The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-04-20

disease. For my part, 1 think I'm
cheaply rid of him, if am rid at all.
The only thing I fear is his return,
which will be almost sure to occur if 1
make another public effort to earn
money"
There was another man in Idaho Flat
who disappeared Immediately after
John, and~that was no other than Jim
Young, the lawless tool of Hal LaSelle
and the prime destroyer Of Sue Ran
dolph's innocence and peace.
The mountains between Idaho Flat
and the great Basin were, in the time of
this narrative, as well as now, an al
most interminable wilderness. The
moon was at her full, and riding high
over the forest embattled heights, cast
shadow of purple blackness into the
gloomy gorges and made the Ominous
croak of the tree frog seem more dis
mally lonesome to John Smith than
any other sound he had ever heard. He
had decided to run away.
While Edna was in the midst of her
entertainment, he had retired to the
cabin, unobserved by her, where he
counted over the proceeds of the even
ings venture, and would doubtless have
disbursed the same among his convivial
chums before morning, if it had not
been for the suggestion of his chum, the
poor creature before alluded to, who
thought it would be capital thing for
both if they should pocket the prize and
disappear.
"You take the swag and CO." said
John. az will come on in a day or
two"
"Indeed, you don't catch me on that
layout" was the quick reply.
"Why, man? Are you a cOo0ard?"
"No, but Pm not a fool Don't 1
know that if 1 take the swag and
VdnlOse, the minions of the law will be
after me, and I'll fetch up at the end of
rope? Life's cheap in the diggings,
and I wouldn't give much for a wom-
ans legal feller who couldn't run of
with his own booty and save the liber-
ties and neck of both himself and
friend"
"What would you advise, then ?"
"Why, you go. Nobody can hurt
you if they do find you, for you can tell
'em you're going to different locality
to look up something bright for your
family's future. And so you are, you
know"
"And what then ?"
"When?"
"When you've got away, what would
you do?''
"Td make tracks for Lewiston. After
you get into the mountains, where
deers thick, you can bag one easy
enough with your old yager, and you
can just stop for day or two in Wild
Horse Gulch, and when they won'
think of looking for me, Tll slip off anC
hunt you up, and we'll tramp and de-
camp together, and have bank of Oul
own. Smith & Young, bankers aim
bad, by golly."
''But, Jim, this money is Edna's. 1
I take it she'll snatch me bald-headed.'
His companion laughed long ant
heartily.
"Before I'd be hen pecked by an!
woman I'd get into petticoats," he cried
speaking with that peculiar contemp
with which ignorant men are apt to re
gard all women.
, The result of the interview is alread,
known to the reader.
By the time that Edna's entertain
: ment was well over, John was maxim
bee line for the Gulch, and Jim Youn
was snoozing under his blankets on tn
lee side of ledge of rocks, and bot
were alike unconscious of havin
) wronged the helpless mother of job
Smiths helpless progeny.
After the excitement over the enter
tainment was past and the usual gossi
! about the disappearance of the two me
I had subsided, Edna fell sick. The mer
tai and physical strain had proved to
severe for her strength, and the reactio
brought her very near the grave.
= Then Sue Randolph's natural gooC
; ness of heart asserted itself. Edna ha
:, befriended her and she was resolved
. protect her friend in herafflictiOn. Tt
miners, seeing her determination to n
A form was genuine, became her defereI
. tial allies. True, there were men in til
r Flat who were inf1amed by liquor an
% all the base accompanimentsthat furth'
degrade human being, and these wei
, elamorous for her further debasemen
:. but they were few in number, and tt
- wronged woman, when one of her Sc
, had the courage to set the exampl
found no difficulty in securing all IL
r respectful patronage necessary to kee
:, the wolf from the door of Edna durin
IL her protracted indisposition.
;, Wearily the weeks and months wo
a on. Summer gave place to autumn
autumn to winter, and the rigor of
> winter in the mountains, unprotectC
n as they were from the snow and win
j. was anything but pleasant for the lol
- women and children to contemplat
But it was better than when John vi
y at home, for now they could use the
entire earnings for the famiIvJs banef