The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-01-26

did sometimes indulge in flights of SEN
timental balderdash and trancendental
vaporings, but without meeting with as
/ much encouragement from his CORE
spondent as he had counted upon. In
fact, the writing was mostly upon his
side throughout, and he often COM
: plained that she wrote with certain
stiffness and reserve that did uot appear
in her newspaper articles; that the lat
ter were more satisfactory to him than
many of her private letters. But mat
ters in this respect mended as the weeks
passed.
Finally, Ralph ventured the startling,
though not strictly original remark
he had seen it somewhere, picked it up
in some of his reading-that "he seemed
to have known her for long time-dL-
trays, in fact-in some previous state Of
existence, perhaps" And the "Bee"
responded that she, too, chad all the
time felt that he was not a stranger"
that she "seemed irresistibly drawn
toward him from the first" and much
more, in the same strain, that was
highly pleasing to Ralph, of course.
Next he volunteered her the informa-
tion that his wife, "though an excellent
woman in her way (gunpowder and
cannon balls never should force him to
say any III VI hCi j. was IOJdlly hllodllS-
factory to him as companion; that he
was emphatically alone, as far as the
higher and nObler elements of his being
were coucerned;" and he was rewarded
for his confidence by being told in reply
that the "Bee" could fully sympathize
with him in his loneliness, for that her
husband was a cORceited prig, and ID
brute withal, aud neglected her shame
fully, and Treated her as an inferior at
all times"
Then oh! how Ralph's sympathies
did gush "He kneW 1t! He had felt
from the first that something of the
kind was the case; but they must both
Oe strong, and hopeful, and watt" etc.
Ralph did, once in awhile, ask him
self how he would relish it if Matte
were carrying on a correspondence of
this nature with stranger; but he an
swered it by saying that he would never
know it, and-well he declined to dis
cuss it farther, any way.
In due time, Ralph again proposed
meeting; and this time the "Bee" read
lily acquiesced. So it was arranged that,
as the annual fair of the Agricultural
Society was to take place in a few
weeks, the interview should take place
during that time. In the floral depart
ment of the Agricultural Hall, Ralph
was to find the "Bee" standing 10y one
of the north windows, dressed in a gray
suit and carrying a blue parasol, and
with white rose in her hand. Time,
second day of the fair, IL O'clock A. NJ.
Never, in the spOoneyeSt period of his
adolescence, had Ralph labored longer
over the parting of his back hair anu
the tie OF his cravat, than he did that
same second morning of the fair. Mat
tie and the four children (for they were
all to go that day, rather against
Ralph's wishes, but it didn't matter
much) were all ready, and in the car
riage waiting, the children looking like
so many animated blossoms, with their
sparkling eyes, rosy cheeks, sunny curls
and pretty bright dresses, and all chat
tering and twittering like so many
thrushes long before he had given the
last admirng glance to his image in the
mirror, the last touch to his collar, and
the last caressing stroke to his flowing
brown beard.
81 shall drive right in, and leave the
carriage standing where you can have
good view of the ring" he said to
Matte, as they neared the fair ground
land you had better remain there with
the children this forenoon, and not go
through the hall till later in the day;
the crowd will be less then, and can
go with you better"
ooh, never miud me and the chill
dren," Matte replied; tive can take care
Of ourselves; only, some time during the
day, you must come around and go with
me to look at the poultry. l want to
select some new stock, you know.n
How many times Ralp consulted his
watch that forenoon it would be hard to
guess; but when it warned him that the
prOpitious moment was drawing nigh,
he entered the floral hall, and walked,
= as unconcerneGly as he could, down
toward the northern windows.
Yes, there stood lady iu gray. She
was looking out of the window, so that
he could not see her face, but one hand,
raised and resting against the window
casing, held a white rose; so she must
, be the "Bee," of course.
, No! How stupid! That was Mattel
What had sent her there just at that
! time? And how singular that she
should have white rose! And the
? children-hOw absurd !-all had white
roses What did it mean?
5 just then Baby Dimple caught sight
of him, and shouted "Pap-paW and
Matte turned and looked at him. There
was a conscious, half-quizzical look in
there was no accident.
= "You here, Matte ?n said he, looking
exceedingly foolish. "Why, l thought
= -I-didn't-"
"Yes, know" said Matte, blushing,
: ''you were looking for some one else,
r perhaps; but won't five roses do better
= than one? Then, seeing that the shot
r had taken effect, she went on as though
r nothing was wrong: 80, Ralph, there
r is a lot of Black Spanish out here
] Such beauties! Go and look at them
I now, won't you? l mean to buy a trio.
e No use of any further bee hunting" she
= whispered. "You've found the whole
= hive !"
1t seemed to Ralph that there was a
D whole hive in his head, as he lifted
] Baby Dimple in his arms, and walked
2 beside Matte down the hall, without
a comprebending a word of her animated
I disquisition on the respective merits OF
: White LeghOrns, Black Spanish and
, Brahmas as layers, good mothers or as
= table fowls.
D The only palpable idea in his
7 mind was, that Matte was perfect lit
a tie "brick," to behave with so much
: tact and GOODNESS, instead of making q
] fool of herself, as many women would
Not an inkling of the real truth illu-
s mined his mind all that long afternoon
: The "Bee' had betrayed him to Matte
I and they had arranged between them