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

o'clock an laid down. l got up 'beout
tn hours afterwards an went eout fer
see the fire. Mind yew say that, fur I
seen Shultz 'beout that time.r
"You mean shall swear falsely ~
asked Judith, her black, blazing ewes
making her pale face look marble
white.
"Who tole ye it was false ?n returned
Miles, enraged. 'D'ye low Pm ally
in never damned We huff afore We
was growed to larn We Manners
The loud tones of her fathers voice
awakened Katie, who now called out
from the head of the stair, ''You Pap!
you quit assassin Jude;" the interven-
tion proving most timely, for Miles seized
his hat and strobe out of the house just
in time not to witness n burst of pas
sionate weeping.
As Miles did not return until evening,
Judith had the whole long summer day
to arrange her thoughts in. She GER
tainly expected that her fathers guilt
would be found out, and her mind was
busy estimating the consequences, and
planning her course of action. Without
Boone to counsel with; without any
help in earth or heaven for Judith was
untaught in religionl, she was forced to
meet her trouble alone. Having fairly
undertaken to grapple with her subject,
the conclusion she came to was 10 shield
her father. Not because she did not
comprehend his guilt in the eyes OF the
law not because she excused him on
account OF the provocations he believed
he had received; not out of fear of her
own share in the consequences, nor out
of pride; but because he was her father
her mothers husband-Katie's and
Boone's father.
Having settled this with herself, she
began TO take an interest i'm his defence,
and to consider how she could prevari-
cate most and lie least; not but that she
fully intended TO lie, if falsehOod should
prove necessary to establishing her faith
er's innocence. By the time her father
had returned in the evening, the fact of
his guilt had become less repulsive !
to her, through having admitted the ne
cessity OF adopting his cause; and so she /
told him, by well-contrived illusions to 4
the subject, which neither would again /
openly discuss. But Miles was satisfied 1
he need no longer dread an enemy in |
his own household; in consideration of |
which compliance he used little more /
amiable manners than had for some |
time distinguished him. g
Judith was right in supposing there /
would be an inquiry instituted into the
origin Of the fire; nor was she surprised 4
when that inquiry resulted i'm her faith
er's arrest. But, though she had ex-
pected it, and fortified herself TO meet 4
it, the preliminary examination was a
greater ordeal than she had pictured to
herself. To sit there and hear this man
and that man repeat under oath the va
rious coarse and desperate sayings and
violent threats of her father, was hu-
if it had not been anything
more. And to be the only woman
among the crowd of curious, leering,
men, seemed intolerable.
Even Tim Parker testifyed against her
who was such a poor idiot,
and so drunken he seldom knew the
right Of anythingi But Tim knew
which could really implicate
but threats.
1t was Mr.. Shultz whose evidence
proved most conclusive. He had met
Miles coming from the direction OF the
fire not long after it broke out, dressed
just as he had seen him when Miles had
been at his Office several hours before.
he had not been at home in
bed. There had not been time when he
met the accused for him to have visited
the fire with the intention of assisting
in its extinguishment.
mo more l wouldn't" Clipped i'm
Miles, sullenly.
This admission, however, by its very
was not considered damaq-
ing. Miles had right to withhold his
aid il he ehoSe. 1t might be unneipb-
borly, but it was not a punishable Of
fense. The most important witness re-
was Judith.
When this last witness came forward
TO take the oath, her face hidden be-
meath the over-shadowing sun-bunnet.
there was first buzz, then a silence .
more embarrassing than the whisnar.
Ing. Mr.. Shultz cleared the wav for
her, and remained standing near while
she made her declaration in n voice
slightly tremulous, but loud enough IN
be heard by all, TO the effect that her
Pap was greatly annoyed by the belief
that the agent of the Spedden estate was ,
to get his land at less than
It's value; that he had put in wheat, her ,
Pap thought, to keep him away from
the river; that it was true he (NIilesl :
bad said many violent things, but that :
was his way when he was angry; that ,
on the night in question he had gone
out to Spedden's with Tim Parker, re- :
turning about eleven o'clock; that when .
The fire broke out he had gone out to :
ook where it was, and put on the clothes ,
ne had been wearing, Others not being ,
It hand. OF this she was certain. not :
having slept we'll that night, on ae- !
count Of being alone in the house until ;
/ late hour. +,
Her statement made, Judith turned |
n reUs I'm q Saaf and p,aoffnr NJ Ct.r. /