The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-02-02

man fidgeted uneasily as he saw pros
pect that the sleeping woman might
stir
ooh, no, sir; but I'd be willing to live
almost any way for few years, while
we're young and while the children are
little, if by so doing I could amass
competency for middle and declining
/ life.n
"Well, madam, if you can have any
influence over my wife for good, I shall
not regret coming to Idaho Flat"
The woman thus indicated rose sud
denly to a half sitting posture and began
to upbraid her companion, not needing
Edna's presence.
"And so you've brought beans and
pork, ell? ?" she said, speaking with a
thick-tongued utterance that confirmed
Eina's first impression.
at was all l could Afford" was the
quiet answer.
"Yes; all you could afford, no doubt!'
was the querulous reply. Then, turn
/ ing suddenly, she encountered Edua's
wondering eyes and dropped her own
/ for an instant.
Where had Edna met that look be-
! fore.
"You promised me, Jim Young, that
if I'd become your wife, you'd be fortu-
nate in business and would always keep
me in elegant style! You said I was
too young, too fragile, and too hand
some to keep booaders for a mining
camp; and you managed to get breath
of suspicion against my good name, and
induced my husband to believe your
villainous lies, and he took all we had
and abandoned me because he deemed
me untrue. What could I do, Jim
YouRg? My baby, even, was snatched
from my arms because you made him
believe 1 was guilty, and 1 became a
discarded wife and a robbed mother.
I'd kept boarders at Rocky Bar, Jim
Young. I'd washed for the miners, and
toiIed when wasn't able, and my work,
more than his, had made the little we
had; but you got me slandered, and I
was turned out of home, disgraced,
robbed, and yet inno5entw
"lIy wife is crazy, madam. It is
very unfortunate case" said the host.
"Crazy, iadeedF' was the contemptu-
Gus reply. "Would to Heaven aUere
crazy ~
'If you were an innocent woman,
why did you live with this man, even
, when your husband had discarded yOu?"
asked Edna.
"Why does any woman sell her soul
or body?" was the fierce reply. "What
else was left me that could barter, ex-
, cept myself? There was no law in all
the land to which I could appeal for
protection in my property rights.
! Women Stunned and starved, and men
S sought and tempted meat least, this
f one did-and I fell for food and shelter.
{ Fell, even while loathed the man who
o wrought my ruin. All, madam, the
t men say that they protect us-and so
= they do! Just like they protect cattle
If we are their property, they'll house
o and feed and provide for US; but if we
u are nobOdy's property, they turn US out
e to starve, unless some OF them take 8
n contract to secure certain amount o.
u service from us, for which we are in the
end to pay with life and honor"
q ''NIr. Young" cried Edna, flashing
e her indignant eyes upon the man, "i
# this woman's story tyWe?"
4 Something in the questioner's man
# ner caused him to hesitate and blush.
IS mo-" he at length replied, speaking
with evident reluctance, "the woman i
sr as crazy as Loom"
il "Aud who drove me crazy, jim
is Young? Who alienated a kind, hard
re working husband from me byvillainOu
,e lies? Who caused me to be robbed q
lie my baby-my precious, precious baby
Who caused me to be driven into tn
II world penniless and disgraced? Who
,e when the vile work of robbery had bee
d, accomplished, came to me when I wa
half sick, half famished, and half frOze
ID and offered me, with hOnied words an
pit promises as false as hell, a grand HON
W ia San Francisco? Who promised t
see that 1 was legally and hOnorably d
lg vorced? Who promised, if would bU
as take the gold myperishing body needed
is that he would treat me honorably till
e, was free, although an innocent outcas
Ks to became his wife? All, Jim Young
Of course Pm crazy Crazy with gin
ed And I intend to remain crazy ever
of hour that I can find enough of gin
d. keep me so. When Pm dead drunk
id can't see my white-faced Alma. Whe
" the stupor is on me 1 can't hear her CT
"a for mamma. When I'm mad wit
whisky I can forget my sorrow in curse
n But, oh, the sad awakening that come
es The wages of sin is DEATH If this is
90 on through life, I'll never meet m
Ia, darling in the land of souls. Etern
af- misery! Oh, God r'
The wretched creature fell prostra
m. on the roll of blankets, and Edna, wi
to- had found a case more heart-rendir
than her own, hastened to her hon
.ps and poured the story into the wonde
90 ing ears of her sympathetic relative.