The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-06-29

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father.
"Gus, will you do me favor ?" said
Martha, suddenly.
She was standing by the sideboard,
doing gentle battle with the dinner
dishes, and she spoke in low voice, to
prevent overhearing from the next room.
"What nOw?" said Gus, grumbingly.
Haven't you enough stove wood?"
eyes, brother. 1 wasn't thinking OF
that. But want-Pd-like-say, Gus,
wouldn't you like to do something that
father couldn't find out ?'
"Blamed if I wouldn't" answered
the boy, on the alert in an instant for
some kind of intrigue.
Good reader, you may try too hard to
keep water from running down hill, and
it will find means to force its way out
and up. So you may try too hard to
regulate the conduct of your children to
your liking, and they will, for that very
reason, become unduly rebellious.
Gus Marblehead did not undertake to
disobey his father openly. He had tried
once, and the marks of cow-hide
would go with him to his grave. But
he was ready at any time to circumvent
him by intrigue, and this his sister well
knew.
"I've been a good sister to you al
ways, haven't I, Gus?'
"Yes; when you haven't been ugly
about my whips and balls and sleds and
kites bein' underfoot. And then, you
plague me very often about stove wood;
but takin' you altogether, you'll do.
You've lied for me many a time about
the toothache or earache to keep me
from goin' to meetin'. Anything l can
do to pay you?"
Martha bIushed painfully. The re-
membrance of her former peccadilloes
did not add much consolation to her
present change of heart.
"Well, Gus, want to send a note to
King Greensborough. You won't tell ?'
"Of course won't! And you're just
6ullym
so, Gus! Don't talk that way /!
Father"
80, yes; 1 know he'd whip me if he
heard, bat you won't tell, for you daren't
else I'll tell something, too. What
do you want me to take a note to King,
for? Does he love you ?"
"She-se-sew
But it was only the cat. "Father"
had stretched himself in the sitting
room for his afternoon nap. He never
could see why anybody should get tired
of protracted meetings. "If people only
had the love of God in their hearts,"
and then he would fall asleep, while
his usury went on, and those who paid
it toiled for the money.
"You see, Gus" and Martha spoke in
a whisper now, "Father intends to go
to Oregon as soon as spring opens. 1
heard him say so, last night, though he
doesn't mean that you or I shall know
it, yet awhile, and what do you think
makes him want to gO?"
ITO get more religion, maybe"
mo; it isn't that. He already thinks
he has all there is of religion. You'll
have to guess again."
''To get away from cold winters and
hot summers. That's it, and Pm glad,
by golly."
Don't say naughty words, Gus, or
I'll be obliged to tell father"
"And then I'll tell that you're writin'
letters to King Greensborough."
Martha felt that Gus held the advan-
tage.
"What shall do with the letter? 1
mean, how shall manage to get it to
him so father won't know ?" asked the
boy.
"I7l leave that to you, brother A
boy who has managed as many sharp
tricks successfully as you have will
hardly fail in this one Pr
"Will you let me see the letter, Sis ?"
ayes, Gussie. Go away now, please.
I'll have it ready for you by supper
time"
Once alone, in the seclusion of her
ice-cold chamber, Martha's courage
well-nigh forsook her.
"What aOiU he think of me and what
will my mother say 2' she asked her.
self over and over again.
"Surely it will not seem bold for me
to drop him note, saying that my
father is preparing to leave the coun-
try" she thought.
King Greensborough was pacing the
floor of his office in an abstracted study.
The wind howled dismally around the
corners and sang dirges to his hopes
through the key-hole. 1t was bad
enough for rising young lawyer to
have incurred the displeasure of so hard
and influential a man as Major Marble
head under any circumstances, and
doubly dreadful was it when the tender
face and beaming eyes of the old mans
daughter sent a thrill to his heart to
the like of which he had heretofore been
a stranger.
"I've letter for you, Mr.. King"
said Gus Marblehead, cautiously open
ing the door and thrusting a soiled en-
velope, that his sister had given him
when snowy white into the franahIiDo