The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-10-11

leaves yet chung. offered protection.
There they stood In silence for several
minutes, she busily brushing raindrops
from her hat. which she had taken of,
and he watching her modify.
The silence became oppressive, and
she glanced at him curously and ap-
prehensively from under her lashes.
He caught the glance and, moving to-
ward her. said:
"WellT
ooh, don'tw she exclaimed. starting
away, her eyes still fixed upon a ribbon
with which she was working.
"Why. Notwithstanding Moore
"Oh, you mustn't!'
He walked TO the edge of the circle
protected by the leaves and looked out
over the clay wall Of the fort, down
which tiny rivers ran. She, having
dried her hat, placed 1t again on her
head and began brushing her skirt
where, here and there, rain had spotted
It, She glanced several times at his
back, stubbornly turned toward her.
He evinced no intention of moving nor
of speaking again, and she became
nervous. The situation was unbeara-
BILE, and she exclaimed:
'We must get back to the othersr'
1--WE can't very well go through this
rain" he said, without turning round.
Another prolonged silence, broken
only by the mOnOtOnOus fall of the
rain. Finally, when she had almost
made up her mind to gather up her
skirts and run TO the hotel, a quarter
of a mile away, he turned and came
quickly toward her.
He put out his hand as though to
take hers, but she quickly put her
hands behind her and stepped back.
He folded his arms and stood before
her, looking earnestly into the eyes
that she raised to his almost appeal
| ingly.
Katherine" he said, 81 love you.
VIII you be my wife,"
A beautiful color stole slowly from
the ribbon at her throat up. up, until
it tinted the edges of her small. per-
fectly formed ears. His gaze held hers
| for moment, then her eyelids fell and
their long lashes swept her cheeks.
"Mr. Pearce," she said slowly and
hesitatingly. Il am so sorry, but II
can't"
Because you do not love me?'
She looked up quickly into his face
then down again, but she did not reply
katherine, tell me-" he said. why
is ii that YOU cannot marry me?"
"Because"-she was very busy dis
| lodging half buried stone with the toe
of her shoe-"because you are a Yam
| kee"
Another swift glance met his steady
| look. Then she moved a little farther
away and stood half turned from him.
His first impulse was to laugh. But
| that passed almost as it came. The
gray brass buttoned riding habit. the
! flushed cheeks and bright eyes with
which she had listened TO Dixie"
| flashed across his mental vision. The
Yankee" might be an obstacle not to
be laughed away.
"But | am not a Yankee" he said
with emphasis. II am from Illinois,"
1t seemed long time TO both that
! they stood in silence. Again she was
! the first TO speak.
This is an awful rain" she said.
YES, very wet RAIN" he replied.
"Oh, you are going TO jest about it,
But | am not testing" he answered.
walking rapidly to where she stood.
What | mean is that you will get wet.
The water is beginning to drip from
the leaves. Here" stripping off his
coat, "let me put this around YOU"
ooh, no" she said. stepping back.
"But you must. The air is chill, and
If you get wet you will catch cold"
But yOu-you''-
'It won't hurt me bit. Come"
He assumed a commanding tone, and
that or something else accomplished his
end, for she made no effort 10 free her
self when he placed the coat about her
shoulders. 1t took long time to get it
! fixed just right, and his arm was still
around her when he looked into her
face and saw that she was looking up
into his. Something in her eyes prompt
ed him to draw her close to him and to
say very tenderly:
but l love a southern girl. Don't you
think that she can love northern man
! just a little-if he is not a YankeeY
She studied the arrangement of his
necktie closely, and then transferred
her scrutiny to his watch chain. But
evidently she was not thinking of
either, for when she spoke she asked:
illinois people aren't Yankees"
Certainly notp' he replied, with con-
viction. "They are a long way from
Yankeedom-more than 1000 miles"
She examined the necktie again, look
ed into his eyes for a moment, then
over his shoulder, off into the rain.
Katherine" he said softly, do you
love meY'
She turned her head slowly until
their eyes met A wave of color rushed
into her cheeks, and she murmured
family. Eyes"
"And you will be my wifeY
With perhaps a sudden thought Of
her surroundings and of stormy day
40 years before, she replied, Il sur
I L..