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

ever she likes. She's martyred angel,
and I'll stand by her or die trying"
"I thought you were dearly in love
with Mr.. Green," said Henry, his eyes
kindling with keen interest, while a
hopeful smile played over his face.
"I tried to be, to please papa" was
the artless answer. "Melvin and Alice
had both displeased him in refusing to
comply with his wishes, and l felt that
1 was doing my duty in yielding up my
own happiness to satisfy him."
"Do you believe her duty lay in that
direction, Hen ?" archly queried Annie,
as with womanly insight, she discovered
his secretly cherished interest in the
girl.
"Of course DON'T" was the impulsive
reply.
"And having discovered that supreme
self-abnegation is not the sole province
of one woman, perhaps you'll conclude
that it isn't the only legitimate aim of
others-won't you ?''
~ yield the point, my sister. And
now, Miss May, l should be pleased to
know your opinion in regard to a de-
cision of Amie's, with which have been
taking issue. We have learned, to our
own satisfaction, that she has been in
dicted and imprisoned at the instigation
of Bob Green. have proposed to procure
writ for her release from prison. She
refuses to accept il and declares she will
remain here till her dying day, rather
than go free-even for = time-unless
proven innocent"
"Well resolved, my moral heroine"
was Nays impulsive answer.
Annie, who had been suffering all the
morning with alternate chills and fever,
suddenly grew faint aud would have
fallen to the floor but for her brothers
support.
"Run for the doctor, quick % he cried
to the jailor, who was in waiting upon
outside.
For days the life of the fair prisoner
hung upon thread. 1t was found
necessary to remove her from the close
confinement of the prison room and fur
nish an airy upper chamber for her use.
Much of the time she was in a raving
delirium. Madam Rosa, now known as
Clara Morton, was untiring in her at
tentions at the sufferers bedside, while
Alice, May, Henry and uncle John
watched her by turns. In her deIirium
she wandered back to the old days upon
the Black Stump Farm and lived them
over with vivid reality. Again she
waited upon and comforted her invalid
mother, chided Tot and the twins,
caressed Dick, expostulated with Henry,
coaxed Jim, scolded Fan and Sue,
washed, scrubbed, milked the cows,
cooked and washed dishes, or wandered
through the woods with Melvin Hast
ings talking of love, and dreaming of
future happiness.
Then, the whipping scene, where
Henry, suspended to the ceiling, was
undergoing the fierce, ungoverDed fury
of drunken fathers authority; her
mothers means and entreaties; the
children covering in the corners, and
the Sudden appearance of Melvin, when
he took the whip and used it upon the
master; the boys fight; her mothers
death; her own wild words at the funeral;
her fathers fate; the orphans destitu-
ton; Bill Sykes and his oxen; the bury
I inn or0und IA, tho faraof. fba sfruOUia in
the city for bread; her experience in the
"Walk In and Welcome;" Henry's es-
trangement Melvin's departure; her
fashion emporium; Alice Hastings and
uncle John; Madam La We're; unreasona-
BILE customers in the store; the scene OF
her arrest and imprisonment-aH passed
in review before her excited aud disor-
dered mind. Then the letter from her
brother containing the cruel words I:
"YOu will never amount to gill of
beans as writer. Making bonnets is
your forte," was repeated over and over
again, to Henry's intense modification.
Gradually the wealthiest citizens of
Portsmouth, and therefore the most re-
spectacle, began to take interest in the
imprisoned invalid. Delicacies of the
most tempting character, and the
choicest exotic boquets were placed at
her disposal, but alas, she realized moth
ing.
co." said Henry in his anguish, ''can
1t be that this young, heroic life, which
has always been shrouded in darkness,
is now to be taken from us when we
have only just begun to fully appreciate
it ?"
James, the poor brother, who, since
Amie's imprisonment began, had been
most Of the time engaged in serving out
sentences for drunkenness, was at lib
erty one day, and was admitted with all
the other members Of the Lee family to
the sick room, to gaze, as they thought
for the last time upon the features of the
sorely tried one, whose life had been SC
freely devoted to their welfare.
The crisis of fever was past, and now
the only fear of the physician was, that
her constitution had been so severely
taxed by its ravages as to be unable tC
rally. Death-like silence had been en-
Joined upon every one of the brother
and sisters as the price of their admis
sion to what indeed seemed the chambe
of death.
Amie's face was as white as the snowy
, pillow against which it rested. He
| raven cnrls in ALL the abandon of 10