The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-01-05

ness, az don't see why you need to
worry. The miners won't see the wom-
en- and children suffer-"
"And, is it possible, John Smith, that
you are so far dead to all sense of inde-
pendent honor that you would willingly
depend upon the efforts and charity of
strangers for your family's support ?"
John left the cabin, slamming the
ponderous puncheoh door with cIamor
and bang that sent thrill of nervous
agony through poor Edna's temples and
almost threw her into spasms.
"Aunt judy" said she, speaking from
sudden impulse which a moments re-
Election would have caused her to forego,
'T'm afraid John has sold the team al
ready"
"And what, pray, would he have done
with the money!" cried Aunt Judy, the
sudden start of surprise throwing her
into fresh tremor of ofrheumatie twinges.
"I don't know, auntie. Please forget
that said it. God knows I would not
misjudge John. have chosen my fate,
and it is as little as can do to honor it.
This is your own teaching, you know"
ayes, poor child! But little thought,
when 1 counseled you to make the best
of bad and foolish bargain, by stick
ing the closer to it, that you would ever
be the means of bringing US all to the
verge of both starvation aud disgrace !"
1t was a cruel taunt. Poor Edna,
weak and helpless, and so full of her
own miserable contempt for the weak
ling who was dragging himself and fam
lily to the lowest depths by drunkenness
and prof1igscy that she was paying the
forfeit Of her disgust by lingering and
painful illness, could only answer by ST.
lent tears.
Little by little the whole truth leaked
out. John had sold the team and squan-
dered the proceeds of the sale at the
gambling board. At first he was peni-
tent, but a consultation with his friends
at the groggery put a new phase upon
his affairs, and he became insOlent and
abusive.
There was little law, except of the
Lynch order, in Idaho Flat. Men were
bound to each other by code of un-
written honor, which the most of them
instinctively respected, and woe to the
transgressor who disregarded it.
But, if they knew how to deal with
each other as men, they were signally
at fault when differences of opinion
concerning property rights grew up be-
tween husband and wife, hence they
could not interfere with the rights of
Edna and John, or even of John and
Aunt Judy in property matters.
Could Aunt Judy have proved that
the property in question was hers,
instead of Johns, or, rather, Johns
wife's, it would have aroused the indig-
nation of every miner to its highest
pitch to have known that he had thus
appropriated it; but the accepted idea
that a man cannot wrong a woman in
person or property, if that woman be his
wife, was orthodox law in Idaho Flat,
as it is in too many other localities in
America where men are the sole arbiters
Of financial destiny.
"The team wasn't yours, but Edna's,
and you needn't be putting on airs about
it, Aunt Jude % said John.
"I should like to know how you make
that out" was the old lady's helpless
reply.
"Pm not always asleep when Pm sup,
posed to be mapping" continued John
81 heard ou and old Mrs. Rutherford
talking these things over together be.
fore we left the States, and know thai
you're infringing on my rights every
time you interfere in my family af
fairs :"
} This was blow to Aunt Judy's pride
but how was she to help herself? Sh,
was absolutely without proof that sh'
was other than pensioner upon til,
bounty of John. 1t was not customary
for women to own property in their owl
right when there was a man at hand t.
claim it. How was it that she had beel
so blind?
: But it is useless to follow the misera
BILE family through the sickening or
deals of that terrible winter. Over tn
humiliation of Edna, the wrath of Aun
= Judy, and the dissipation of John, let us
? in mercy to the reader, draw a veil.
E Partly upon the charity of the miners
2 partly upon the prucarious earnings o
: Johns gambling, but chiefly upon sucl
= slight income as Edna was able to com
s mand by her pastry cooking on sucl
e days as she was able to creep around tn
] cabin, the family subsisted.
Spring came at length, bringing
l balmy sunshine and gentle breezes t
e allay the rigorous cold that had he'll
e carnival through the long months pre-
= ceding her much-desired advent.
e Work was resumed in the diggings q
: soon as the melting SHOWS made waite
4 abundant, aud soon the mines were Iii
z orally black with searchers for the hid
e den ore.
e With the return of pleasant weathe
o came better health for Aunt Judy
Y whose rheumatic twinges gave way ur
Jor fha sra,,faI ravS Of fba anrino,ti ~,