The true northerner., 1899-01-18


rIwho edged close TO her and
why the 'missus" had all at
- to the conclusion that he was
lie of managing her affairs, as
)ne since her father died 90
II ,. 1t was a great point of woe
~, 5too, that he was not allowed to
gc.clear to the city with Miss Marg'ret,
for she hadn't gone as far as the hill
farm or even to the cemetery in all
these years since Edward had moved to
the city, without the company of her
faithful servant. Still, she seemed bent
on taking things in her own hands and
Tom shifted about from one leg to the
other on the station platform, a degree
more uneasy than was the worthy trav
eler herself.
AS the train pulled out, with the
trembling Miss Marg'ret holding her
breath in the seat where the solicitous
porter. had deposited her beneath her
bundles, the poor lady's eyes caught
a last fleeting glimpse Of the old house
on the hill. up the slope from the sta
ton; there was an indistinct blur of
the messy old stone walls through the
lace-ille trees and the purple clouds of
lilac blooms and in the very foreground
rose a view Of poor Toms rough, red
face, drawn in a tangle of knots and
wrinkles which reminded Miss Marg'ret
of the day that her father, the old doc
tor. was carried out to the hillside
graveyard, to sleep among the friends
y AIM he had known since Towertown
had inst welcomed him GO years be-
fore. MisS Marg'ret craned her arch
ing throat SQr a glimpse Of the ceme-
tery-when it\all at once dawned upon
her that she hGca left that place miles
behind by this time, and that her train
was already speeding through scenes
she had not seen since her father had
taken her TO the city on that one mem
orable visit to the great outside world.
just after her mother had died. But
the most unreasonable thing that had
come over poor Miss Marg'ret's fond
old heart was the memory Of boy w< o
had. 90 years before, set out from this
same Towertown on just such spring
morning, over this sef-same road. lie,
too, was going TO the city. But he never
came back and perhaps that was why
there never was mich springtime in
Miss Marg'ret's heart after that, no
matter how bravely the trees budded
\and the lilacs waved their fragrant
plumes.
When she was finally tucked safely
in Edwards home, only three hours
later, with the big Edward smiling in
II H.
the seed cakes she had brought him,
Lollie's pretty white hands making the
most tempting tea, and, best of all
the rosy little namesake doubling her
fists right in the very face of her ador.
ing old auntie, poor Miss Margret won
dered why she had dreaded it all. But
that night, when Lollie had finally
tucked her gleefully in bed. almost as
early as the dwellers of the nursery
Miss Marg'ret could remember only
one thing distinctly Of all the doings OF
the wonderful day. And that one thing
was n mere name which had stood out
before her surprised eyes as they had
passed the mouth of the river on the
way home from the station. She had
not had time to do more than be Ger.
tain that she was not mistaken in the
long. black letters across the spotless
white OF the vessels hull, for the cat
was lodging in the most reckless way
among the wagons and other cabs
about the railway depot. Besides, Ed
ward was talking away in terrific
i fashion about the wife and babies wait
LHsg at home to welcome her. So she
= hadn't said n word about It TO anyone
but as she folded her thin white hands
in restful gratitude after so much wor
riment and confusion she could thinl
OF nothing but those long, black let
ters, spelling out her own name: "Tht
Margaret i. Bradshaw"
Lollie took Marg'ret TO sec the city'i
long drives next day; excursions Il
art galleries, long hours in the gor
geous shops and the wonderful Offices
left the visitor little time to think mucl
OF the strangely-named boat. Butsom,