The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-04-22

| those busting, wlde-awake, welcoming
sort Of places, where, on arriving, one
tarries, and tarrying, loves to stay. OF
large manufacturing interests, it has
grown quickly prosperous, and its peo-
pie, proud and happy thereat, let the
overflow of their pride and happiness
fall upon the stranger within their
gates, who thus happily wooed, quick
ly becomes, and forever remains, its
friend.
In a large handsomely furnished par
lor, bright with rich furniture and
tasteful hangings, the glow of the fire.
light coloring the whole as a painting,
a tall, strapping fellow with fair, sunny
countenance is reclining in careless
grace on q low divan on one side of the
cheerful fire; dark, handsome lady,
not long past middle age-a proud,
well-bred, well-kept-looking lady-is
seated by small table on the other.
So like, yet so unlike, this mother and
son!
Some unpleasant subject is evident
~ under discussion. A shade of dis
turbance over the features OF the moth
er, the nervous folding and unfolding
of the shapely hands in her lap. the
tapping of the foot on the soft rug,
and the too quick rise and fall of the
flowers which the young fellow has
just kissed into place on her bosom,
show the presence of an emotion not
happy.
You cannot fail to note, mother,
that Mabel and l were never cut out
Tor each other. She bores me terribly,
and nothing can say or do seems to
give her any pleasure. l honestly be-
lieve myself the girl is devoid of the
sense of pleasure. VOW i newer"
SILENCE, my son! Remember you
speak of your promised wife. Your
engagement alone should curb even
such thoughts as these!"
He has risen, and is standing respect
fully by her side.
"You must not be angry with me,
mother-indeed, you will not-when /
tell you that Mabel and have already
broken our engagement, and she, to-
night, is free as / am from bonds we
should never have worn. Hugh
Cameron will please her every bit as
we'll as /, and he, assure you, is quite
charmed with her-indeed, for this /
introduced them. l have arranged to
relieve us all of embarrassment, he
continued, his voice deepening with the
manful earnestness of his resolution,
"by accepting a very fine position with
San Francisco house, for whom L
shall travel till L show myself worthy
of something better. Within ten days
l hope to start for there"
Surprise, anger, modification, grief,
quickly chase one another over the pale
face of the lady. Whatever feelings he
may have of the truth of her sons ar
gument, or admiration for his startling
! independence of character, is wholly
concealed by the naughty dignity of
her manner and the icy tone Of the re-
proaches that fall upon his ear, as, for
the first time in her life, she withdraws
! from the touch of her idoliZed son.
There is no other course left TO me,
mother" he said. Il trust you will see
later that il is the wisest. 1t is what
you yourself would have me do.
! Mother, YOU know me and you know
her. Can you blame me?"
He gently strokes the shining black
/ braids with the soft, magnetic touch
which has conquered every woman who
ever felt it-SdUe One-and drawing
her face toward him raises it and kisses
her on the lips. Dear mother, let
your blessing go with me as leave
you"
Her heart is melted. and like every
! other woman-SdUe O1le-regardless
alike of pride, ambition, consequences,
present or future. she turns her eyes to
! his, and with all the mother in the cry,
20. my darling son!' she throws her
arms around him and sobs out her grief
on his breast.
1t is chilly, for San Francisco, and in
an elegant room of one of the best
hotels a splendid young fellow is smok
ing in front of huge fire, one arm
thrown over his head, the other steer
/ ing the fine havana back and forth
through its accustomed path. He is
less boyish-looking, a shade heavier,
perhaps, but with the same bonnie
deDonnair grace of person and manner
as when, over year ago, he started
out for the San Francisco house.
He has since travelled over most of
the Western country, giving the very
best of his splendid talents to the sue
cess OF his business concerns, till the
| firm, not slow to discover the enter
prise and ability of the young drum
mer from Illinois," called him off the
road into the house, where he speedily
rose, till now he is the junior partner of
one of the richest mercantile houses in
the country.
But, all through his travels and sue
| cesses, there ever lived with him the
sad memory of shabby little room with
its scanty furnishing, and the sad,
stricken figure on the poor little hard
lounge, with all her great wealth of
beauty and love for him; for with I'll
his varied experience with women of
all kinds, classes, and degrees, never
does he nd such wealth of love, such
passionate worship, such unselfsh
! devote as that which fell at his
feet with Its piteous appeal of word
and look that bitter night over year
ago; and as the memory of it grows
and brightens, so enormous does the
selfish cruelty of his conduct become
in his eyes, that many time he wishes
to be somebody else, that he may
soundly horsewhip himself for shame
- /