The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-08-31
CHAPTER Y.

gainly, loose jointed, shambling gated
boy of nineteen, with freckled nose and
shocky, yellow hair, a voice between
the melody of a donkey's braying and
the wheezy notes of an old melodeOn
with broken bellows; his pantaloons a
"world" too short for him, but wide
enough in knees and middle to counter
balance the want of length; patch on
one knee; one suspender, a hickory shirt,
with one elbow out, and one wristbGnd
hanging open; cow-hide shoes, without
stockings; a slouch hat, and ample red
silk neck-cIoth, well-streaked with evil
dences of profuse perspiration, these are
the essentials, make up his tout ensemble.
Not very inviting prospect for ris-
ing farmer, you will think, but don't
PREJUDICE him, patient reader. There's
an outcome in store for Gus, and some
day you will see him lauded for supe-
riOr craftsmanship in the New York
Tribune and London Times, while the
Albany Democrat and Salem Mercury
will deDounce him as an i'm beetle and a
villain. Such is fame.
But most of the brightest intellectual
lights that have yet dawned upon the
earth have been on par in their youth
with the ungainly and loose jointed boy
who is to perform no small part in the
future unfoldings of this narrative.
"The first thing we will do, Gus"
said Martha, when her husband and
parents had departed, "is to remove
everything we need from fathers cabin
to mine. You don't catch me working
for four or five years to improve a farm
for the sole use of Mrs. Major Marble
head and her obedent lord"
"Then, Sis, why didn't you make this
change while they were here ?''
because they would have objected
and overruled me. Or, if they hadn't
overruled me, they would have been
suspicious, and set boundaries to my
liberty.n
"See here, Sis! I have an ides," he
said, deliberately.
"Well, what is it?
81, too, shall want some property of
my own some day, and you know the
new Oregon land law allows each of us,
I mean you and me, three hundred and
twenty acres in our own right, if we
will reside upon and cultivate the same.
Let's take new claims, and go to work
for ourselves"
"But Pm a married woman, Gus.
can't do as would if I were a widow,
you see."
"Why not?"
Because Thomas Jones is my Legal
and financial representative"
'J'd show him about that r'
"How?"
"By doing as 1 pleased"
f'But can't, Gus"
"It's because you don't dare"
t'It's because the law won't allow me
can prove up and hold the home
stead in my own name-the land where
my little home now is-and it will bt
valuable some day, when lands come
into market, but | can't go anywhere
else and secure the faintest hope of
title to donation claim"
"Tom could"
"I know, but he's man, aud the Law
will favor him. He hasn't filed hi
notification of claim and settlement t.
secure his own half-section yet. H
left that for me to do"
''Then I'll prove up his claim an,
take it myself"
"That wouldn't be right, Gus"
"Why wouldn't it? He's abandone,
$50 has our father abandoned his
and our step-mother hers, for that mat
ter"
"But they expect US to hold thei
claims for them while they are off 'serv
ing their country you know"
swell, Sis, I don't propose to do any
thing of the kind. Pm going to loo
out for myself" and Gus blushed con
sciously.
Martha stared at him in astonishmen
81 mean it, Sis. Pm going to b
married"
"YOu?"
''Yes; I! Is there anything strang
about it ?"
'Why, Gus, never thought of sue
thing. You are SOY oung."
"Pm nearly three years older tha
you were when you were married"
Martha hadn't thought of that. Cir
seem to mature at so much earlier ag
than boys that the latter are often keE
in the background till they do not gt
their share of appreciation 10 the hom,
"You're pretty-looking creature
be married, Gus"
81 know it. And if Martha Brow
weren't the most sensible girl in th
township, she'd fail to see behind th
uncouth toggery, and then she wouldn
have me-"
"Martha Brownl Do you pretend
say she'd marry you ?"
II do, Sis. We're engaged"
"But her father"