The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1903-07-03

more attractive to me than Atkinson
with all his learning.
Laura" | said that evening after
dinner, when the men had gone into the
/ billiard room, do drive that man
away. He'll spoil everything"
"What can | do?' she said with
pout. "Your brother sticks close to his
beloved sister. It's all going wrong,
| Madge. Such things never turn out as
one would wish them. If you and Mr..
Atkinson had fancied one another II
might have been easier for your broth
er and me-"
! The two men were lodged In adjoin-
Ing rooms facing the ocean, and at 3
o'clock in the morning of the Fourth
Laura and were up in the story above
them letting down bombs before their
open windows. When they came down
! TO breakfast they We're awfully cross
and wondered how the boys in the
neighboring cottages could explode
their big crackers SO near them. where
upon Laura and | snickered and the
secret was out.
Trust a girl to get ahead of a fell
low" said Dick, laughing.
They're much brighter than we l
admit" said Atkinson, with one OF his
profound looks which made me feel
that he really considered himself vastly
our superior.
We lounged all the morning on the
piazza and all the afternoon on the
beach. l seized upon Atkinson for a
walk up TO the inlet TO get him away
from Laura; but he was So stupid-he
didn't seem to have any small talk
that l took him back before we had
gone half a mile. | could not help con-
trasting him with Dick, who was so
jolly and at the same time so kind,
considerate, deferential.
you're missing a great deal. Laura
said. "AIy brother is more than I
could have possibly expected"
Hes very nice, admit, Madge, but
you can easily see that
"Well. what" / asked, irritated.
Speak out"
Il prefer Mr.. Atkinson" she said
tartly.
From this moment / resolved to keep
Dick from paying her any attention
Whatever.
"Dick," l said. Laura IS infatuated
with your friend - keep away from
her-though what she sees in him to
fancy don't know"
Dick laughed and said that / was
jealous; that Laura was a very attrac-
tive girl, and, although l was lovely,
too-hel was too brotherly TO hurt my
feelings l must not feel that had
been cut out by an inferior person
That made me hopping mad, and l de-
termined to show him that pique or
jealousy had nothing 10 do with the
matter. From that time | bore myself
with perfect and unassumed indiffer-
ence to Atkinson just to show both
him and Laura that | was perfectly
satisfied with the attentions of my dear
brother. Often when Laura and At
kinson were spooning / would go up TO
Dick, put my arms around his neck
and give him several kisses. confess
Atkinson didn't seem 10 mind my be-
ing so demonstrative. Why should he
wien Nv " 10 ltliillls iltnlltIdltlg III 1--WE
with Laura? And any one could see that
she was beside herself with delight.
After the fireworks we had ice cream
and cake on the piazza and just before
we were going to bed Dick whispered
something to his friend, when Atkinson
arose and said:
There has been prank played upon
you young ladies which should not. be
carried further We two men occupied
the seat behind you on the car yester-
day and overheard your conversations
SIadge, | am your brother Dick, and
your supposed brother IS Tom Akin
SON"
l just walked upstairs and slammed
my bedroom door After awhile Laura
came up and, throwing herself on a
lounge, laughed till l thought she was
going to have commissions. s'
"What are you laughing. at, you
heartless thing?' | said angrily.
She only went off into another fit OF
Mysteries. and by this time the ludi.
crous side of ii all appealed to me and
L began to laugh too. However / didn't
go down, the next morning to break
fast or to lunch, but during the day
my real brother came up and pacifed
me, His profundity had all been
assumed, and he was now very nice
to me- admitting that he had not suf-
fciently considered the cost of his
joke. ... 5cct. ,D
I don't see that there IS any more to
tell. | wanted my brother" and | got
him. Laura wanted 1.-The other man"
and she got him. And yet it came out
just as had planned for Dick and
Laura.