The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-08-07

pail of blackness over the distant noun
tains, where the storm clouds lay in sui
lenness, awaiting the action Of the ocean
breeze.
"How beautiful nature is" said Annie,
fervently. mo matter whether she
mantles herself in winter clouds or
clothes her visible form in summer raj
ment; no matter whether she weeps
with rain or laughs with sunshine; no
matter whether she melts with warm
south win Is or freezes with cold north
casters, her garments are always appro-
PIRATE, always becoming, always beauti-
ful. II human hearts could thus attune
themselves to harmony under all cir
cumstances, how much happier we all
might bew
al didn't come out here to commune
with nature, Ame," was Henry's
desperate reply. 'The fact is" he con-
tlnued, after an awkward pause, "Pve
been hearing some rather bad reports
about you lately"
"About Dle9"
"Thats what | said.n
ooh, Henry! Did you listen to
them?"
81 couldn't help it,"
"I thought it was mans duty TO DO
all he could to protect woman, and l had
hoped that you might be relied upon 10
efiectually resent any aspersion upon
my character"
"And you presumed upon this hope,
and dared to be imprudent"
"How?"
"You refused work when it was Of
fered you to-day, as though you were a
lady, born and bred"
"Ain't I?"
"Pshaw! don't mean that. | mean
that you put on airs when Mrs. Hast
ings called. She was very much dis
pleased with the way you treated her"
"Oh! is that all? 1 was afraid my
character was being assailed."
"And so tits"
"By whom?"
Everybody"
"What have done? ?"
The moon peepe,l forth at this instant
and flooded the girl with limpid radi-
ance which contrasted strangely with
the deep shadow in which Henry stood.
Was il an omen?
"You needn't put on airs, Miss Pert.
You were offered to-day as good home
as | have, and you wouldn't accept it.
Mrs. Hastings says that girls of i'm
moral character never will 90 out to
service. There is no excuse for your
conduct aud l have made up my mind
TO aid you no further"
"Henry, my brother, one word before
we part forever. You are about TO leave
me, n lone and struggling girl, in n
strange city, with my reputation at
tackled and my prospects bliehted. You
are leaving me with n large and de-
pendent family upon my hands to which
you are morally bound as much as /.
Before we part-and this separation will
be final unless you ask my pardon for
your present accusations-let me say to
you that look upon Melvin Hastings,
before high Heaven, as my betrothed.
We are not engaged as men say, but
as God willeth. You say that he has
broken the O'Toodles engagement, made
for him by his friends. / can't tell you
why have so much confidence in him
this moment, but can tell you that l
will starve before / will accept menial
positions in the family of his mother
L mean, some day, to compel them to be
proud Of me. You are making my tasks
hard, Henry, but the strength of a no.
bic aim is upon me, and 1 will not
falter."
"What are you going to do, pray ?"
THAT shall be nothing to you hence
forth. l fear nothing but evil tongues,
and since yours is numbered among
them, l want to get as far away from
you as possible"
The brother and sister were pursuing
their homeward way very rapidly as
they spoke, under the high pressure Of
excitement, and were just opposite the
door when Annie dropped that last re-
mark.
Goodnight, Miss Lee,n said her
brother, eoldly.
81 keep good-nights for those who
will not slander me-" said Annie, as she
shut the door in his face.
"Confound il all, | didn't mean to
have n ROW. calculated her brother,
soto roce, as he stalked onward in the
shadows. "But I'll never ask her par
don If they all starver
Humiliated as Annie was by her
brothers. unjust suspicious, the news he
had brought her about the termination
of the Hastings-0'Toodles engagement
sufficed TO fill her soul with a sudden
She did not dare, or even
desire 10 look beyond her present rela-
tions with the idol of her affections.
She was practical and sensible enough
to keep her natural obligations 10 her
orphaned brood before her mind con-
and that night, as she lay
awake, watching the bright moonbeams
as they played through the cracks Of
her humble tenement, the girl con-
ceived plan by which she hoped to
enter into a business at once profitable
and respectable. AS she eonned the
fancy over and over in her busy brain
she wondered much at the strange dull
ness that had prevented her from think
ing Of it before.