The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-02-09

step and hid his face in his hands as if
/ he would hide too the scalding tears
that must have way.
Two thousand dollars-he might just
as well wish for a silver mine! Just as
he said the words to himself, a soft clear
radiance was yelling up over the dusky
garden, and as he raised his head again,
after a while, there came the moon
softly floating up above the horizon of
the long interval below. 1t cheered
him inexplicably, like an omen,
promise. He stood up and struck one
palm into another.
az will have her yetv he cried, and
went in to his dreams.
"Can you think of anything, Rose,
where we can economic ?" he said, next
day.
"Economize ~ she exclaimed, gayly.
''For what? In what? With what ?'
$50 that we can raise two thousand
dollars" he answered, as gayly.
She sat down as suddenly as if some
gigantic hand had been laid on her head
and crushed her into the seat.
1.-TWO thousand dollars In she gasped.
1--WE couldn't economiZe it in two
thousand years, for l don't know where
we waste cent now"
81 must get it in some way, if have
10 90 OUT bdWluR WOOu dlkEI uOulSs
"Why, Roger?"
"For capital to 90 into business"
"The house would sell for five hund-
red more than you want"
"The hOusev' he said. "That is not
mine"
Rose stood up, moving one thing and
another nervOusly about the table; her
lips trembled, and all at once she ran
out of the room.
"Oh, he cares nothing for me; he de-
spises me; he disregards me; he would
take nothing from me! Because it is
mine, it is not his, and he wants moth
ing of me-"
"She takes no interest in it; she don't
care a whit whether l go into business
or not; it matters nothing to her," he
sighed. "She flashes out of the room
and about her business as though / were
the merest stranger at the gate" And
he jammed on his hat, and went to his
work, head down, hands in pocket, and
gloomy as the grave. All day long that
rosy, dimpled face fitting between him
and every customer; all day long the
awful figures, $1,000, writing themselves
on the wall before him like a Meme,
meme, tickey uphGrsiR; and when, late
in the day, cloud slowly rose and hung
over the fields and marshes, till all the
sky was purple and all the land was a
shadow, and low thunders began to
grOwl in its breast, and sharp light
! nings leap from it, it seemed to Roger
only something in accord with his feel
ings, for il befitted nature to be as dark
as his own outlook.
1t was terrible storm, though, before
another hour had passed. Peal after
, peal the thunder crashed over the little
1. .11.sg i, g. Er1ta
: amOug the hills; flash after flash the
e lightnings cracked and unrolled, and
from moment to moment wrapped the
, place in sheets of flame; and after one
report, when the heavens seemed to
b shrivel like bit of burning parchment
t the bark of the century-Old elm in the
square where the little band played OIL
q summer nights had been torn off in one
g long spiral from top to bottom, and the
tree had answered the bolt in pillar o
= fire. AS the storm increased, Roger re-
II membered Roses fear of thunder, anC
n plunged out into it, determined that sht
should not be alone in such a mOmen
of absolute terror. The rain met hin
Il half way, worse than any lightnings-l
Ir gray, sitting down-pour, in which
was impossible to draw his breath, AM
d his only refuge was to take to his heel
Of and run as fast as ever any Lampad raj
% a race.
She must have seen him coming, fo
ar she set open the door, though she stoo
ie behind it. "What made you leave shel
y ter in such storm as this?" she cried
id and just then there came an Overwhelm
ye ing flash, the fire of which seemed
p? penetrate her brain. She clapped he
hands to her face with a shrek, th
Id house rocked and the door swung an
i slammed, and she fell fainting upon th
n, floor.
Id When Rose came to herself, she ws
ne lying on the lounge where Roger ha
en- placed her, and the storm was slowl
he rolling off below the horizon, with no
lie and then a smOthered growl, and I'll
er rain was pattering only in thin shower
he which the freshened breeze shook fror
in the vines and boughs. She sat up
rs, rectly, and presently, as soon as 81
he found her feet, went to the window
en- look about. The whole world SCENE
IN; sweet and rich and glistening in tt
at sunset, with sort of delicious unde
en light, and the birds were wild with m
he sic. Roger stood beside her at the wi
elf dow, looking out into the enchanted q
ate mosphere. They were both silent: al
70? just then good old Mrs. Vance came
no the garden walk from her own adjoinil
ng one, fearing Rose was alone, and n
D a having dared herself to come to her /
ify fore; and she staid to tea, and wanted
all game of cribbage ia the evening; a.
IS when Roger came back from escort du
IRE, to old Mrs. Vance, Rose just lifed t
mes candle-fame between her face and b
she and saying goodnight, hurriedly, W
IVY away to her slumbers.
sti- Roger went to his, that is to say,
his room. Sleep, he could not. L
nd, thoughts were whirling at such rS
his with his emotions that he was vic
uld awake than ever before. He stepp
and out on the old broken balcony of
Ieir window and watched thesslow wheeli
nto of the consultations, and heard the ii
he cracking sound of leaves and rain-drC
was and pebbles in the garden, of Sol
orld night-bird, maybe, tapping the bous
}, to or else of the dead vine branch beati
hen on a window-pane, and he thought b.
sts, hard and bitter thing was life, a
1 of half cursed it; and then the vision
he, Rose would steal before bim-the swe
,uld smiling face, the dimpled velvet che
m the shining eye, gentle motion, gen
Just spirit-and he said to himself that
to was enough for any one to live in
put same world with such q thing as she.
but But at length it occurred to him Il
tart this was enough of star-gazing. If
ere. were ever to be a man, fit to win
ade: even if unable, he must cease his d