The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-07
shall marry one that is divorced com.

shall marry one that is divorced COM
mitteth adultery ?"
eyes"
"And is not that a crime that will di-
vorce a married couple at any time ?"
"Yes." ...f. i....
"Then am Free" slapping the pota-
toes into a kettle and covering them
carefully as she spoke. .. ...-.
"Now don't understand" said Mrs.
Perkins, wonderingly, as she seized a
broom and began vigorous onslaught
upon the rough-hewn kitchen floor.
George Hanson deceived me-" ex-
planned Madge. "He did not tell me
that, before God, he had a wife already
else would have died ere 1 should have
married him. He said, too, that 1
might go right back to my mother as
soon as we were married. He said he
had good reason for having the cere-
mony over before you should meet him,
and he would tell me all about it after l
was his wife," Dad
"Has he told you about it as he
agreed ?"
mo"
"Well, child, there is no law to COM
pei any husband to abide by the verbal
contracts he makes with his wife, either
before or after marriage. You are
doomed, and it can't be helped. Pity
you couldn't have seen my daughter
Sara and her poor child of shame-Han-
sons child"
"Your daughter W cried Madge, in as
tonishment. 81 thought the first Mrs.
Andrews was your only daughter"
"Sara was my dead sisters child.
She was as fair as the moon, as radiant
as the sun, and pure as snow. This fel-
lOw-your husband-wooed her, de-
ceived her, betrayed her, and fed"
''Did she have snowy shoulders, and
yellow curIs, and melting eyes of blue?"
'You describe her perfectly as far as
you CO."
"pve seen her fifty times"
"What ?"
81 mean just what say. I've seen
her many a time. She comes before me
like a flash when George is thinking
about her. Oh, why didn't tell you
all about it before was married ?r
"Sure enough r' and Mrs. Perkins up
set a custard pie upon the floor as she
lifted it from the oven, causing her to
utter an ejaculation that was very little
like prayer. -.......
'I understand it all now," continued
Madge. HE was afraid to see you, for
fear you'd peach! I'll see him dead
and doomed before I'll go back to him
again v' .....
"But you're his wife"
"His dupe you'd better say"
"POor Sara was not his dupe."
"She's better off to-day than l."
30, Madge ~ .. .......
"She is! for he has no claim upon
her. He cannot compel her to submit
to his demands, and he cannot take her
child from her."
"You terrify me-"
"Tm terrified myself.n
Among the dozen men who came in
at noon for the harvest dinner, was q
kindly-lookingg gentleman, whom coarse
apparel could not transform into 6
rough, unseemly laborer like the others
with whom he had been toiling.
A neighbor introduced him as "Mr
| Morrison, late from the mines," anC
Madge as "Miss Morrison, late from the
shades of some mysterious seolusion.'
, "Alas, that my name is no longel
/ Morrison" thought Madge, as, blushinl
painfully, she helped him to basin o
] water and the coarse crash towel, al
ready wet in patches from vigorous use
"a miners fortune is very precari
GUS one," said the stranger. "pu
e thankful to escape once more to the ag
e ricuItural districts. rve been roughini
it for nearly two years in the mines
d; and am now in search of employ
8 Your brothers kindly furnished M
with work whereby 1 might earn NJ
g dinner. Perhaps you would like com
petent farm hand"
. Here was Msdge's ideal of perfec
manhood. A gentleman born and bre
o he was, who was not afraid, when over
n taken by adversely, to turn his atten
d tion to any honest labor whereby t
earn livelihood.
o "You look and speak like Morrison
= and like you," said Madge, impuls
:, lively. 81 shouldn't wonder if you wer
= my cousin"
), 81 should be proud to claim relation
ship" was the gallant reply, "but it,
d very distant, if it exists at all. You
e father was my fathers cousin, si
r times removed, so fear that our kin
ship will only answer for compliment.
8, "Did you know my father?"
Is "Only by reputation. He lived
1t the middle West, while my people sci
3; tied in the South" ..a..
lr "Dinner's ready" said Madge. "Yo
see we've laid the table in the shade {
ID the trees to keep the house quiet. NJ
Ig mother is dangerously ill.n s..e
DR. But Mr.. Morrison did not requiI
s, Madge's explanations. The men VIII
were congregated to harvest the croI