The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1908-04-17
T ! II EIR P0EEi ]
OF view

~ @ANNiiAHOb AA@ANHtiJ NN'' 10 A-ff II
Cpset. The news had just boon brok-
to them by Derrick Atchison him
II that he was going to be mar
ed.
What stunned them most was his
way Of telling them this quite natur-
ally, as If it was nothing unusual Il
vas just as if he had been in the habit
f announcing every day of his life
hat he had matrimonial Intentions.
Tho idea of his thinking of getting
married." almost wept Mrs. Atchison
tat evening to her husband. why
didn't you tell him he was foolish In
stead of just sitting there! Derrick :
a mere boy yet-he's so awfully
young!"
Hes 2S." commented Derrick
father, grufIly, biting his cigar and
frowning.
ut seems just the other day that he
vas playing marbles and wearing out
is stockings at the knees" said Mrs.
Deruck, tearfully. 81 just came TO be-
lieve &c! 1t seems too ridiculous, Why
can you imagine Derrick-that ire
p0rsible boy-at the head of house
hold?"
Flat" corrected Atchison, with the
suspicion of a grin. mo, | can't say
that | have a picture of Derrick pick
ing out good steak on his way to the
train to be sent up or frequenting in
telligence Offices. ] don't believe he'd
know a steak I'm it's natural state from
=, sofa cushion or have courage to face
4 cook in search of a job 1t seems
dlny TO hay~ a hoy you've taken
across your knee and spanked talk
bout getting married"
Il Cont suppose we can stop him,
either said his mother, gloomily.
He's awfully set In his ways. And to
think that he's going to marry girl
I've never laid eyes on but once! 1t
seems so unnatural, somehow! He
might have considered me a little! He
GaCws it takes me so long to get ac-
Quainted with strangers. I'm sure
there were lots of nice girls around
home here. ! expect she led him on.
She had on a brown dress the day |
SOW her and | never did like brown.
he's not at al his style Of girl
Grace Little" said Derrick's faith
or, meditatively. Il never heard of her
.athcr. | don't believe he can amount
10 much in his line
NO doubt she just worked Derrick
Ito proposing" said Mrs. Atchison.
.s,r;-t &c
rObsbly one of the scheming kind
nd thought she'd never again have
such a chance. A boy as handsome as
crrick and with as good a sal5.ry
md everythiug-he has always gone
in such good society-oh, it's a scheme
clear through! He says she is only %,
bat I've no doubt she's years older.
suppose she is wild with joy at hav-
ing landed him. And her mother--oh,
I can imagine how complacent her
mother must be these days at having
got her daughter settled at last! How
10y herself! Horrid, designing, ordi-
lary people!"
But we don't know them" ventur9d
\tchison, with lame attempt at JUS
tice.
Il don't want to-" flashed Mrs. At
Gibson. Il suppose that's where Der
rick is gone now since dinner. All
these years in his own home and now
he deserts us for Grace Titles moth
er's house! They've simply hypnot-
ized him. My boy never would treat
his parents so if he were not bewitch-
ed"
Still it's the natural thing to get
married." said Atchison. It's done
every day"
"He said that ] must go and call on
the Littles," said Derrick's mother.
I'D rather be killed! | simply can't
stand having to listen to that woman
sush over Derrick and congratulate
herself that she's to have him for a
son-in-law! She'll be so full Of her
triumph that She'll talk nothing else.
I'll have to smile and pretend that
like It! It's big feather in any girls
cap to marry Derrick"
He's a fine chap admitted his
father" even If he is my own SOM"
Several days later Derrick's mother
went in state, haughtilv tolerant to call
on Grace Little and her mother, who
by arts and wiles had lured her only
son into their net and now sat trium-
plant over the sacrifice. She began
telling her husband about the call be-
fore he got inside his own door that
evening
81 never was so indignant in all my
life!" Mrs. Atchison said, excitedly.
do you know what that woman did?
She had the nerve actually TO weep
to shed tears--over the sacrifice of
her daughter! She didn't seem to ap-
preciate what she was getting at all!
She said Grace was so young and she
hadn't wanted her 10 marry for years
yet, but that Derrick was SO impetuous
and persistent-her very words! She
did admit that he was a nice young
man, but she did il in grudging way
She didn't talk about thing but her
daughter. You'd have thought that was
all that mattered! She almost congrat-
ulated me on getting such a daughter