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

gOui step from my own peOesIAl OF
self-respect down into the mire of
self-abnegation in a vain attempt to
save you. have before me long
career Of public usefulness. Do you re-
member the curt note you once ad-
dressed to me, in which you assured me
that / would never amount TO q gill of
beans as q writer?"
Henry grew uncomfOrtably red In the
face, and in spite of the chilly autumn
morning, said dsomething about the room
being very warm and close.
"Well, you destroyed my manuscript
and / was never able to reproduce IL as
well as it was at first written, but the
most of it came to me again, and /, moth
ing daunted by your superior judgment,
sent it to the Great Weekly World, in
company with several other fugitive
pieces, previously published in the Bugle
over the signature of-no matter what
and here are the returns"
As she spoke Annie opened carelessly
opened large buff envelope and took
therefrom a hundred-dollar gold note,
enclosed in a letter, making an offer of
five thousand a year for the exclusive
use of her contributions for a given
period.
'Henry, do you wonder that I con-
slider my honor worth something, not
only to myself and family, but the world
at large ?"
The brother was overcome with NOR
tifieation. 'T believe genius runs in the
family" he said Ibashfully. "But, my
sister, you little know the deep annoy
ance L have endured during ali these
years on your account. / always loved
you dearly, and when 1 felt that you
were guilty of grave misdemeanors, my
only hope was to so manage matters
that as little might be said about you as
possible"
"Of what did you believe me guilty?"
"Of immoral conduct among men,"
= Amie's eyes flashed and her cheeks,
already flushed with fever, took on a
still deeper hue.
so, Henry, how could you?" she ex-
claimed reproachfully.
at looked like it when you refused
to go into the home of Melvin Hastings
as a servant"
"That's all q man knows about a
woman. l would have starved before /
would have gone as menial into the
house of his relatives. had good and
sufficient reasons for my decision. But
it would have taken much more than
what you state to have made me believe
you had"
81 know it, Annie, and won't try to
excuse myself. 1 congratulate you upon
your good fortune; but can't say
that-I altogether approve of the public
walks of life for woman"
"Then you ought to be highly pleased
with jails and penitentiaries for them.
And yet you don't seem to want me to
stay here"
"Women ought always to live in the
luxurious retirement of a quiet home" !"
"And failing in this-failing to have
a masculine protector upon whom to
lean, you would have them occupy the
kitchens, laundries and other easy posi-
tiOns accorded to them by the most
chivalrous ofyour sex, and never aspire
to the laborious drudgeries of the pen
and brain, which are so much better
suited to the muscular tissue and su-
perior size and strength of the protect
ing sex. think perfectly understand
you, Henry"
80, well, sister mine, this is no time or
place to argue about the spheres of the
sexes. strongly suspect that you are
becoming imbued with some of the hetro-
dox notions of the obnoxious women
who are properly classed under the sob
riquet strong minded. am sorry to see
this"
'If 1 had been as I0edk-ninded as
some certain young men whom 1 have
met, might have been dragging ball
and chain in the streets, Henry, or
might have left my brothers and sisters
to stGrUe. No, Henry, you'd better
thank God that He has made many
women stronger-minded than many
men. Or, better yet, you'd better pray
God to make all men as strong minded
as are some women"
Henry was busy striving to frame an
appropriate reply, when the prison dool
suddenly opened, and to the surprise Of
Annie and the confusion of her brother
Miss May Hastings entered the cell and
greeted the prisoner with cordial kiss
Mamma sent me here with some
good news ~ she exclaimed, speaking
rapidly. "You know Alice has revealed
herself, and mammals health is much
better. Then Melvin will come home
on the next steamer. And, better yet
Bob Green has run off and 1 don't fee
compelled to abide by the marriage con
tract ~
80, Mayw cried annie, in a transport
'T have prayed so fervently that yoI
might be released from those bonds be
fore it should be forever too late!
never could brook the idea that yol
should throw yourself away upon tha
scheming libertine W
"Well, it's all ever now, at all events
and we've found him out-thanks 4
the woman the world calls prostitute
whose shoe latchets he is not worthy Il
unloose. When marry-provided, o
course, that ever dol intend to stipu
late that Madam Morton Hastings shal