The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-08-30

that | am beside myself? Do you won
der that | fear to speak lest l will
Shrek aloud with a rage that is as i'm
potent ms a particle of dust In a whirl-
wind? Tell me, Erna, who besides your
self is aware of this secret that we
shareY'
Nobody, Lisle," gasped. Erna.
docs not your father known
Nobody knows but me-" She told
the falsehood tremblingly, but with de-
cision, for she already stood in more
awe of this strange woman than she
feared the consequences of a harmless
lie.
IL am glad of that" commented
Lisle, and Erna breathed n sigh of re-
lief for the lie that she had told and in
recollection Of the fact that she had al
ready warned her father that he was
not TO appear TO know the truth until
Informed that he could do so. She had
attended to that when she ran TO him
just before Isle went out with her TO
the grove Of pines. Il am very glad Of
it. | will tell him the truth myself aft
er a little, when | have become calm
err
"Calmer? You are calm now, Isle,
frightfully calm exclaimed Erna.
True; / am frightfully calm. That
exactly expresses it. 1t is the calm
ness of despair, Of rage, Of rebellion, of
/ n torrent Of water, nightly deep,
which runs smoothly upon the surface,
but which is carrying the universe
! along with it in its silent depths. That
! is the calmness that l feel Do you
think that your father will consent TO
remain here with me for a few days"
He shall do so whether he consents
or not. I'll make him do it, Then,
noticing the expression Of wonder that
came into Isles eyes, she added: "Of
course be Will consent. He never re-
I fuses me anything, and in this case l
think lie will propose it anyway"
Il will be very grateful. Tomorrow
or the day after | must tell him what l
am. l must beseech him 10 advise me,
and
II know what you must do. You
must leave this ranch and all that con-
Germs it IN the care Of your men and
return TO Kansas City with me. There
in my home
Isle raised one hand in protest.
ut is kind" she said, but it cannot
be SO at present. have much TO learn
+ before | will consent TO face the world.
You forget the long years Of training
that must be overcome before | can
hope to acquire the rudiments of the
60 1,ot Nv 7
know much that you have not told me.
The life that l must begin is entirely
different from the life that / leave be-
hind me when | assume the garb that
you wear and appear before the world
for what ! really ana woman. God,
how | hate il! What would happen If
l should go with you now? l would
discover insults in compliments; l
would mistake deliberate offenses for
favors. Ever since l was old enough
10 hold pistol in my hand l have been
taught TO resent affrOnts with bullets.
Would you have me murder your best
friends? No; my place is here until
can go elsewhere with the freedom
that knowledge alone can impart.
am neither one thing nor the other
now. / am neither man nor woman. /
am a monstrosity-a freak-a thingl
Here you respect me; there you would
despise me. Here l am master; there
i would be-nothing! Here, for awhile
at least, l can still be a man; there
faugh! Let us go to your father. Then,
when l have talked with him, l will
ride out to meet Craig Thompson"
Mr.. Thomas walked out upon the
veranda with Lisle at her request.
Everything has been attended to, or
is being done, Lisle," he said, adopting
the given name in preference to using
a pronoun which he did not know how
to select Your men-that Is, those
who have not been sent out on errands-
have proved themselves extremely eff
fcient in every way, and in an hour
Il thank you, sir. l do not care for
the details. 1t is very kind Of you to
oversee everything. Perhaps later l
will know better how to express my
appreciation. Just now
mot a word! Not a word, Lisle.
Why, feel already as If l had known
you always. I'll go ahead just as
though had, and now, if you will take
my advice, you will get on your horse
and 90 for good ride. 1t will do you
good-lots of it! Take the word Of
Thomas o. Thomas for that"
nav IL