The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-03-06
VOLUME III.

became evident that Mrs. Stewart had
one on her hands of considerable mag
nitude. The next morning, the Colo
mel being q little less drunk than on the
previous afternoon, had Todd arrested
for breach of discipline. A stout de-
nial of the charge the ladies preferred
against the Colonel, as justification of
the act, was accepted by Mrs. Kellogg as
far so true, that Judith was made re-
sponsible for the ColOnePs ''aberra-
tom of propriety, and Mrs. Stewart
censured for defending her. Mrs. Stew
art had an interview with Mrs. Kel-
logg to explain, and was told that Ju-
dith was an 'tartful, low-bred creature,
and a dangerous person to have in her
house-a girl about whose antecedents
nothing is known"
Mrs. Stewart was at her wits end.
Judith, like Cromwell, had come to the
''end Of all her greatness" and "with her
blushing honors thick upon herr was
suddenly become pariah. In all con-
tests of this nature, the weaker party
must go the wall. Much as Mrs. Stew
art disliked seeming to side against Ju-
dith, whom she believed in with all her
heart, 1t would not do to have a stand
ing quarrel with the commanding Of
ficer, and she determined TO make an
end as quickly as possible. How
quickly that might be, depended on
contingencies. Not to be too hard upon
the innocent victim of circumstances,
she took the first opportunity of speak
ing to Major Floyd i'm her interest, and
of course, hoping to draw him out on
the subject of his intentions.
"I am in the depths afIiiction,D she
said to that gentleman a day or two af-
ter the catastrophe. He had called to
see Judith, who, poor girl, happened, for
tunately for Mrs. Stewards little fiction,
to be enjoying a good cry.
There is Miss Miles crying over her
and my-jOint miserableness about this
affair Of the Colonel. Did you ever hear
of anything so outrageous, in your life?"
VERY seldom, confess. But why
does Miss Miles cry, and why are you
jointly miserable ~
why? Do you know that Mrs.
Kellogg prefers to misjudge our dear
girl, rather than admit her precious
husband to be in the wrong? Did not
she tell me to my face that Miss Miles
was an 'artful, low-bred creature, with
out antecedents p n-and little Mrs.
Stewart fairly expanded with justifable
indignation.
81 hav'nt any doubt of it," returned
the Major seriously. "AIrs. kellogg,
like many other ladies I have met, pre-
fers averything to owing she was eyre
giously mistaken in the man she mar
ried. L never could quite make out
whether there is most of selfshness or
devotion in this loyalty of woman. 1t
does not seem to me l should practice il
if 1 were a woman"
"Oh, yes, YOU would" said Mrs Stew
art laughing, and for the moment fairly
diverted from her subject. 'If you had
a wife who disappointed you, would you
not hide her faults from the world as
long as possible ?"
'If had wife! Well, probably i
might attempt disguise of my real SEN
timents in certain cases. But il she
went about intoxicated, and blundered
into gentlemens rooms ?-bah!
at is very unlucky for Miss Miles
She couldn't stay here, you see, aftel
this affair"
"Pll candidly own do not see it. Il
she to be turned out for Kellogg's drunk
Ell freaks ?"
"You must understand, Major, that i
would neither be agreeable to Mis-
Miles nor myself to be openly at vari
ance with Mrs. Kellogg. Besides what
ever else he is, he has the comman'
here, and we are.bound to get along will
him."
"What does Miss Miles propose to do
or where go ?" asked the Major, looking
slightly Disguised.
"She has not proposed anything yet
poor child! 1 suppose that is what sh,
is crying about to-day. She knows tina
some change must be made, and shl
does not know how to make it. Never
theless, it has got to come"
Major Floyd was evidently preplexed
He stood up, and walked about, puIlin,
S at his beard. "Now," thought Mrs
: Stewart, she will have to sneak - Rn
/, speak he did not; he only kept on pull
+, ing at his beard for several minutes
without needing the occasional remark
: of his hostess.
e 81 have new ORDERS" he said at las
t stopping and looking at her absently.
n "0rders! Where to?"
# ''To San Francisco"
d "When do you start, and how %
: 81 start day after tomorrow; by stag
/, but with an escort"
"Was anything ever more fortunate?
: 'tNIore fortunate than what ?-that
am going away ?"
e 'rNot that, exactly; but that sin'
I YOU must go, Miss Miles can go wit
e you,~ cried Mrs. Stewart, clapping b,
: hands.
d "Do you mean that?" asked the Nj
i jor, regarning the lady with a stead
d glance. 'Do you mean that you wis
:. me to assume the charge of this youn
It girl ?"
n 81 should not suppose it to be VIII
s. you would dislike, or try to evade, Nj
10 jor," answered Mrs. Stewart, with p
-e culiar smile.