The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-07-09


Continuing her walk she soon comes to q
rude little dwelling that scarcely deserves
| the namo OF House, IL IL 90 small and mean.
IL Is occupied by an 01d woman known as
Aunt Hepsy Lee. Having lost three sons In
| the war she receives pension sufficient Tor
"A more comfortable living than she affords
| herself She Is inclined to be misery, aud
prefers TO hoard her quarterly returns from
| the Governments.
| 1t is not yet quite dark and the old woman
sits outside her door knitting. Margery says
| 'Good-evening," and 10 passing by when
/ Aunt Hepsy calls after her.
Cant ye stop n bit, Margeryp It's lone
some like feel tonight setting alone and
| a dreadn robbers"
"Robbers! why, what do you mean, Aunt
| Hepsyr'
.wal, I've heard somebody prowling
about O nights Tor quite spell. and last
| nj ght see n face peekin In at the winder.
| "YOu must be mistaken. No one could
wish 10 harm you" says Margery, assur-
ingiy =.
| "You ought to put 1t In the bank, Aunt
| Hepsy.'
Use allus been afeard of the banks n
Dustin; so Use kept my savings In tin box
In my bed; but guess Ill take 1t TO the
| bank tomorrow"
Margery turns away, but Aunt Hepsy
catches her arm and says, In half-whisper
"Tve liked you, Margery, from baby, and
| know you be an honest gal. feel 80 scared
| and strange. I've a notion TO let you take
care of my tin BOX tonight. i shan't sleep
a wink without il under my pilier; but /
/ want to disappoint the thief If no comes.'
| Margery hesitatos about taking the box,
but Aunt Hepsy will not let her refuse.
| Take it quick. and run right hum, child.
| Cont tell soul you have it, and I'll come
| and git IL tomorrow. BE dreadful carefull
| There's more than thousand dollars in that
box, all in new greenbacks."
Margery never had so much money In her
hands be lore, and she felt little nervous as
| she hurries home, wishing Aunt Hepsy had
chosen some one else to take care OF her
precious TIN tox.
As Margery reaches the house she meets
Miss Atherton, who is going to the hammock
for the book that she left there In the after
noon, and remembered in time to rescue
from the dew.
ton remarks, gancing curiously at the box.
Margery makes a confused reply and runs
directly to her room whore she locks the box
safely in her trunk, lights n lamp, and sits
down to read.
Drops or rain soon begin to fall, and a
thunder storm rises in sudden fury. Mar
gerry is frightened and goes TO bed, but does
not sleep until she hears Ned's step on the
stairs.
The morning breaks bright and pleasant
Ned rises early and eats his breakfast before
the boarders come down. Telling his mother
he has business at Martnsburgh, n town six
teen miles distant, he saddles brown Molly
and rides away.
About ten O. clock the butchers boy from
Clintonvile drives up In a state OF wild ex-
element and informs the household that
Aunt Hepsy Lee has been found dead in her
bed with a bullet through her brain, her
house ransacked, and money gone.
''rhere Is great commotion in the VIII
lage" he says. 1.-THE Sheriff and all his men
are out looking for the murderer"
Margery is Smelling peas for dinner when
the news is told. She drops the pan that she
has on her lap and turns SO white that Mrs.
Barton dashes dpper OF water in her face,
with the idea or preventing fainting ft
Between the fright and the wetting, 1t Is
some time before Margery can speak, and
then she finds the boy gone.
She runs out calling after him at the top
of her strong young lungs intending to ask
him TO tell the Sheriff of her interview with
Aunt Hepsy the previous evening. and of
the box in her possession. The toy drives
furiousy and the wagon rattles so
that Margerys voice is unheard. She Is
returning TO tho house, when she suddenly
stops There is something by a little puddle
or water in the road that arrests her atten-
ton. 1t is a silk handkerchief soaked in
blood so that it has stained the water near 1t.
Margory stops to look at il more closely, and
is Mortified TO find IL is a handkerchief that
she knows belonged TO Ned. There are his
initials in the corner that she had awkwardly
embroidered a year ago 1t seems as If
hand OF ice is clutching her heart Neds
earnest wish for thousand dollars his
absence during the evening. and hurriel de-
parture in the morning occur to her mind.
Could it lie possible that her dear, brave
brother Ned, her hero, was guilty of cruelty
taking the life of that defenseless old woman
for her paltry savingsY 1t might be he was
maddened ty intoxicating drink, and was
not responsible for his deeds but Margery
knows that the law will not excuse him on
these grounds If he is really the one who
committed the murder. She resolves to save
him IL possible, no matter what the conse
quences 10 herself may be. With a
s.ckening shudder she picks ND the
suspicious looking handkerchief and rolls it
in a large burdock leaf. Then she goes
steaithily to the back OF the garden, quickly
digs hole with a stick in the soft ear TN
under a gooseberry bush, and burfes 1t out
of sight, feeling ali the time like Nm accom-
plice in the horrible crime. Her face is
CHASTITY in its Wilderness when she appears
among the group of boarders assembled in
the sitting room. Presently there Is . loud
knock at the door, and every one except
Margery is surprised TO see the Sheriff and
two constables.
lis your son at home, mad ann incaires
the superior officer of Mrs. Barton.
'Ned! Why, no; he went to NartinsbuTgh
this morning." is the wondering reply.
The men look at eack other meaningly-
~ regret to tell you, Mrs. Barton, that we
terrible work." says the Sheriff, gravely.
''Oh, no, no, nor exclaimed the mother.
"You are nistaken--my boy would have
died sooner than harm Aunt Hepsy-"
1--WE areSorry to think Ill of him. but every
body knows to whom this revolver Belongs"
says the Sheriff. producing one of the
ivory-handled weapons that had been Neds
pride. ut was found in the grass near Aunt
Hepsy's house with one chamber empty, and
the ball taken from the poor woman's head
e0 actly corresponds in size"
Mrs. Barton Is agonized with friQht and
grief. The boarders are shocked and silent
Margery looks on in n rigid, dazed state. AS
the officers turn to leave the house she comes
forward aud says, unflinchingly:
''You are judging Ned wropgfully; / lost
that revolver"
''How did you come by ny asks the Sheriff,
sterniy.
II took il from his case without his knowl-
edge" says Margery, dropping her head a
little as she tells the falsehood, and a streak
of red flashes across her pale face.
"Young woman, do you know you are get
ting yourself into a bad scrapes But II can't
be possible that slip OF a girl like you d
that brutal thing says the Sheriff.
AT this point Florence Anterior lays her
white hand upon the sleeve of the man of
law, and says in a low voice, quite devoid OF
/ feeling:
ASK her where she was last evening, and
vslat she brought home I'm a tin box"
Margery stands, with hunted look of
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