The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-03-16
VOLUME vi.

eyes, auntie," replied Edna, with a
ringing laugh that seemed in i'll keep
ing with her desolate surroundings,
THAT OK team would furnish you a
grand turnout for a wedding excursion.
Besides, it's always customary for the
bride to furnish the means OF convey
ance to and from the parsons residence,
you know"
"Quite as customary as for the brides
relatives to furnish an outfit for the
groom, to keep himself and family from
starvingv' was the rather unkind re-
tort.
Edna blusbed painfully.
"Forgive me-" said Aunt Judy, ten
derly, ''I did not mean to wound you,
but it lily becomes you to be making
sport of other peoples matrimonial out
fits"
'Is your husband-to-be a really rich
man, auntie?"
"How should I know? Do you sup
pose Pm marrying him for his money!"
"From the lessons you have always
given me, since my own marriage, about
the necessity of business qualifications
for such a union, 1 supposed was ex-
cusable in looking after your affairs a
little, seeing so signally failed to look
after my own"
"Yes, Edna, he is growing wealthy.
The new flume is almost done; the new
shaft has been yielding marvellous rock
for a month or more; the new quartz
mill is i'm full blast, and Mr.. LaSelle is
too busy to get married., by rights.
Well be able to give you and the chill
dren a home, my child, and that's one
comfort"
"But, auntie, are you certain he is an
eligible candidate for matrimOny? You
know there are so many men i'll this
new, wild country who come here to get
away from domestic unrest or infelicity.
And when they get here they can pass
for single men, when in reality they are
married already"
"Child, do you mean to insult me ?
Mr.. LaSelle would be incapable of such
a thought. l wouldn't for the world
hint such a possibility to him. He is
the very soul of honorw
"Auntie, for my life I cannot see but
you are just as dreamy, just as foolish,
and quite as impracticable as 1 was
when I fell in love with one man and
ran away in the night and married an
other by mistake. Women have no
right to complain of the perfidy of men,
since they trust them implicitly, as men
would on no account dare to trust each
other.n
81 have not taken anything more for
granted than he has, Edna. How does
he know but have a living husband ?
He'd scorn to ask me such a question r'
"Ab, auntie, if there had been the
least shadow of a taint against your
name, in any way, men would have told
your paragon all about it long ago
John Smith would have known it, anG
then every man in the Flat would have
been treated to it as a savory dish o.
, scandal"
"And so, take it, if there had beer
anything covered or hidden in the life o
: Mr.. LaSelle, the scandal-mongers wouIC
l have unearthed it, for men are not ovel
fastidious concerning the reputation o
: their kind. But, Edna, look AS sur,
as you and 1 live there's gentleman
: coming to Idaho Flat in a stovepipe ha
= and ministerial cloth. l won't be com
: PEELED to leave the Basin at all to ge
married"
, "How a maiden in love does jump a
conclusions" cried Edna, laughing. 4"
declare, auntie, that if this love-makinj
= and general gush goes on, I'll forget al
t my troubles-get 'em all drowned in
: gulf of the ludiorous. How do yol
know that mans a preacher?"
: "Can tell by his dress ansl manner
r child. Do you suppose never saw
: clergyman before ?"
"He's studying our sign, and wi
: come here to lunch, and then We'll fin
: out all about him." said Edna, contem
e plating the bit of shingle with the wor
"Pies' in grotesque letters in lampblac
y nailed against the cabin wall upon tn
side nearest the mule-path that led in
vt zigzag line up the narrow sleeps.
= The sequel proved that both ladie
'e had been correct in their surmises. Th
n stranger was clergyman, in search {
s. pies and piety, the latter being a scare
u commodity in Idaho Flat; the formC
only attainable at the cabin of th
lie Smiths. The minister's horse, a mottle
le Cayuse, somewhat the worse for wea
D and noticeably hungry, was tethered I
ID bowlder hard by, and his owner wG
r soon guest at Edna's humble boar
y where he somewhat pompously said
ID grace before partaking of his lunch, a
ID ter which his pie was literally sanC
p wiehed between decisive layers of reliI
10 ious conversation.
J. "You could not have chosen a bett,
le place for the exercise of your skill as q
B. evangelist, Mr.. -, beg pardon-yol
re name?"
D. "Handel, ma'am; and I hope, by I'll
ct grace and power of God, to be able
1t bring the harmonies of the spheres in