The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-12-04


gift, but because the work / do entities
me to it, and then it will be mine by
right and not by courtesy"
Every well, Sis. Promise me that
you will not grumble over the work you
do any more than Mrs. Whilton's China
man does, and Pll allow you seven dol
lars a week till your piano is paid for"
ain the meantime, who will clothe
me? ?"
"Oh, you have an eye to business,
haven't you But rest easy. You shall
have the money and take your own time
for paying for the piano"
$50 much good sometimes comes Of
grumbling," commented the girl as she
fitted about the room, clearing the table
and preparing to wash the dishes.
81 fear that you are only spelling
Ada" said good Mrs. Harding, as her
son led the way to the parlor.
''Oh, no, mother" was the quiet an
swer. 81 am treating her as 1 would
like to be treated if were in her place.
Let her earn her piano, or imagine she
does, and she will not only work cheer
fully but will prize her instrument when
she gets it. The almighty-dollar spirit
has possessed and obsessed the girls as
well as the boys of the era. Give them
a fair chance. 1t won't hurt them"
DIR. Harding had left Mrs. Armstrong
in a helpless, apathetic stupor. She
seemed to suffer from no particular dis
ease. Indeed she was dying from apathy,
the natural result of deferred hopes and
crushed ambition.
The teething baby had speedily re-
covered from its danger and was given
over principally to the care of "the lit
tie gals" as Margaret and Jenny were
always called by other members of the
household to distinguish them from
Matte and Susan and Mary, three older
sisters, who ranked next in age to the
two sisters now away at school.
Had the labors of the household been
carried on with any kind of system, each
member would have known her part
and performed it thoroughly, making
the work light for all; but the bad order
with which the family had long been
regulated by the young and feeble step
mother had resulted in a general insub-
ordination, under which each individual
strove to shift every possible RESPONSE
bility upon the shoulders of somebody
else.
Matte Armstrong; position in the
household as drudge and head, without
authority to enforce her rule, IL indeed
she ever had any, was anything but en-
viable, and her step-mother's illness
only added to her weight Of unappre-
ciated cares.
Bright and early upon the morning
agreed upon, Mrs. Harding was astir,
and busy with the needed preparations
for the promised visit to the Stonehenge
farm.
Selim was harnessed to the Doctors
buggy, and stood champing his bit in
his impatience to be off.
Remember the wages, Sis" laughed
the doctor, and Ada bowed and smiled
as her mothers goodbye was added to
the fraternal reminder, and the twain
drove away upon their errand of philan-
thropy and remuneration.
The bevy of dogs at the Stonehenge
farm began the usual boisterous yelp-
ing.
"Who is coming ?" queried Matte, as
she caught the broom and began Wig
orous onslaught upon the dirt-strewn
hearth.
".As ITUey it's Doc. and his mother ~
cried John, the great boy with dirty
nose, ragged knees and one suspender.
"Fifteen or twenty Of you dirty-faced
tow-heads had better get out o. that
door ~ exclaimed Matte, putting by the
broom and smoothing back her heavy
braids Of rumpled hair.
She was looking for the doctor, and
though she had scarcely deigned to
notice him during his visit upon the
previous day, she had this morning
taken the precaution to array herself in
clean and tolerably well-fitting dark
calico dress, guiltless Of ruffie or ribbon.
The group of young ones backed out OF
the front door and into the living room,
opening a prospect of ingress for the doc
tor and his mother.
Matte received them bashfully. That
first blissful interview with the doctor,
and the stinging humiliation that ac-
companied it, were yet upon her mind.
Over and over again she had vowed that
he should never again have opportunity
to repeat his love-making, and now that
he was likely, for some time to come, to
be daily visitor at the house, she was
determined to make him realize that
she.possessed a strength of mind, which
proved to her a weakness with which
she wrestled hourly.
"Miss Armstrong, allow me to intro
duce my mother" The doctor bowed
low as he spoke, and Matte could feel
that his earnest eyes were steadfastly
fixed upon her. "How is your patient
to-day ?" he continued, scarcely giving
Matte time to address his mother, who
had taken chair and was busy remov.
ing her wraps.
81 am unable to discover any change
sir. She seems perfectly listless and un.
concerned about everything"
"Where is your father ?"
"I don't know"
"Does he realize the extent Of your
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