The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-08-11
NUMBER 40.
The Squire's Attachment.

"Yes, sir,n answered Bax.
"Fill me out a writ of attachment"
said the Squire. "rlI stand no more of
this nonsense"
Eyes, sir; what name, sir ?n
"YOu'll find it there" said the
Squire, writing on a card, and tossing it
over to Bax, who picked it up and sat
about his work. The document was
speedily finished and presented to the
Squire, who affixed his signature.
"Give it to Constable Darby, and tell
him to serve it without delay" said the
Squire.
Eyes, SIR"
"And when he brings in the prisoner,
report to me-"
"Yes, SIR"
Squire Syphax, magisterially, was the
sternest of men; Individually, he was
one of the most sOft-hearted and yielding
For the moment he was filled with of
fetal indignation toward a delinquent,
on whom, for some contemptuous disre-
gard of the laws behests, he was deter
mined to visit its weightiest penalty.
He was still feeble from a recent and
severe attack of illness, and while
waiting the return of the warrant he re-
tired to seek little rest, meanwhile
forgetting the cares of office in a de-
liciOus reverie, of which the charms of
certain lovely creature were the CEN
trail feature. In this occupation let US
leave him for the present, merely pre-
missing that he was bachelor, both
diffident and susceptible.
Bob Darby was constabulaTy model.
He did his duty to the letter, and eX-
pended few words about it.
When the servant came, in answer to
his ring of widow GoOdheart's door
bell: 'Is your mistress at home ?" Bob
inquired.
"She is" was the response.
"Tell her I must see her." said Bob.
"She's very busy" replied the maid,
"and, unless the business is very par
ticular-"
at is very partic'lar," interrupted
Bob, brushing past, and entering with
out ceremony. "I'm VERY sorry to ill
convenience you, num-" he said, when
Mrs. Goodheart had made her appear
ance; "but I've got to take you over to
the Squirrels right away"
The widow turned pale and trembled.
"Has the dear man-has he had a re-
lapse ?" she asked, in a tremulous tone.
Couldn't say, num-" answered Bob.
"All | know is, it's case of 'tach-
ment"
"a case of attachment! ?" exclaimed
the widow, the color mounting to her
handsome face.
She saw it all. A relapse, perhaps a
fatal one, had surely set in; and the
Squire, whom she had long been wait
ing for to speak his mind, but whose
mOdesty had hitherto prevented, had
doubtless selected this critical moment
fn III
have preferred to see mission so deli
cate entrusted to other hands than
those of the town constable, but the
suddenness of the emergency, it was
likely, had left no room for choice.
81 shall be ready in a moment"
said the widow; and so, indeed, she was
There's a kerridge at the door,
num-" said Bob; and, when he had
handed the lady in, nothing more was
said till they reached the Squirrels door.
That functionary, like many country
magistrates, kept his office at his house,
and into the apartment so appropriated
the widow was at once ushered.
Bob Darby, having duly signed the
return upon the writ, handed it over to
the Sguire's clerk, who proceeded
straightway TO notify His Honor.
AS the latter entered he started with
surprise. Instead of the contemptuous
culprit, Dick Slote, at whose guilty
head he was prepared to hurl the laws
anathemas, it was the lovely widow
GOOdheart, the angel of his dreams,
whom he saw before him! In the
name of all the Dromios, what diabol-
ical error was this
Catching up the returned warrant, to
his horror he read:
To ANY CONSTABLE, GREETING:-You are
hereby commanded to take the body of DOrO-
thy GOOdheart, and bring the same forthwith
before Inc, ETC., etc. CALEB SYPHAX,J. P.
Darling a look of wrath at the clerk
and the constable, he ordered them to
Withdraw.
"My dear Mrs. Goodheart," began
the Squire, blushing to the tips of his
ears, chow can l atone for this annoy
ance ?"
"Oh, it's no annoyance, I assure
you," simpered the widow. pm so
glad to find you are not ill.,"
'But-but this unfortunate attach
ment," stammered the Squire, dashing
aside the ill-starred document.
'I-I have long returned it," naively
murmured the widow, turning as red as
himself
A gleam of gladness flashed over the
Squirrels countenance. Could it be she
was ignorant of the indignity she had
suffered? ? And then, to find the ice so
happily broken He clasped her hand,
pressed it to his lips, and poured out
the tale of his pent-up love with an
ardor and eloquence which fairly aston
ished himself The widows pretty
head dropped on his shoulder, as, with
alternate smiles and tears, she listened
rapturOusly to what she had been so
long waiting to hear.
The Squire came back a happy man
from escorting the widow home that
evening. But the sight of Bax Jones
aroused his fury.
"How dare you pay me such trick ?''
he thundered.
"What trick ?" inquired Bax, inno-
Gently.
"What trick? Why, putting Mrs
GoOdheart's name in that attachment"
81 put in the name you gave me-"
answered Bax.
''It's false ~ roared the Squire.
"Here's the card" rejOined the clerk.
The Squire glanced at it. 1t was one
of Mrs. Goodheart's cards, left with some
delicacy which she had sent during his
late illness. On the blank side he had
unwittingly written the name to be in
serted in the writ. Whether the clerk
had copied from the wrong side by mis-
take, or had played off practical joke,
was not quite clear to the Squire's S
mind. for Rav in yNOiDt Of g. n