The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-07
been one hour in their company. And

been one hour in their company. And
yet, men never gossip. l 4
"Have you a physician to attend
your mother 2" asked the stranger, as
Madge came around to replenish his
cup. 4a st. rrt .aaa c.s i
''pm the DOCTOR" was the naive re-
ply.
"Where did you get your skill 2"
ain the woods, and out of the winds"
"She won't need to go far to get as
crazy as the old woman" slyly re-
marked one of the men, as soon as her
back was turned. r. .
"Come back to the house after the
other men are gone, and we'll see about
giving you a job" said Madge, to her
new acquaintance, as he rose from the
table. "The boys will need help about
the threshing, and there are numberless
odd chores to do" ..-.. ....,........
"You can't hire that man." said Mrs.
Perkins, as he turned to go.
"Why ?'' and Madge's eyes flashed
with indignation. rr ...
Because you're the silent half of the
Hanson firm" .... -.....
Madge blushed and quivered as if suf-
fering in every nerve. ......-
"Tll get out of this or die p she ex-
claimed, abruptly.
"Poor child! it's easier said than
done," was the consoling reply.
"Don't you think 1 ought to ?" and
Madge's lips quivered, while a tear
trembled on her lashes. .....
"You took the vows for life, my
child" .a.
"And 1 meant them, too"
"Then you'd better abide by them"
"And stultify my womanhood by per-
petually ratifying fraud? You don't
know me, Mrs. Perkins"
"Child, you little heed what you are
saying. The sin of which you SO justly
complain was committed before you be-
came Hanson's wife. 1t can only be
proved upon him by my daughters
oath. This she will not give, because
to do so would entitle him to the possess
sion of her child as soon as it is out of
its worst baby-trouble. Then, if you
should seek justice in the courts, you
could not find it. You married him of
your own accord"
"Under a necessary restriction" in
terrupted Madge.
(which restriction you could not
prove, and if you could, it would avail
you nothing, for wife is a nonentity
in law and ethics"
"But pll get divorce"
"And disgrace yourself"
81 defy disgrace"
"Again you frighten me-"
"I'll make disgrace respectable, and
then it will be disgrace no longer"
'pm afraid you don't know what
you're talking about, my child. You
could not procure a divorce upon any
plausible grounds. Your husband has q
legal right to control your body, and nc
court will divorce you upon your COM
plaint that he has restrained you"
"But he's morally married already
"Alas, child, men make the laws and
enforce them, and they can do these
things with impunity. If the condi
tions were reversed; if, instead of his be
ing an illegal father, you had been ar
illegal mother, the shoe would have beer
on the other foot. Your husband:
property would have been a cheat, anC
he could easily have divorced you. Yol
have no property right in him, conse
quently any damage to that commodit!
is not apparent to lawmakers"
f 'It's the first dilemma I was ever il
that couldn't conquer" said Madge
bitterly. "But I'll get even. Pm
nonentity, Pm an outlaw, and hence
forth spurn both responsibility and con
sequences. Pll stand by my mother
: and defy the law"
"What if you have chiliren?"
This possibility had not before pre-
3 sented itself to her excited mind.
? 30, my God! spare mev she cried, Il
: pitiful tones, as she stacked the dishe
and prepared to scour the knives an
+ spoons.
IT. ko