The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1901-06-14

"Good. I'll go To bed now, and you
can have the hearth and the tobacco to
yourself"
Good night" said l.
Yes, wanted TO be alone. But did
not smoke | sat and stared into the
fickerng flames In the CRATE. had
lost Gretchen. To hold n woman in
your arms, the woman you love, TO
kiss her lips aud then TO lose her Oh.
| knew that she loved me. but she was
n princess. and her word was given.
and IL could not 10, The wind sang
mournfully over the s.lls of the win
dow; thick snow whitened the panes
there was a humming in the chimneys.
She was jealous of Phyllis. That was
why | knew that she loved me. And
the subtle change in Phyllis demeanor
toward me; what did il signify? Gret-
chen was "a be married Thursday be-
cause there were no proofs that Phyllis
was her sister. What If Gretchen had
been Phyllis and Phyllis had been
Gretchen Heigho! | threw some
more coal on the fire. The candle sank
in the socket. There are some things
we men cannot understandable sea,
the heavens and woman. Suddenly
brought both hands down on my knees
The innkeeper, The innkeeper! He
! knew, In Il moment | was rummaging
through the stack of time tables. The
next south bound train left at 800.
looked at the clock; 2:20. My dress
suit began to fly around on various
/ ol,o -i, IL
! innkeeper knew. He had known it all
these years. | threw my white cravat
on TO the table and picked up the most
convenient tie. In ten minutes from
the time the idea came 10 me | was
completely dressed in travelling gar
ments. ! had day and a half 1t
would take 20 hours TO fetch the inn
keeper. | refused 10 entertain the
| possibility of not finding him at the
inn. | swore to heaven that the nup-
tials Of the Princess Hildegarde Of
| Hohenphalia and the Prince Ernst Of
! Wortumborg should not be celebrated
at noon Thursday. l went into the
! bedroom.
Pembroke
/
81 am going on journey"
zone of those cursed orders you get
every other day. he asked.
mo. It's one on my own account
! this time. | shall be back in "a hours
/ Goodby."
My brow was damp; my hands
| trembled like an excited wOman's.
! Should | win? | had n broken cigar in
my pocket. | lit the preserved end at
the top Of the feeble carriage lamp.
l had the compartment alone. Sleep!
! Not l. Who could sleep when the
car wheels and the rafting windows
kept saying: The innkeeper knows!
The innkeeper knows" Every stop
was n heartache. Ali, those eight hours
were eight separate centuries to me!
/ looked careworn and haggard enough
the next morning when | stepped on
the station platform. | wanted moth
ing TO eat, not even cup Of coffee 10
drink.
To find conveyance to the inn was
not an easy task. No one wanted TO
take the drive. Finally l secured a
horse. There was no haggling over
the price. And soon l was Looping
through the snowdrifts in the direction
of the old inn. The snow whirled and
eddied over the stubble fields, the
winds sang past my ears, the trees
creaked, and the river flowed on, black
and sluggish. 1t was a dreary scene.
1t was bitter cold. but | had no mind
for that. on, on / went. Two miles
were left in the rear. The horse was
beginning to breathe hard. Sometimes
the snow was up to his knees. What
if the old man was not there? The
blood sank upon my heart. Once the
horse struck a slippery place and near
ly fell. but ! caught him in time. l
could now see the inn. perhaps n mile
away, through the leaheSs trees 1t
looked dismal enough. The vines hung
dead about it, the hedges were wild
and scrawny, the roses / knew to be
no more, and the squirrel had left his
summer home for a warmer nest in
the forest. \ wave of JOY swept over
me as | saw a thin stream Of smoke
winding above the chimney. Some one
was there. on, on. Presently / flew
up the roadway. A man stood on the
porch. 1t was Stahlberg. When l
pushed down my collar, his jaw drop
ped. I flung the reins to him.
"Where is the innkeeper" I cried
with my first breath.
"In the hall, herr. But
l was past him and going through
the rooms. Yes. thank God, there he
was, sitting before the huge fireplace,
where the logs cracked and seethed,
his griZzled head sunk between his
shoulders. lost in some dream. / tramp
| ed in noisily. He started out of his
dream and looked around.
"Gott"' he cried. He wiped his eyes
and looked again. "Is it dream or is
it your
"Flesh and bloodr' l cried. "Flesh
and bloodw
l closed the door and bolted 1t. He
followed my movements with n mix
ture Of establishment and curiosity In
HIS eyes.
"Now," ! began, "what have you