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

to see her dragging out her life in this
way"
"Her troubles about Madge are even
greater than about herself" said Mrs.
Perkins.
"Madge has written to me-" abruptly
remarked the hired man.
"Oh, has she? What news ?n and
Mrs. Perkins fairly trembled in her ca
gerness.
81 don't knowswh she wrote"
"Thats singular. This is no time to
be humbugging anybody, Mr.. Morri-
son."
az know it, madam; I know it. And
while We leave that egotistical donkey
strutting up and down in the sitting
room, waiting for his wife to recover
from the cruel blow she has received in
her soul, may as well tell you all about
it. OF course you won't repeat to that
rum-soaked monster anything say. 1
want you to inform Mrs. Andrews,
though, for must go away from here"
"You, Mr.. Morrison ?"
"Yes-I."
"What for ?"
because I cannot bear to remain in
sight of so much human misery that I
have no possible opportunity to alIevi-
ate. Mrs. Andrews is a martyred an
gel. AS an honorable man, I could do
nothing less than give her kindly cOun-
sci when she, as an honorable woman,
has sometimes sought advice in her
great affiiction. I cannot stoop to re-
main in an atmosphere whose every
breath is tainted with the foul suspi-
cions of jealous cur who will not treat
his wife with courtesy nor allow any
one else 10 do so. The vile wretch who
married Madge and ruined poor S.;
the miscreant who is now the legal
owner of a wandering refugee for whom
there is not in all the world hiding
place; the low, despisable, cowardly
vagabond who destroyed my own hap
piness, is in possession of the letter
written by Madge to her mother, under
cover to me, and he will seek, find, and
persecute her. l feel that she will need
my help"
"But you've no more moral or legal
right to assist her than her mother.
She, too, belongs to her husband, and
any interference on your part, for the
purpose of protecting her in any way,
will only make the matter worse"
"I'll risk it, anyhow"
"Well, God speed you; though Pm
sure I don't envy you the job you've un-
dertaken."
And now, reader, while Morris Morri-
son is making the few needed prepara-
tions for his suddenly-planned journey,
let US leave hkn to steal few farewell
words with Mrs. Andrews, who recov.
ers from her swOon and again moves
wearily about the house, rejoiced al
last, when her legal prop and shield goes
grumbling to his bed, that once more
the torpor of drunkenness is upon him
and she may have little peace; let us
leave them to plan and conjecture as tC
ways and means to rescue mother anC
daughter, and returning to Madge, a:
we left her, overlooking the site of the
new city, let US go with her in search o
shelter and mployment. Poor Madge
Her attempt to make presentable tot
let was a sad one. Naturally homely
she was more in need of artificial adorn
ment than most women, or, rather
children, for she was yet a child; bu
her one presentable dress had become
badly demoralized in her travels through
the forest, and do what she would t,
hide the rents with thOrns, which il
lieu of pins were fortunately obtaina
ble, she felt humiliating sense of he
own uncomeliness, that was in nowis
J lessened by her tattered clothing, wheI
she reached the growing city and Sc
about the difficult task of hunting EN-
, plOyment among strangers without ref
! erences, and wholly destitute of knowl
edge concerning the world and its ways
, At a number of hastily-erected bu
: flashily-elegant residences, where sh
gathered courage to make application
= for work, she was met by servants VIII
f slammed the doors in her face. Agai
Z she was turned away for lack of refer
= ences, and again repulsed as intruder
: Yet her spirits did not sink, nor he
t courage falter. a sort of inner cor
= sciousness in her final triumph sus
! tanned her throughout the dreadful day
= and she sometimes wondered to herse
! why it was that she was not utterly de
] spondent. Finally, when her feet wei
f blistered with. walking, and her bone
o ached with fatigue, she turned a cornt
and started with new impulse dow
: the street.
r A pretty brown cottage stood in til
o center of a blackened clearing, an
e three or four children were rompin
= over the rough, unsodded earth.
G man was busy building fence next I'll
e street, and through the window Madg
espied woman lying upon a sick bel
}. nervously worrying with a crying bah
e "Would you like good, willing gi
+ in your house ?"
Thequestion startled the fence-builde
r, it was so abrupt and unexpected. f,
=. l.