The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-03-06

not be expected that he should endure
fuss and clatter-was convulsed with
preparations for the arrival of the heir
ess-niece and her retinue. A bedroom
was turned into q boudoir for her pri-
vate use, and two bedrooms adjoining
were set aside for herself and her maid.
The Cottage was one Of those elastic
establishments, with countless small
rooms, capable of taking in far larger
number of people than its exterior
would lead you to imagine.
Hannah Millions home was in the
north; it would DO quite evening before
she won arrive, and Lady Best passed
all the day in u state Of feverish excite
ment, wandering from room to room.
She seemed to feel that there was q
destiny Mt stake; while Arthur-the in
dividual who was in all probability the
most concerned-was perfectly cool
and collected, and passed the hours in
his habitual placid enjoyment of a book.
The mystic shade of twilight was al
ready creeping up the valley when
wheels were heard approaching the cot
tage, and Lady Best went out into the
porch to receive her guest. Fain would
she have persuaded Arthur to accom-
pany her, but he preferred an armchair
by the window.
AT last the carriage is at the door,
and Hannah Milton, having sprung out,
is DANGEROUSLY kissing her aunt.
There is nothing aesthetic or dreamy
about her. She has q broad. plain,
honest, open face, with fine eyes, and
a large mouth full of strengthening
white teeth-not the slightest preten-
sion to beauty, but you can see at a
glance that Hannah Milton is a thor
oughly good, kind, sincere woman. Her
voice is very loud. but it has the ring of
true heart. 1t frightens Lady Best,
however, as she thinks, What will
Arthur say? Will he run away from
Hannah, or allow himself to be sub
dued by her?"
In the carriage besides Hannah-half
concealed by bird-cages, a Persian cat,
and three small dogs of different breeds
there is girl; the maid, of course.
The dogs and the cat spring out after
Hannah, and the footman takes the
bird-cages. Just as the unnoticed oc-
cupant Of the carriage is stepping out,
Hannah turns round.
ooh, forgot; let me introduce my
dearest friend, Agatha Burghley. OF
course you expected her; she never
leaves me, you know"
Lady Best held out her hand in O
welcome to which her heart did not re-
spond; nor did she speak, except to
say
And your maid, Hannah"
Miss Milton burst out laughing.
"That is luxury in which we don't in
dulge-do we, Aggy? We arrange our
toilets ourselves, and very effective they
are sonnet
Lady Best looked again at this COM
panion of whom she had never heard
before. No, decidedly not; if she
had known of her existence she
would never have asked Hannah
to the cottage. For Agatha was beau
tiful, of that refined, spiritualized beau
ty about which poets rave.
For an indefinite period she had in
vited Hannah, and this companion,
this Agatha, was she also to be their
daily associate for weeks?
The meeting with Arthur, however,
could not be deferred, and Lady Best
led the way into the drawing-room.
He was as cordial as it was in his
nature to be in his reception of his
cousin, but when the same formula of
Introduction with which Lady Best had
been greeted was gone through, and
Agatha, dragged forward by her ener
getic friend, stood before him, with the
pale CLEAN of the rising moonlight on
her face, he started back as though he
had seen q specter, more in fear than in
admiration, as it seemed to his anxious
watching mother.
There was no time, however, for spec
ulation as to what feelings Agatha had
awakened in Arthur's breast, the neces-
sites were asserting themselves, and
Hannah, in her blunt way, declared her
self to be furnishing.
"a rapid toilet and dinner. Come
on, Agatha, we shall not keep Lady
Best waiting long" and the two girls
went quickly up into the rooms that had
been prepared for them.
In less than quarter of an hour they
came back, looking as spicand-span as
if they had made no long journey. 1t
was very obvious that the services of
maid were unnecessary.
The evening, however. was scarcely
a merry one. Arthur was more than
usually silent aud meditative, Agatha
very tired; she was not SO robust as
Hannah, who was the only lively one
of the party, and chartered cease
lessly to Lady Best, who, for once in
her life, was not a good listener. All
her attention was riveted on shat
young person. as she, already, in her
mind, designated the somewhat lacka-
daisical Agatha.
Hannah was very full of the prof.
ected dairy reforms. She loved every
thing that gave her practical tendencies
fun vent; but Lady Best was by no
means rs keen as she was.
while they we're reforming, what
would Arthur and his beautiful Agatha
he doing?' she asked herself. "Oh, if
Hannah would only turn her full atten
ton on the far more important work of
reforming Arthur"
Lady Best was, however, too much of
diplomatist to let her thoughts appear
in words; no, she must act. maneuver,
watch.
OF course the first thing next morn
ing Hannah expressed wish to go