The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-10-27

of my life, and now, by the Eternal, /
swear, and these stars overhead shall
bear me witness, l will ferret out the
labyrinth of past mysterious circum-
stances and explore the darkest depths
of fate"
"Judith, you are in a frenzy. You
know not what you say"
'Indeed / am not mad" / said. 'The
words of truth and sOberness are on my
tongue. feel and kllOaU that you are i'm
some unaccountable manner connected
with the great mystery that shrouds my
life, and will know the whole if the in
vestigation brings you to the gallows and
me to perditionr
The strong man quailed and hesitated.
Speak sir, speakr' l shouted. ''Tell
me how and why you are connected with
my fate, and how and why you came to
be my good and evil genius"
"You shall know all in time, my poor,
bruised lambkin. If I have been, as you
assert, your evil genius, have not so
intended. God and the angels bear me
witness that / have never meant, by
word or deed, to bring you ought but
happiness. And if there is any work
that | can accomplish by which you
may obtain that peace of mind to which
1 for many years have been a stranger,
personal humiliation shall be nothing
to me. 1 will do my duty though my
own roof tree fall and though the blight
shall crush me. Judith, God only knows
how unhappy / am! have carried a
secret sorrow all the days OF my man.
hood. am about to tell you that which
I have struggled all my life to keep from
the world. John Smith, the man whose
name you bear, and the man with whom
you saw me in the grove have had me
in their power many, many years.
Poor John has gone the way of all the
earth"
The Doctor stopped abruptly here and
began pacing up and down the graveled
walk.
''Oh, Doctor tell me all / implore
you to spare me not, for l feel and know
that something that you can, nay, must
reveal, most vitally concerns myself"
'Indeed it does, poor stricken child!
Indeed it does y and he kept on pacing
up and down the graveled walk.
''Dr. Armstrong! Will bear with you
no longer! Who is this man Gordon,
and why is it that he so deeply interests
me ~ asked, savagely.
Judith ~ and the tone was sad and
sepulchral, "Will you give me the word
Of an earnest, honest woman that you
will not betray my trust %
'The word Of woman is pledged to
you, my friend. But hark! Doesn't
somebody listen?"
A slight rustling in the bushes was
detected, but soon all was still, and we
were satisfied that we could not be
overheard.
''The man whom you know as DIR.
Gordon is my natural son! Nay, don't
run as though 1 were a demonl His
mother was a pure and noble woman
whom / loved with an intense devotion
which was only equaled by her implicit
, confidence in me. I was young, pas
! sionate, ignorant, undisciplined. Ny
father had failed in business; my
5 mother was proud, and was, of course
poor. The sins of my father were Wis
e tied heavily upon me, and my passiona
nature, of the inordinate cause Of whicl
d / was wholly ignorant, was not unde
r that control which is born of knowl
/ edge. My idol became the disgrace
and suffering mother of child c
). shame. would have married her an
5 defied the world, but, poor, true, trust
= ing creature, she was snatched from m
: by her parents, and after lingering for
r few years in an insane asylum, her spirl
o took its flight"
u 'DOes Mrs. Armstrong know of this?
d ''Of course she knew Of Susan and tn
child, but she has no idea that the chill
t is here"
d "How came you to marry Mrs. Arm
Is strong, if all this that you have told m
l. is true ~
10 How came you to marry poor Joh
ee Smith? You see, as society is, youn
~ people are controlled almost altogethC
m by circumstances. l was known. as
popular and rising young physician
m Mrs. Armstrong as an heiress; and OF
st well meaning but ignorant friends d
er the rest.n
fl 'WeI, am sure you have made Il
nd pest of the lot that has fallen to you,
y. far as matrimony is concerned. b
ur what of this boy? Where has he be,
all these years?"
ne 'Poor boy he has been an Ishma'
on ite. He is to-day an outlaw"
ut "'The mystery grows darker. b.
Doctor, must know it ALL"
if oNot tonight, poor, wounded dove
"why in the name of common sen
not tell me all to-nightT
N, Because curious ears may listen a
Nv idle tongues tell tales"
be "Wen, then, good night, and COZ
m- TO me alone tomorrow"
fic He disappeared in the shadows, and
all quaking with terror / could
ice understand, emerged into the linn
ich light of moon and stars, and knelt do
cry to pray.
lad Hope and peace came to soiace me
ing myl perturbation, and l arosel from ]
sort devotions refrasl,od and strong.