The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-04-24
"FAlNT HEART EE'ER Won
FAIR LADY,"
"A hat of LAST years fashion


"But her eyes were like gray stars"
"And her manner dreadfuliy quick
and decided"
Bright and sparkling, / should
call it,"
"My dear Richard, you are really alb
surd. The girl is O hospital nurse, and
what woman with any refinement or del
icacy would take up such q profession
as that? 1t shows she can't be nice.
Ladies' do such things nowadays"-
less dehantly.
snow you know you're only saying so
because she's pretty OF course, ladies
do queer things nowadays, but that
doesn't excuse an unwomanly feeling,
Besides, she is only solicitors daugh-
ter. j shant ask mamma TO call"
"But don't you think common civil
ityw :" 5
mo, don't. She's only staying at
the rectory, and we're not forced to call
on every ones friends Besides, Capt
Chadwick is expected home, and it
would make il awkward What would
one of Lord Belmont's people say if
we asked them to meet q girl like Miss
Travers?"
"All the same, she's as pretty and
ladylille as any one ever met in these
parts.
"Very likely, but she's not in our SET
Now, Richard, if you say any more 1
shall begin think you're falling in love
with her, if the idea is not too absurd"
But Richard had closed the drawing
room door upon his six sisters languid
voices, and was half way across the
wide lawn with its brilliant parterres
of summer flowers. Poor Richard Al
lerdyce! only son of the richest banker
in Chellowdean, people of good family,
but with just that uncertainty of social
position which made them afraid of
overstepping any boundaries, rather
gratiied at being on Intimate terms
with Lord Belmont and the Hardwickes,
he was of divided mind this summer
afternoon. He had been greatly taken
by that sweet face and slight figure in
the restory pew last Sunday; YVES SEN
sible Of thrill of more than civil inter-
est when he met their owner walking
home with the good old rector after
service, and was introduced to Miss
Trayers," while the eyes like gray
stars" were suddenly raised to his; and
he had ever since that time spent a
larger portion of his time than was
strictly needful in walking past the rec
tory's rose-coyered garden gate. But,
on the other side, his sisters words had
certainly struck home.
Brought up, as all the Allerdyces
were, like dollhouse plants, sheltered
from every breath of frosty air, it was
not strange that Richard at %, though
big, buriy enough young Englishman
to look at, was but little of o man in
mind or heart. knowledge of the
world had been carefully kept from
him, as from his sisters, lest they
should learn evil; but their very ignor-
ance had cost them the loss of power to
choose between evil and good, and had
gwen them weak preiudices and con-
ceited opinionativeness, instead of
mind able to discern and prefer the
right.
Richards handsome face was overcast
as he swung out of the lodge gates and
down the road. Miss Travers hos
pital nurse certainly it was q shock
Not only did it seem to him unwomanly
for woman to work at all, but infin-
itely more so to do mental work. And
then the awful thought Of what his
mother and sisters would say, were
they asked to receive hospital nurse
as his future wife, For it had gone as
far as that, in Richards susceptible
mind, even in these three short days.
All ut once his thoughts broke of, as
Miss Travers herself sweet and bright
as ever, in her black dress, came out
from the rectory gate, the great rectory
mastiff pacing behind her.
Now, Richards own collie was at his
masters heels, and there was border
feud OF long standing between these
two faithful followers. There was one
angry growl, n heavy rush, thud, and
then brown body and black rolled
together in the dust in a manner sug-
gestive of dogs funeral on one side
or the other. Richard, who was actu-
ally staggered by she suddenness of it
all, could not for moment regain. his
senses; and when he did, it was to find
Miss Travers, both white hands locked
in the hair of Rollo's shaggy neck,
pulling him from his foe with all her
strength, and calling to "Mr. AIier-
dyce" to take hold of his dog and pull
him off"
She was being whirled round in the
cloud of dust by the frantic walters
before Richard could quite settle where
to "take hold" but that task was per-
formed for him by gentleman in tweed
knickerbockers, who started out of the
white Hart" few rods away, and
ran to the rescue. Between Miss
Travers and himself the waltzers were
separated, each carrying away a few
fragments of the others person; and
Miss Traverse, flushed, painting,
covered with dust, but looking lovelier
than Richard had ever seen woman