The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-14
Why He Loved.

because you are so pretty,n said he.
She did not know whether she liked
the answer or not. Admiration is very
sweet to a woman. She put her head
down on his shoulder.
80, Charliep' she said; eff 1 were
ugly-you think me ever so much pref
tier than / am, you know-but if 1 were
really ugly, wouldn't you love me?
should you. Oh, if anything hurt that
dear face, or made you less strong or
graceful than you are, should love you
even more, know"
Men have no tact. They can't help
it, poor things! The husband Of week
laughed as he kissed the sweet upturned
face and said:
"Don't imagine all sorts of things.
Why didn't you fall in love with that
excellent Scotch gentleman who was all
mouth and cheek bone? Or crooked
little Jones? You like big fellow, and
one that was not absolutely hideous, in
stead; and II appreciate virtue and
learning, but L did not love Minerva
Robbie in spite of that. 1 loved the
prettiest little girl in the world, because
she was the prettiest and sweetest.
Kiss me-"
She kissed him, but afterward she
said slowly, and-in half whisper:
81 hope God will let me die before He
makes me ugly. 1 could not bear to
live if you did not love me-"
They had not been married a month.
They were on their honeymoon trip
even then. They were very much in
love-he as a man is, she as a woman
is-and that is in quite different way.
Not that 1 find fault with that. 1t is
but natural. Men and women always
do everything differently-work, play,
idle, even fight differently. Why should
they love alike? But the knowledge of
this fact doesn't come to a woman until
her first love has been wintered and
summered, and the knowledge is seldom
agreeable.
Nettie was loved. 1t should have con-
tented her, and she told herself so, but
she would have been happier if Charley
had said just what she wanted him to
say. 1t made no difference to that hon
eymoon, however. They walked and
chatted, and sat together in the moon
light. They rowed up the river, and
wandered through the woodland, and
had such summer as people never
have but once; then they came to the
city to their everyday life. All the
sweet cOmmonplaces of home life, when
it is the home of married lovers! And
there was no cloud to mar their days for
many happy months.
At last, however, the time came when
they must part for a little while.
Charles found it necessary to go to New
Orleans on business, and Nettie could
not accompany him. Charles did not
like the parting, but he took it philo-
sophically, as a man must, but Nettie
nearly cried herself blind.
Only few weeks, he said. It was to
be two months. Nettie gave the time
its whole value. When he had kissed
her, she clung to him almost Uouvul-
sively.
"If I should never see you again ?'
she sobbed.
"My little one, don't be foolish" lie
said, and he held her more closely to
him, and was off,
But he thought of her as the train
flew away. He thought of her as he
trOd the streets Of strange cities and sat
alone at strange tables, and he dreamt
Of her all night. But she wore his let
ters in her bosom, and he tucked hers in
his pocket.
Once his letter was delayed, and she
was sure that something terrible had
happened, and was just saved from
nervous fever by its tardy arrival.
Once hers did not come; he took il
cOOlly at first. "That confounded post
man has made a mistake" he said
But after several days, he concluded tc
make sure that all was right, and tele-
graphed:
'If well, answer at once"
Just then, if he could have sent hi:
spirit home on the telegraph wires, ht
would have seen this picture:
His Nettie lying on her bed listening
to the doctor:
81 am sorry to say it is the small pox
madam" said the gentleman; "but, af.
ter all, under good treatment, it is nc
worse to have the smallpox than it i.
many other things. There is no danger
in this case"
'Small-pox," murmured Nettie tC
herself. "Small-poxI and Charlie
loves me because l am pretty"
The answer that came to Charlie.
telegram was:
"All right"
Nettie sent it by the nurse, whC
agreed that there was no need of fright
ening the poor man. "And would no
have him return now under any consid
eration," she said. "He might take th,
the disorder" But that was not all he
reason.
Then there was a time when Netti
knew nothing. Then-ah, what then
Charlie only knew that, as he was pack
ing his portmanteau to return home,
letter was brought him. He thought i
his wife's handwriting, and he had hat
no letter for many days. He tore i
open. 1t began, "Sir." 1t was no
from her; yet how like hers. He pauset
before he read on:
"Sir:-I have sad news to tell YOU
Your wife is dead. She caught th
smallpox and it proved fatal. She wa
glad to die, because the small-po,
makes people very hideous sometimes
and she knew you would not love her i
she was ugly. She said you said so, an,
bade me tell you how dear your low
was to her until the last.
'MARTHA BLoMGREEN.u
An hour afterwards a waiter fount
Charlie lying senseless on the floor be
side his satchel. 1t was many week
before he returned to his desoIate home
Then he found he could not live there
The place seemed haunted. His wife
dresses hung on the wall, and he see ule,
to hear the sound of her feet on n
stairs, and hear the door stir, and
dozen times lifted his head and locke,
toward it, almost hoping that she woul,
come in.
In his place, Nettie would have gath
cred up small trifies he had touched an,
kept them where she could weep owe
i II \