The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-04-12
know. Woe to you. you meddlerw

man you seek"
And | had forgotten his very ex-
istence! What did he know? What
had he seen?
you may inform Count Won Wal
den" continued Dan, that | shall
await his advent with the greatest OF
impatience Now let me add that you
are treating this gentleman with much
injustice. I'll stake my life on his
courage. The Princess Hildegarde is
alone responsible for what has just
happened"
"The Princess Hildegardew l cried.
Hillars went on "Why she did this
is none Of your business or mine.
Why she substituted herself concerns
her and this gentleman only. Now go,
and be hanged to you and your prince
and your count and your whole stupid
country. Come. Jack!'
The fellow looked first at me- then
at Dan.
81 apologize" he said to Dan. "for
mistaking this man for you" He click
ed his heels, swung around and march
ed off.
Come" said Dan.
| dumbly followed him up to my
room. He struck match and lit the
candle
Got any tCbaccoY he asked, taking
out black pipe. Il have not had a
good smoke in a week. | want to smoke
awhile before talk"
| now knew that he had been a wit
ness to all or at least to the larger part
Of it.
There is some tobacco on the table,"
/ said humbly. felt that had wrong
&c him i'm some manner. though unin-
tentionally. The Princess Hildegardew
| murmured.
The very person." said Hillars. He
lit his pipe and sat on the edge Of the
bed. He pulled and puffed, and
thought he never would begin. Pres
emily he said, And you never suspect
ed who she wasp
ION my word Of honor, | did not,
Dan," said |, staring at the faded de-
signs in the carpet. The golden gal
leon had gone down, and naught but
few bubbles told where she had once
so proudly ridden the waters Of the
sea. The Princess Hildegarde! The
dream was gone. Castles, castlesl
Il am glad you did not know" said
Dan, because | have always believed
in your friendship Yet IL is something
we cannot help. this loving a woman.
Why, a man will lay down his life for
4. fnin ltrf ho p,l IA fI.,
woman he loves. 1t is life. You love
her. Of course"
Yes" | took out my own pipe now.
"But what's the use? She is a prin-
cess. Why, | thought her at first a
barmaid-a barmaid! Then l thought
her TO be in some way Il lawbreaker, a
socialist conspirator. 1t would be droll
if it were not sad. The Princess Hide
garde!" | laughed dismally. Dan,
old man, let's dig out at once and close
the page. Wen talk it over when we
are older"
NO; we Will face it out. She loves
you. Why not? So do l." He got of
the bed and came over to me and rest
ed his hands on my shoulders. Jack
my son, next to her | love you better
than anything in the world. We have
worked together, starved together
smoked and laughed together. There
is bond between us that no human
force can separate The princess, il
she cannot marry you, shall not marry
the prince. | have vague idea that
it is written. The moving finger
writes and, having writ, moves on.
We cannot cancel line Of it,
Dan. you will do nothing rash OF
reckless?"
"Sit down, my son. sit down. Pre-
meditation is neither rashness MOI
recklessness. Jack, life has begun will
you. With me it has come to an end
When there is nothing more to live for
it is time to die. But how That Is
the question. \ war would be god
send. But these so called war lords
are a lazy lot or cowardly or both. HaC
l n regiment, what a death! Jack, dc
you not know what it is TO fight the
invisible death" Imagine yourself OF
the line, with the enemy laundering
y
light and lead singing about your ears
1t is the only place in the world t.
die-on n battlefield. Fear passes away
as n cloud from the face of the sun
The enemy is bringing you glory-ol
death. Yes, / would give a good dea
/ for a regiment and a bad moment fol
| our side. But the regiment non est
Still there is left
Dan. what are you talking aboutY
! | cried.
Death-grim. gaunt and gray death
whose footstep is as noiseless as the
| fall of snow; death, the silent one, ri
the Indian calls him."
He knocked the ash from his pipe
and stuffed the brier into his pocket.
Jack, | am weary Of it all. If
cannot die artistically, l wish to die 6
sudden and awful death. What! Do
/ ] look like a man to die in bed, in the
inebriates' ward? For surely l shall
land there soon! | am going to pieces
like a sand house in a windstorm.
! suppose I'm talking nonsense After