The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-08

]
conviction that all the talk about mems
preference for the orthodox ''elinging
viner is the merest soft sawder, and,
| from its being so often believed in by
what they term the susceptible sex,
may be traced the prime cause OF SO
many incompetent wives and mothers.
As men sow, so shall they reap.
A year rolled itself away into the
wierd scroll of past Infinitude, and El-
len Dowd awoke one morning to find
that her combined hotel and school was
situated right over the richest mine in
the vicinity. A mining company Of
fered her a fabulous sum for her possess
ions, and Ellen, accepting, prepared for
immediate removal to the sounding
shores hard by the Golden Gate.
Another year rolled on to nestle it.
self away within the scroll containing
those that had gone before it, and in
one Of the most elegant houses in San
Francisco, surrounded by her children,
who arose to call her blessed, you could
scarcely recognize, in the queenly car
riage and beaming, chastened smile of
the still young widow, the once thinly
clad, overworked, despairing Ellen
Dowd. Her wondrous taste for the
beautiful, heightened by long starva-
tion, found its vent in statuary, paint
ings, flowers, fountains and shrubbery;
and her marked literary abilities were
gratified with the choicest authors.
Still, Ellen DOwd was not happy.
Her older children were away at school,
and the younger ones were so well grown
up that they no longer needed her con-
slant care.
Often, after having busted herself with
books and work and music until hands
and brain were too weary for further ef-
fort, would Ellen wander silently
through the grand apartments of her
luxurious home, and with bowed head
and aching heart commune with her
own loneliness.
40, why am not happy ?" was her
constant query; and ever, as the days
rolled on, wierd echo answered only,
'Why?"
Charitable institutions, church festi-
walls and temperance societies served to
give vent to much of her surplus en-
ergy; but often there were days together
when through the grand halls would
echo to her silent tread the one sad
word, "alone."
One day, after having INDUCED for
hours in fit of abstract reverie, as she
sat gazing out over the flashing billows
of the shipping-erowded bay, her atten-
tion was directed to a carriage that
came bowling up the drive in her COM
modious grounds. Although carriages
were arriving daily, her heart involun-
tarily gave a great thump and then
stood still, as she watched this one with
an undefnable apprehension or expee-
tation of she knew not what.
Presently veiled figure alighted, and
with wave of the hand, bidding the
: carriage be gone, came painfully up the
steps. Ellen did not wait for servants
to answer the bell Meeting the mys
terious stranger at the door, she invol
UNFAIRLY invited her to an inner apart
ment.
'Ellen darcy, do you know me?'
The speaker threw of her disguise a
she spoke and stood before her forme
pupil.
'My old governess! Am waking o
dreaming? What does this mean p
! Ellen asked in establishment.
, at means, my poor wronged child
that 1 have fulfilled my vow. Ha ha
ha! Pm out of old Killingsworth'
clutches at last"
Throwing herself upon lounge, tn
former governess, now old, rheumati
l and half deranged, continued long in al
uncomfortable fit Of laughter.
Several days passed, and Ellen cOulc
] get no sensible elucidation of the mys
terry that shrouded the woman, whom
she had always suspicioned Of having
been in league, in some way, with the oil
man who had cOnspired to use her hanC
y in marriage for the purpose Of obtaining
P the Darcy estate. She had no time T.
think of being lonely now. How {,
bring back the fading reason Of the oil,
81 governess that she had loved was to he
n the most important matter in the land
Z Physicians of noted skill were sum
ii moned and introduced as acquaintance
te of the family, with instructions {
m watch the patient furtively and pre-
s. scribe for her, without awakening he
c. suspicion that their visits were profes.
sional. An opiate was decided upor
e, but how to administer it without excl
.h ing the patients anxiety or curiosit
i was the perplexing question. She Ina
Id not slept since entering the house, an
N whenever Ellen tried to converse wit
re her, the old fit of laughter would return
f. accompanied by constant exulting e,
er CARNATIONS of delight at being tout
D. old KIllingsworth's clutches"
Dr. Ellen was convinced that some daT
D. mystery was connected with the untol
st story of the woman, and greatly feart
that her prolonged wakefulness woul
re end in total insanity. The day W;
r. warm, and preparing iced lemonade,
re which she added the opiate, she pr
e. vailed upon her to drink. In an hot
re the patient sank into deep sleep, frol
~ which, after many hours, she awok
ds weak, exhausted, but rational.
81 Ellen was careful to leave her aloI