The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1897-04-28


she could gladly have pinched, or
tweaked, or even banged, in her wrath
at that moment. The hard.earned, long
expected five dollars had been sent to
town and expended before this sisterly
conference took place, or beyond doubt
Miss Katesie would have hurled it back
at the donor when he came so springily
up the walk that crisp December even
ing.
Two days later brought long letter
from Floyd, written from the barracks
at New Orleans. He was not confined
in the guardhouse, as he had feared and
expected to be. The prisoners await
ing sentence were there, but those yet
10 be tried were kept in an old store
house that was not uncomfortable, and
on the evening of his arrival an officer,
Lieut.. Waring of the artillery, took him
into a separate room, treated me like
perfect gentleman" wrote poor Floyd,
leaving his readers to divine whether
this lavish descriptive were to apply to
the lieutenant or himself, listened to
Floyde's story from beginning to end,
and told him to keep up his spirits.
'Lieut. Lambert had written urging
him to do all he could to help me, and
had asked old Gen. Ducannon to restore
me to duty without trial, in view of the
way had been tricked. If he does,
and will send me out against those in
fernal Indians in Texas, by heaven I'll
show them I can fight as hard for the
flag to-day as did against it three and
four years ago. All ask is officers ard
gentlemen like him-oryoung Lambert
to serve under, and I'll earn my par
DON"
They had been utterly blue and hope
less on Floyd's account since his trans
fer to New Orleans, and this letter was
a revelation. Esther took it up to her
mothers room and strove TO make her
understand its purport, "Katesie" sit
ting silently, and, at first, scornfully
by. Mrs. Walton's faculties seemed too
dazcd to follow, and Esther had to re-
iterate and explain. Then the doctor
came, and the hale old gentleman's
eyes filled as he read. THAT young fell
low is trump" said he, referring to
Lambert; and he, too, bent over the
gentle invalid and whispered hope and
courage. Later, when Kate was wanted,
it was found she had quilted the room.
Esther discovered her after consider
able search, shivering in a room up
stairs. She wouldn't talk, but that
evening came to tea.
For several days Miss Kate contrived
TO hold aloof from the general CONVEX
sation, but it was hard fight against
every natural impulse. Before the end
of the week her resolution had failed
her utterly, and time and again her
ready tongue had challenged Lambert
to debate; and now, to her chagrin, it
was he who declined. When formally
presented to ''My sister, Miss Walton"
by Mrs. Scroggs, the young gentleman
had bowed very low and had striven to
be civil. AS they sat facing each other,
and only the width of the table apart,
her downcast eyes and determined ST.
lence proved embarrassing, even though
long, curving, sweeping lashes and
flushed cheeks appeared, perhaps, to
dangerous advantage. saw pshaw!"
said Cousin Bart that evening, as he
and Lambert were smoking the pipe Of
peace and the young fellow ventured a
fear that he had offended the damsel in
the butter business, lust you pay no
attention to that child for day or
two, an see how quick she'll come
round. She just wants to be huffy.
She'll be hawbly cut up when she finds
you don't notice her" Potts had not a
little worldly wisdom when he wasn't
drinking, and since his installation as
eX-of1icio head of the house he hadn't
touched a drop. Lambert was begin
ming to like him very much, but
couldn't induce him to come over to
camp. 81 can't stand that captain of
yours" was his sole explanation.
From frigid silence on Katesie's part
to brief and caustic comments on the
remarks of her sister and cousin the
transition was easy; but now that Lam
bert addressed no remarks whatever to
her, yet chatted smilingly with the
others, the girls position became eX-
asperating. She was willing enough, at
the start, to keep at wide distance, but
that anybody should presume to hold
her there was a very different matter;
in fact, simply intolerable. Esther
noted in silent amusement how the girl
began to display unaccustomed So
licitude as TO the fit of her gown, the
effect of such poor little efforts at or
namentation as her simple store of lace
or ribbon afforded. Such quaint, old
fashioned bows and flounces as came
forth, such queer combinations of shade
and color! Esther caught her more
than once glancing up shyly from under
the long lashes and looking furtively at
her vis-a-vis, for Lambert, with malice
prepense and aforethought, began tell
ing Mrs. Scroggs of the bellies and
beauties of last summer at the Point,
and one evening when the verbal block
ade had lasted perhaps three days he
turned to Esther as they were rising
from the table-and if itwasn't taking a
mean advantage of defenseless foe,
what would be?
II brought over these two to show
you, Mrs. Scroggs," said he, producing
some carte-de-visite photographs from
an envelope. This is Miss Fordham,
who was considered the prettiest girl
at Cozzens' this wear though that fish