The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-12-03

threos, would discuss the fishing and
the cattle, while always keeping the
young ladies in sight. A happy. pleas
ant picture; and Peter Whitney looked
on at the scene with great delight.
He determined to give himself a holt
day, too. So he made friends directly,
and inquiries Indirectly concerning the
premises he had come to take over and
have transferred. He learned that the
house lay away from the village; it was
mere farmhouse amid trees, inclosed
by wall and paling. 1t had been un-
sold everything, and quilted the village
some weeks before.
They were poor?" suggested the
Englishman.
The man addressed shrugged his
shoulders as he replied:
swell, not entirely. The good man
and his wife had died. His sister and
their daughter lived in the house till
the last harvest. The son was away in
the army of Africa. Young Mr.. Des-
moulins, the miller's son, had paid
much attention to the young lady, and
had been repulsed by her. So, being
the owner of the property, he had
taken his revenge, and managed to
brighten them away. Poor girl! He
was nlGuudis satjeu"
"But he had no right to do so" said
Whitney. "The house was mortgaged
to an Englishman. He is dead now.
1t was handed over as security for adj
vances to the young soldiers father. !"
That is as may be. The house is
closed up, the afiches of the sale are on
the door; it Is desolate, empty"
as it far from here?"
SWELL, no. A walk of perhaps half
an hour or so will bring you there
through the trees yonder. You see
those tall poplars, those to the east
ward?'
Peter Whitney nodded assent.
"Up there you will find the place; it
stands above the road on your right
hand; a little path leads up to the
house. You cannot mistake it.
THANK you, monsieur" replied
Whitney. Il think L will go and
see it."
Peter Whitney made his way toward
the poplars, and passed them. He
then plunged into more wooded coun-
try, and the road tended southeast
Then he came to a gate and a path on
the right, as indicated. He entered
and assembled the path, passing in the
| direction where he had come. But in
a moment he recoiled in establishment.
Seated on ruined portion of u wall
was young soldier, apparently on fur
Tough. A small bundle lay beside him
in the rank grass; short stick was
still hooked within it. The mans atti-
tude exhibited the deepest detection.
| His head rested, hatless, on his arm.
His attitude, the limp and hanging
right arm, the hidden face. the whole
pose of the poor fellow told a sad tale
of disappointment. He had returned
full of life and ardor to the place,
perhaps his home, and found it de-
serted, the torn bills of the sale still
tapping idly in the autumn wind which
stirred his tangled locks.
Peter Whitney, Notwithstanding his
very unromantic name and calling, was
eminently sympathetic. OF course he
had no business to be so, but Nature,
though she may fit Us for certain call
ings, does not deprive us of our better
feelings. We may harden ourselves,
and pride ourselves upon our sternness.
But Peter didn't. Lawyer though he
was, he was tender-hearted.
Poor chap he mentally remarked !;
"he has found his home deserted. Our
house. by the way. All! l shall gain
some information here"
1t was rather contrast with the
scene which the Englishman had just
left by the shore. Here the solitude
tended to sorrow and to love; to the
pity which is born of sorrow, and akin
to love. The setting sun threw its
glory upon the treetops in the south
west, and the poor young soldier lay de-
spairing, travel-stained, and overcome
with grief, as the shadows crept slow
ly along the ground in sympathy.
The spectator, after a while, adj
vanced, and then paused. Again he
advanced and touched the young man,
who arose with suddenness, angry at
being disturbed.
He glanced at the Englishman, and
turned round again without speaking
"My friend" said Mr.. Whitney,
kindly. "can assistgou? You are i'll,
sorrowful: l may help you. Do you
know this placer"
Know the place, indeed! Was he not
q native of it? Had he not lived there
until the CONSUMPTION came, and when
he was paid to take the place of an
other young man? The money was
welcome.
So much the stranger managed to
gather from the half-indignant remarks
of the soldier, who at length yielded to
the kindly influence the Englishman
generally exercised. He sat up, this
young Frenchman, and, after a few
minutes, recovered his vivacity. He
told how he had been treated.
"You went as a substitute, then?"
"Yes; my relatives were poor; the
man had held out threats. l loved my
sister-ohl where is she? Monsieur,
We were not always poor; we held up
our heads once. The Republicans
brought our family down. We were
for the old regime, we others, but /
went. My poor sister promised for
marriage by her enemy and mine / oh,