The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-06-19


ries for twenty-five cents. She wanted
TO purchase little medicine for sick
child and had gathered the berries to
get the money. Beggar that / was,
hadn't ten centsl Had she asked for
food could have made a raid upon my
fathers kitchen for her benefit; or had
she asked for clothes, have plenty
that 1 shall never wear, but find my
self at twenty-five a nonentity in the
world Of will or work or choice"
you'll be getting married one Of
these days, Alice"
"Who would I marry, I'd like 10
know? There isn't young man in our
set, from Adolphus FitzfoOdle to Ber-
tram O'Toodles, that has a thimbleful-
of brains. believe that pH cut my
hair short, get brogan shoes and blue
calico dresses and go TO the country,
where I'll see il I can't catch some
broad-handed farmer who reads news
papers and talks hOrsen' and the girl
arose and paced the floor impatiently.
Mrs. Hastings and the four younger
daughters Of the family were by this
time properly shocked, and their ex-
elamations of disgust were more en-
phatic than reasonable.
"You ought to have. been with me
during the past few days" said Melvin.
"I stopped at one of your ideal country
homes aud helped a rustic maiden to
milk the cows and feed the pigs, and
she helped me to cook and eat the
pheasants that I would bag during the
day."
"And 1 suppose you made love to her,
and she accepted, and you'll be bringing
the great red-handed drudge to our city
home as your wife some of these days."
said naughty, imperious SIay, who was
the very opposite of her elder sister in
physique, complexion and disposition.
Melvin colored deeply as he replied,
81 certainly should bring her to the city
il she were willing to come. But she
had the courage to do what not one of
the twenty girls of our set would think
OF. She refused my advances point
blank, when / tried to make love to
her.n
"You don't mean to say that you
would marry her ?"
81 mean TO say that she has too much
good sense to marry me under the cir
cumstanees."
A merry laugh at Melvin's expense
followed this enthusiastic outburst, and
he retired to his room to muse upon the
doubtful advantage he held over other
people by being the son and heir of the
wealthiest man in Portsmouth.
The twilight deepened into a dense
gloom, and the cherries autumn rain
fell in binding torrents on the slippery
pavement. Melvin's apartments fronted
toward the street, and gazing out into
the darkness, his eye rested upon a
familiar form that stood at that mo-
ment in the glare Of the lamps that
guarded the entrance TO the mansion.
Henry Lee was looking wistfully up
toward the window where Melvin Hast
ings sat, but the shutters being closed,
he did not discover his friend, and so,
with sigh born Of his dreadful loneli-
ness, the boy turned timidly away and
disappeared in the darkness.
al suppose ought to have gone out
and invited him in" said Melvin tC
himself, "but It would have raised sucl
a breeze in the house that wouldn't
have heard the last Of it for month
Besides, I'm tired and lazy, and tn,
rain falls by buckets full. Guess III
turn in and get good nights rest"
'Ips no usew said Henry Lee
"That mansions too fine for me. I'm
too proud to be snubbed by his parent
and sisters; but Pm so tired and hungry
Where can sleep tonight, I wonder?'
Thus soliloquizing the anxious DO,
turned down the street and plodded ol
i'm the pitiless rain. His back wa
smarting under the pain of his recen
wounds, which the rain, fatigue, anxiet,
and hunger conspired to keep in con
slant irritation. At a dozen place
where he had called for a supper an
nights lodging he was gruffly turne
away, and at last, finding it impossibl
to proceed further, the homeless bo
laid down in the shadow of buildin
and was soon in 4 deep, exhaustiv
sleep. From this he was quickl.
aroused by policeman and hurried {
/ the station house, where he passed tn
D night amid blasphemy and drunken
d ness, the like of which he had never be
( fore imagined.
S So many more important crimina
o cases were on the docket for the follow
b ing day that the prisoner, who had bee
5 arrested only for vagrancy, had no OF
a portunity for a hearing. And so, Il
: two days and nights, this boy was d,
!, tanned, feeling all the time as though L
/ had been arrested for garroting or arsor
But when the third day came, the
d being but a limited number Of cases
o dispose OF, he was brought up early
r the morning to answer for the crime
o having no place to lay his head.
: The boy told his story earnestly al
frankly, but refused to give his name.
Y "How came those marks on the baC
u of your neck and hands >" queried Il
D prosecuting attorney.
"I decline to answer, sir" said he,
:. deep tinge of modification and ang
o flushing his cheek.
e "And you can give no account