The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-05-05

connectingthe with himself. Strange
what a world of dreams and shadows
his soul and brain had entered into:
But one day he came back out of the
darkness and the immensity and the
restless whirling to and fro of the waves
of life, weak and white and helpless as
baby.
And there, sewing by the window, sat
soft-eyed young girl, all in white,
with glimmering hair, long lashes, and
delicately rounded features.
"Pardon me-" hoarsely uttered the
Major, with a little SOIUe7lir of his old
fashioned courtesy and politeness; "but
l don't know who you are"
"Hush ~ said the young lady,
gently. "You must not talk. l am
here to nurse you"
And then he found himself taking a
draught from her practiced fingers, and
then drifting off to sleep.
81 have been very ill, haven't ?"
said he, when the doctor came in at
noon, as usual.
"You have been as close to the Valley
of the Shadow more than once as man
can be in this life," DR.. DelagOod an
swered, gravely.
The Major shuddered little-heath-
enish old sybarite as, he was. The idea
of death appalled, him, and he scarcely
cared to hear how near he had been to
the solution of the great problem.
"But you pulled me through" said
he, with long breath.
''Yes, and your patient little nurse,
who has just gone for half-hour's
sleep"
"Who is she, doctor?" asked the
Major, anXlousiy.
:, "She is a niece of one of the lady
boarders. Martin, I think they call
her. Her aunt went away as soon as
the fever declared itself-in fact, it
girl would not allow any one to suffer
flor want of care and nursing, so she
: courageously remained to take care of
you"
"Why did she do that ?" asked the
Major, little lump rising in his throat.
"Why did Florence Nightingale go
out to Crimea? Why are all the
women born heroines at hearth" re-
torted the doctor.
"God bless her ~ muttered the Ma
jor.
And then he turned his head on one
2 side, and a big drop or two FLASHED
: down on the pillow.
} Day by day he lay there in slow con-
valescence, while the pretty young
nurse ministered to him.
"NTy dear" said the Major, one day,
az think l am beginning to realize now
p what the blessing of daughter would
have been had God given me one.
have grown very fond of you"
The soft, blue eyes beamed smilingly
down on him as he spoke.
( "And | of you,n answered the girl, in
10, tonHor
} "Are you much attached to your
aunt Mrs. Fessendeu, l believe heI
name is"
''Yes," said the girl, half doubtfully;
= al suppose so. l never saw her before
she asked me to spend the season with
: her at Atlantic City last month"
"Is that all you have seen of herr"
tFThat's ALL"
t "Then," said the Major, 81 shall ask
! her to let me adopt you. VIII you be
! my daughter hencefOrth?"
! She threw her arms around his neck
and sobbed upon his breast.
. "Do you really love me? Do you re.
r ally want me ?' asked she.
y 81 am alone, my child" said the Ma.
? jor. "And you will be the sunshine o
. my house."
= 'But you have a son ?"
= "Yes," answered the Major, slightly
: frowning. "Poor Henry! But he ha;
e estranged himself from me-"
: "FOrever ?"
, eyes, forever ~ sickness, you see
e had taken none of the inherent obsti
$ macy out Of our old hero's character.(
: "Papa n'-she knelt beside the satin
pillOwed invalid chair, which had beer
+ wheeled out into the sunshine on tht
broad veranda-"I am to call you papa
e am not ?''
$ ''Of course you are, dearest"
C The Majors hand stroked down he
= bright hair with a tender touch as b,
r. spoke.
a "Then, papa, tell me why you are es
/ trauged from him?
"He married in disregard of m,
Wishes" the Major sternly answered.
d SIS that such an unpardonabl
crime?"
Y, "Unpardonable See here, Mary, i
1t he had not made such fool-such al
ie idiot of himself, he might have beel
7r your husband. You might then hav
10 been my daughter in very truth
y Stranger things have happened"
e. "But that couldn't be-"
l. "Why not ?' demanded the Major
ID because he is my husband already
- Oll, DdDd-uGdI1 uGdI ldLllSE L di1 uO
Mary Martin, and yet 1 am My rea
'd name is Mary Ariel Martindale. An
n Harry, away at st Louis, is my nus
at band. l only came here to stay wit
Aunt Fessenden until he could max
e, that little home for US which we ha
both hoped and dreamed of. Will yoI
}! forgive us both, papa, for nly sake ?"
S 81 suppose l shall have to-" said th
s. Major, in extreme bewildermeut
a kiss me, dear. Upon the whole
Harry isn't such a fool as l believe
ps him to be. And you knew who 1 wa
S all the while ?''
I'D "Of course l did"
"Aud you kept it dark ? Sly Httl
T. puss! Well, Mary mean Ariel"
at Eyes, papa"
ly "We'll telegraph to Henry to com
as right back. There's only three of u
lie Let's try to be happy together"
I'll So, through Ariers blue eyes an
e. heaven-set face Harry Martindale ws
u disinherited, and through her he ws
I'd received back again into his own inhe
us itance.
n Gown up, sir, that knew what We
ne about" said Harry, as he stood ther
with Ariel leaning on his arm.
," "You dog! =" said the old gentleman
ne facetiOusly pokiDg him in the rib
=. ''you've got the prettiest wife going"