The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-09-15
would tell the doctor 10 when he came

Ilc VII tht piiC",
tening to the nurses returning step,
with an invalid's peevish fretfulness
that she stayed so long away. There
was no sound in the house save the
faint clatter of dishes in the distant
kitchen. where preparations for sup
per were evidently going on. Outside
sounded the faint systole and diastole
OF some far-away engine and the reg
ular dull munshing of the stamp-mill
on its endless hard pabulum; while
every now and then, as though feeling
bound TO rouse the place from its
sleepy lethargy, tame magpie down
the street would vent its whole roper
toire of speech in series of shrill hall
loos, like n telephone girl gone mad.
Just so, Neil remembered, this mis-
cradle bird had been screaming when
he had looked his last upon Dorothy
Meredith, when she was coming out OF
the hotel door in her black gown, seem
ing like the ghost of the girl whose
wild-rosc loneliness had been clasped
to his heart but the day before. They
were taking her dead to Orodelphia to
be made ready for the long journey east,
and III company with her fathers at
torney. who had come to her at once
upon learning of the awful tragedy.
the girl was just entering the carriage
that was to follow the hearse down,
the Canyon road.
She had TO the last refused TO see
him. even though he had poured his
heart out in a letter that pleaded his
right to comfort her, begging for but
one kind word. She had merely ar
swered him in few curt lines which
had neither formal beginning nor sigma
ture: at may be my fault if you have
been mistaken, but l do not care for
you in the way your letter would imply,
and l owe it to him never TO see you
again. 1t is the only atonement | can
make
And she had meant il, every ruthless
word If there had been any question
as to that in Neil's mind, he must have
been undeceived when her eyes, all red
and swollen from weeping, were mad
Yertently raised to meet his glance, so
much of cold aversion her look eX-
pressed. If Ger a moment she had ever
really loved him. he felt, she could not
have turned against him so, could never
have looked at him like that, feeling
that she was looking upon him for the
last time. She had never cared for him.
He had been befooled, misied by his
own blind infatuation. But it was over
now. In the long days and nights of
lying here it seemed as though passion
had burned itself out with the fever :
flame, leaving him YEARLY Indifferent.
There was even n dull wonder in his
mind that he had ever cared so much,
that she could have had the power 10
| hurt him so; and yet. as he remembered
there was such an ache Of pity in his
heart for the old self that had been
given over to the folly Of such suffering,
such a pang # pain recalled, that weak
tears were yelling up from his eyes, to
be shamefacedly wiped away as he
| turned back toward the door. Surely
| Themistocles was wise when he begged
for the boon CT forgetfulness.
The nurse was just coming with the
broth she had gone to fetch. She was
an elderly widow with n heart in the
right place, rs the saying is, but with
a tongue too voluble for Neil's peace OF
mind. He fretted when she left him
! long alone, but he groaned in spirit
when she kept him company. She was
talking now the moment she set eyes on
him, never stopping for breath while
she put into his hands the bowl she hal
brought, fussily beating up the pillows
behind his back.
Did YOU think was goin' to be gone
all night?" she cheerily cackled.
'Come pretty near it, for fact; but
| Mis- Morrison n her man drove up jes
5 was comm out from the Kitchen
she wanted to git out, but Morrison says
no, sir, there was the miil;in' n chores
to home waltin', n if she once got up
here a-talllin' land knows when he'd ever
| Git her started again. Hes the bossi-
est man, considerin' thai he don't know
enough to chew gum n amt no ac-
count noways; but little mer generally
be that way, if you've noticed. They'v7
been down TO Orodelphy, n she stopped
TO bring you-now l think Of it, want
amin to tell you what she brought you
till I'd seen the doctor about it. But
that's jest like me-forey g:vin' things
away It's jest natche!ly q wonder
kin keep my vittles down, I've jest &C
eyerlastin'ly got my mouth open. Ny
husband used 10 say"
as il grapes?" demanded Neil, eager
! ly, looking over the rim of the bowl.
Land, no; nawthin' half 50 good, in
my opinion, though perhaps you, bein'
from the east, won't look at it that
way. It's oysters fresh from Denver;
that's what it is"
"Oystcrs fresh from Denver" And
Neil laughed. no less for the incongru.
ity of the statement than for delight in
the promised treat. And when can
have some?"
We'll, you mustn't, you know, till the
doctor says so" the good woman urged
deprecatiHgly. Goodness knows if
you was to go eatin' the half that folks
send in TO you, you'd be a dead man
everybody is so anxious to do for you
And oysters-well. don't care if there
is an in the month-they don't look e
me none too wholesome no time. Oi
course Mis- Morrison meant TO be kind