The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-07


precaution is necessary to insure perfect
silence. Otherwise when I should swal-
low the babe it would die and Madge be
lost forever. When the clock strikes
ten you will awake. Your baby will
then have disappeared, and in its stead
your Madge will stand beside you"
'The girls an idiot u' said Mrs. Per-
kins, soto Voce.
"Permit me-" continued Madge, "to
give the babe in charge of an attendant,
while I prepare a soothing cordial for
your Majesty's nerves."
'tDo as 1 bid you and ask no ques-
tions," whispered Madge, as she passed
the babe into the arms of Mrs. Perkins
and disappeared in the kitchen, from
whence she returned in a few moments
with some sort of medical sedative she
had gathered from the woods in the
early spring.
"Drink heartily, o, Queen" she said,
in a mysterious, commanding tone. 'If
you disobey my slightest wish, the spell
VIII DC DlOhCh onO OObll OcDC dDh
will vanish.n
The draught was swallowed will
ingly.
"Now, look at the clock and note the
hour" continued Madge. you'll wake
at ten o'clock precisely, and then your
Madge will come to greet you"
In a few moments the sedatiVe had
taken the desired effect, and Madge had
the inexpressible pleasure of seeing her
mother relapse into peaceful sleep.
"She'll wake all right at ten o'clock
Tomorrow" she said, as she drew a
long sigh of relief, and bending, kissed
the wrinkled forehead of the sufferer
with quiet tenderness.
'How do you know ?" asked Mrs.
Perkins, who, like everybody else, was
constitutionally timid at times.
"FeeL 1t IN nly bones :" was the terse
reply.
"And now," continued Madge, '1et
everything go on about the house as
usual. You've done bravely since I've
been away. L didn't know there was
half so much snap in you. Evidently
the harvesters are faring WE'LL"
Necessity is a hard MASTER" Mrs.
Perkins replied. 81 never knew a girl
to get marry into her head, though,
but she was willing to sacrifice every
thing else to accomplish her purpose.
The old Adage, marry in haste and re-
pent at LEISURE is losing none of its sig
nificance because of its age"
"How do you know Pm married ?"
asked Madge, blushing and dropping
her eyes like guilty creature.
"Your precious husband told Sam and
Harry all about it when they went over
to the parsons to inquire about you the
next morning after your elopement."
"But George didn't tell the boys. He
told me he didn't. He only told ZEN
that I'd come home when"
Madge could not finish the sentence
The memory of her husbands duplicity
and the fact that because she was nov
his bond-woman she had no redress TO
} the deception he had practiced, 81
plainly confronted her that she was a
one struck dumb.
The pots and pans, the churn, ant
whatsoever else came in her way, re
ceived vigorous shaking up.
"Do you know anything about tn
antecedents of George Hanson?" queries
Mrs. Perkins, as she rolled the pastry
for pies, while Madge nervously peele,
the potatoes.
81 knew he was intelligent and hand
: some, and he said he loved me, an
needed me, and loved him. what NOR
e did need to know about him ?'' Madg
e answered, with her eyes cast down.
!. HE had no right to marry anybody
a for, before God and the angels, he wa
: married already"
:. "Thank Godw cried Madge, turnin
q deathly pale.
# otis queer thing to thank God for,
q said the widow.
d "But, if he has living wife, I am n
a longer bound" and light beamed i
Madge's eyes that had not before visite
s them since her marriage.
e "Alas," said the widow, "the one
d whom he is morally married is not Il
o gally his wife. In the eyes of the Law
and of society at large, she is casts
! way. AS George Hanson's legal wifi,
e you would spurn her with your heel"
" "You speak in riddles" answere
b Madge, though it was plain that 81
q was already solving the problem co
e, rectly in her troubled brain.
RS "And yet" continued Mrs. Perkin
''she was at heart as pure and good I
of you. She loved him-not wisely, b.
y too well. He fled, to avoid disgrac
le she, of course, remained behind to be-
rs the burden of shame alone.u
r During this revelation Madge stoC
e, with her eyes and mouth open, pantir
ye like a wounded fawu, while the col
v came and went in patches on her cheek
and her lips were ashy white.
!" "Do not the Scriptures teach th
of woman is! equally guilty with ma
s. when both go astray ?" she aske
IN wildly.
il HT think Tasus so fanoht hnt kTos