman could not be satisfied will
the services of the other servants, bu
must always insist on having Pat t.
wait upon her. We were all delighted
with the way Miss Prettyman managed