The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-10-15

50 tired-music always exhausted her. be-
cause she loved il so we'll; there could be
no harm in sitting down for five minutes.
even If he was there. and drinking a cup
Of tea in his company; so she advanced in
to the room. The fair haired man jumped
mp at once.
Been to your beloved Popular Miss
tired" and almost before she could answer
him, he had poured out cup of tea and
placed il in her unresisting hand How
angry she was with herself! Why could
she not speak? Why did she feel inclined
to cry? Why was she so foolish as to en-
ter the room at all?
Yes" she said. with an effort; g have
been to the Popular, and-are you come
up from Woolwich?"
II suppose So" he answered. with an
amused smile; "and this time for fort
night.
"For fortnight"
"Yes. Does that displease your" gently.
She gathered her senses together.
1T can be nothing to me either one way
or another" she answered rather bitterly,
and put her cup down.
He looked at her in amazement, and was
about to speak, when a loud knock at the
door caused him to go to the window.
toward the room again, and then per-
ceived that he was alone. Miss Spencer
had fled Before he had time TO more than
give way to a muttered exclamation there
was a rustic on the staircase, a rustling Of
silk and satin, heralding the APP
proach of person full of her own i'm
portance. 1t was Mr.. Fane's mother. She
came into the room; large handsome,
moneyed, arrogant-one glance at her told
you all this. A strange contrast to the slim.
quiet man whom she called her son, and
whom she looked at suspciously.
You are alone, Edward?" she asked.
1T appears so, mother" he answered,
with his quiet smile, as he kissed her and
put chair for her.
Il was afraid that designing girl had
raced home from her concert to be alone
with you, for Jones tells me she is come
in"
Edward Fame frowned The designing
girl is a lady, mother, he said.
so she may be, but she is a penniless
one, and would, no doubt, like to marry my
son. forgetting what have striven to i'm
press on her, that unless you marry with
my full approval, not one"
Il have heard that before. mother; there
is no necessity to repeat the lesson he said
gravely; and Mrs. Fame for once felt the
rebuke, and changed the subject.
Meanwhile, up stairs in her bedroom,
Helen Spencer was walking up and down,
in state of agitation that her afternoons
employment hardly warranted. Poor thing!
hers was a very sad though. alas! common
enough position. Well born and once rich,
moving in better society than the lady TO
whom she now acted as companion, she
was now an orphan. reduced by series of
misfortunes to restitution. Forced by these
circumstances to earn her bread as either a
governess or companion, she had chosen the
latter alternative, attracted by the high salary
offered her by Mrs. Fame, although by no
means attracted by the lady herself. 1t did
not require any very great astuteness to find
out that Mrs. Fame had not only an arro-
CANT, imperions temper of her own, but that
she was very vulgar woman. 1t was a
well-known fact that good natured, extrav-
agant Charlie Fame had married her for her
money, and had met with his punishment
in being worried and irritated into pre-
mature grave. His son Edward was d fer
ent kind Of man: but he too was at his
mothers mercy. in so far that she held the
purse strings, and never failed to remind
HIM of the important fact And this
sou, who was destined by his mother to
make some brilliant and aristocrat;s mar
riage, Helen Spencer loved.
She did not deny it; alas, she knew it
but too well: but to-day was the first time
she had allowed it even to herself-she
loved him, and she mu& 60 away. She
said it over and over again, III soft, de-
spairing voice: and then a feverish haste
overlook her. desire to fly and hide her
he d somewhere, where she might weep
out all the sorrow that was Expressing her.
and feel that she had done rightly. For
to-day the danger flag had foated before
her eyes, and something had told her that
her love was in faint measure reciprocal
ed. She went down to dinner with her
usually pale face lighted up by two vivid
spots of color, and her eyes soft and heavy
from tears. Conversation did not flow very
freely, as far as the young people were
concerned; Mrs. Fame too was preoccupied,
and Edward had ample time to reflect on
Helens charms, which to him seemed re-
doubled tonight, and to smile bitterly rs
he thought of his mothers menacing words
to him. 1t was Saturday, so Mrs Fame
was not going out, and her tone was extra
imperious as she babe Helen come and
write some letters for her. She had been
exasperated at dinner by Edwards absurd
politeness and Difference to a companion"
and by Helen's implied acquaintance with
people who did not care to visit herself
Moreover she suspected an attachment be-
tween the two young people, and yet had
no grounds on which to frame a definite
accusation. There was no help for it, she
must get rid of Mss Spencer, and that
without delay. She was about to launch
upon the subject with her usual ruthless
abruptness, when sne was spared the
trouble by Helen announcing to her that
she was very sorry, but if she was not
causing Mrs. Fame any inconvenience she
would like to leave her soon-very soon
in fact, as early as possible.
Did Mrs. Fame desire anything better?
"You shall go on Monday, Miss Spen-
Ger, she said maiestically. cycling the girl
suspiciously, aud wondering why she was
falling in with her own plans in this ex-
traordinary manner. Was she doing so in
order to have more freedom to see Ed
ward? If sc she should find herself griev-
ously disappointed.
The evening wore away. Mr.. Fame came
up stairs, but neither his mother nor
Helen said one word to him of the latter's
departure; and when, on Monday morning,
he went out, he had not the slightest idea
but that he should find Miss Spencer in
Grosvenor place on his return some
time in the afternoon. II was late
ubap ba did coy,,a hoc oh aud he .vaIl<al