The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-10-30
CHAPTER xxi.

CHAPTER XIII
Henry Lee felt that a very irksome
and yet very important duty was await
ing its fulfllment. How could he nerve
himself to visit his sister in prison and
make proper atonement for his cruel and
long-harbored suspicious But his sense
of honor would not long permit him to
postpone the ordeal. Had he not most
grievously wrongedAbis peerless sister,
and was it not high time that restitu-
tion should, at least, attempt to follow
repentance
He found her crouched low upon a
little stool in the prison cell, with her
hands tightly locked together and her
head thrown back, gazing wearily up
toward the grated window where the
morning sunlight was creeping through
the bars, as if struggling to cast its radi-
ance upon her shivering form.
Want Of exercise, accompanied by
severe application to her many self-im-
posed avocations, had begun to seriously
affect her health, and she was suffering
from a nervous fever and its ever at
tending chills. The autumn morning
was clear, crispy, chilly one. The
hoar frost clothed the city with glitter
ing robes of snow-white mail.
As Henry had walked abroad drink
ing deep draughts of the delicious at
mOsphere on his way to the prison, he
had thought regretfulIy of Amie's en-
forced Incarceration but now that the
door was thrown open and he suddenly
confronted her, the depth of her wrongs
and humiliation were fully, for the first
time, realized.
Before Annie had so far recovered from
her establishment as to be able to speak,
the contrite brother fell upon his knees
beside her and elasped her in his arms
"Amie, my poor wronged darling" be
cried, al do not feel worthy to be called
your brother. have indeed sinned
against Heaven and in your sight. !
cannot ask you to forgive me ?"
Annie shivered from head to foot, but
laid her head wearily upon his breast.
81 always know you would come TO
me sometime" she said coaxingly,
stroking his forehead caressingly with
her burning fingers.
"Why don't you reproach me, darl-
ing ?" queried Henry, his voice husky
with grief and remorse, and his great
eyes full of unshed tears.
81 finished reproaehing you long ago,
my brother dear. 1t is more than enough
for me to realize that you now know
that, when you were tempted to think
i'll of me, you wronged me. have al
ways been proud of your success, my
brother. Not one young man in ten
thousand would have risen to your posi-
ton under the same circumstances"
"And not one young woman in a mill
lion would have stood by her brothers
and sisters as you have done, Annie"
40, yes they would, Henry. Women
have a keener, more intuitiye sense Of
duty and responsibility than men. They
are more affectionate in their natures,
and consequently more disposed to en-
dure self-abnegation for those they love
than men. don't blame you for slip
ping your neck out of the family moose.
It was only necessary for you to imagine
that was bad, in order to justify your
self in leaving me to bear all the bur-
dens. That's manlike, and women are
used to it,"
"Amie, my sister, you must leave this
den. You are sick now. You have a
burning fever. There isn't the first
shadow Of pretext for keeping you
here. That william, Bob Green, is at
the bottom of all your troubles. The
rascal imposed upon my youth and
poverty and verdancy, and made me
believe that his friendship for me was
all that saved you from arrest for years.
When look back upon it all wonder
that was so easily duped but you
know, my sister, that you exhibited a
great deal of bad temper when dared
once to hint to you that you had been
talked about.n
~ know it, Henry. But my con-
science never condemned me for that. ]
wasn't used to being slandered by any
body, much less by my brother"
"Amie, dear, will you, can you forgive
me-"
tT forgave you long ago, my brother" "
"Then 1 am ready to proceed to busi-
ness. I tell you must get you out oi
this den."
GLOW ?''
81 will have you set at liberty upon q
writ Of habeds corpus"
"Whatgn
Didn't you understand me ?"
"Do you mean to say that you would
be willing to see me set at liberty before
my innocence is proven ?'
Nobody will appear against you.u
'How do you know ?"
81 have learned that Bob Green. the
william, is the only complaining wit.
ness, and he has been transported TO the
Sandwich Islands,"
"For what ?r
"For attempting to commit bigamv. u
DAT whose instigation was he trans.
ported, pray ?"
"His wife's."
mot May Hastings They're moi
married yet"
"No, nor never will be. Rosa De L.