The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-10-27


and taught housekeeping. I'll see
that Edna gets her share of all this, if
she does her duty while she's on trial"
The afternoon was waning rapidly.
Supper must be made ready for Mr..
Rutherford and the farm hands, and
Aunt Judy was quite exhausted as she
finished cooking the meal and dropped
into a chair at the head of the table
and welded the fly brush while waiting
for the head. of the household in nervous
expectancy.
"Where's Susan, and how are you,
cousin Judy ?" asked that dignitary, as
he gazed at the unexpected yet plump
apparition in genuine surprise. 'Is
anybody sick ?''
ga friend of Susan's is in great trou-
BILE, and she was obliged to go away on
the steamer to see about the matter, and
hadn't time to tell you goodbye. She
left me to keep house and keep things
a-going while she's away. Maybe she
won't be gone but day or two"
Solon Rutherford was thunderstruck.
The possibility that the patient wife
who had uncomplainingly drudged for
him for third of a century, and, dur
ing all that time, had never dared to
think and act for herself, would ever do
such a thing, had never before occurred
to him, even for an instant. He was
/ Lo4I, nj oDorrx,
'Indeed, she couldn't help it, cousin
Solon," said Aunt Judy, soothingly.
"She didn't know as you'd be at home
for day or two-you so often go away
like that, you know-and the boat was
coming and 1 was here, and I just
hustled her of. If you feel angry with
anybody, Pm your customer"
The ruler of the Rutherford realm ate
his food in sullen silence. The farm
hands partook of his moodiness, and
Aunt Judy, who was accustomed at
home to the purring companionship of
her harmonious kitten, felt gloomy and
wretched. But she kept her own coun-
sci and toiled diligently. She was an
adept in all the intricacies of house
keeping, not even excepting the drudg-
cry of making butter and cheese for
market.
"SOlon's like hen with its head off,
she exclaimed to herself. "Wish had
the training of him for a while! I'd
show him whether or not my soul was
my own"
But she didn't have the training of
the husband of Susan Rutherford, and
there was no use in speculating upon it.
The head of the household lost inter-
est in his habitual buggy rides, lost re-
gard for his hundred acres of recently
purchased real estate, and lost concern
for even the constantly accruing taxes,
about which he had for years had a
chronic habit of annoying his uncom-
planning wife. What to him was the
world without Susan, now that she was
gone? What to him his vast posses
sons if she were not there to guide and
direct their management? Not that
! DC was III llG DdOll vi dllOm III x llCl al y
control over the business; as head OF
the firm, such possibility was not to be
harbored by him for an instant. But he
missed her as his body servant; missed
her as the unresisting recipient of his
gloomy moods; missed her, in short
upon general principles, chief among
which was the fact that he considered il
her duty to be at home.
He had heard of strong minded WON.
en-, so-called, who had managed affair:
in some degree according to their OWL
liking. When other men had some
times complained that their wives die
: not always obey them implicitly, it haC
e been the boast of Solon Rutherford tina
i his wife knew her place and kept it
and now she was gone-gone without 81
s much as saying "by your leave" com
+ pelling him to remain in uncertainty a
e to her exact whereabouts. Was a mai
ever abused like this before?
d Do what he would, however, he coult
not complain that the machinery O
d home was being neglected during he
S absence. Aunt Judy took good car
d that he should have nothing of tha
S kind to worry over. Had he known th
: oVerhauling for Edna's benefit that wa
s going on over the house when he wa
s out of sight, he would have been insui
k ferably angry; but there was quite a
S good care taken that he should no
3. know as there was to keep the wor
: about the house and poultry-yard we
up to the accustomed scratch. So Solo
It had nothing to do but be miserable, an
he enjoyed the opportunity to his heart
content.
IS care you good at keeping secrets
r. Sambo ?" asked Aunt Judy of one of tn
Re farm servants that before the late eur
pleasantness'' abounded as chattel proI
- erty throughout the South.
i "Yes, missus. Any orders ?" and th
i darkey crossed his feet, cooked one ey,
i and grinned expectantly.
Vi "Yes, Sambo, I have orders, and
want you to promise that you'll try
J. execute them promptly and keep M
N secret faithfully"
y "Any pay in it, missus? Ye see, d
el niOperis been runninI on shoIt IIoUanf