The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-01-16

returned -? The recollection of the man,
angry threats ne had uttered occurred t.
her now with fearful distinctness-
threats to shoot, to burn! Familia
from childhood with stories of rud,
and desperate acts, there was nothing
improbable TO her in the thought o
such summary vengeance on foe. Bui
fear of the consequences was what ter
rified her-the realization of the punish.
ment that would be almost certain tC
follow on this insane course of hel
fathers, If indeed it were his act, anC
not an accident.
She could not stay there and look al
the fire. Whether an accident or the
act of an incendiary, something must
be done, and that Immediately. To re.
main quietly looking on was to become
accessory. Leaving Katie sleeping
soundly, she hurriedly descended,
snatched up covering for her head, and
closing the door behind her, took heI
saddle off its peg in the passage, and
running with it to the nearest horse she
could see, threw it upon his back, fast
ening the girth with incredible quick
ness. In another moment she was gal
loping-not towards the fire-she knew
her father would not be there, while all
the vacqueros would-but in the oppo-
site direction, to find him upon the
road, or not finding him, to ride all the
way to Spedden's. Nothing less than
this would satisfy her in the face of her
horrible suspicion. If her father had
not done it, to carry the intelligence to
the owners; or if he had done it, to
shelter him from injury.
Ten minutes-fifteen minutes, she kept
her horse at a sharp gallop. At the end
Of that time she deserted some one adj
vancing from the opposite direction at
an equal rate of speed, and hoping it
was really her father just coming home,
slackened speed to speak to him. Rut a
nearer view discovered TO her, not Mr.
Miles, but Mr.. ShuItz.
''Aliss Judith" he exclaimed. 'Ts il
possiblel Were you coming for help &?
and is your father at the fire ?r
"Yes, 1 was coming to let you know"
answered Judith, breathlessly.
81 did happe0 to be mounted when
saw the fire; so fine was the night could
not sleep. Word has been sent the
men-they will be along directly. I
shall now see you safe home" uttered
Mr.. Shultz, rapidly.
Judith turned her horse i'm silence.
and the two rode briskly side by side
without exchanging a dozen words in
the fifteen minutes.
Arrived at home, her cavalier did not
pause to see her alight, but with hasty
goodnight, kept on in the direction Of
the fire.
Exhausted with agitation and now
more convinced than before that her faith
erhad something to do with the disaster,
Judith was glad to escape to the seclu-
sion of her chamber to gain time for re-
Election. 4 few moments later she
heard him come in, closing the door
softly as if fearing to waken her-the
act that might have seemed considerate
at another time, only confirming her
terror now. Brief and troubled was
the slumber which visited the girls
pillow that night; and her father being
early astir next morning, there was no
'beauty-sleep'' to restore the faded roses
OF her cheeks. The mans restlessness
would not permit him to exc out the
evenings loss by the mornings indul-
gence; the demon that possessed him
was an enemy to repose.
Judith went about her duties without
attempting to appear cheerful. She
had arrived at that point in endurance
where its virtue ceases. Pale, feverish,
feeling sick in body and brain, she had
no heart for pleasant assembling.
Miles gave his daughter a furtively
observing glance, which told him that
this Judith was not the Judith of the
evening before, shrinking and obedient,
seldom going beyond childish pout in
her resistance to authority. The demon
that possessed him urged him to dis
cover the reason of the change; urged
him every moment that he was gorging
himself with his breakfast, swallowed
without thought of mastication or rel
ish. At last it burst its bonds in the In
quiry:
"D'ye see the fire'last night, Jude ?"
"Yes," without lifting her eyes from
her plate.
'Pll low you was up purity late ?"
'I was"
"Yer mighty short with yer an'sers,"
retOrted Miles angrily. aye mOut a.
heerd me come in?"
"Yes, heard you, Pap" returned Ju-
dith, raising her eyes, and facing him
with steady gaze, that caused his eye
to blaze defiance.
"Mebbe ye war a-spyin' on yer Pap |
he remarked. "a purity gal We ar, amt
ye? I'll low yer thinkin' / burnt them
wheat fields"
"Didn't you 10 it, Pap? Oh, tell me
that you didn't do itp' cried Judith. ca
gerly, almost hoping from his scornlul
tone that he was innocent.
'rll never tell nothin' ter such a dar-
teri An, mind ye, keep a close mouth.
don't recken ye'd best blab, Jude.
'Taint gals place ter blab. Yew hold
yer tongue 'beout me-"
There was admission of the crime and