The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-01-04

CHAPTER AAAL.
Kingston Greeusborough vas alone
in his little private Office in the city Of
Washington. The night was sultry,
aud the sitting atmosphere was terribly
oppressive.
''Why the citadel Of governmeut
should he kept in this horrid climate is
more than I can tellr' he exclaimed,
aloud, wiping the perspiration from his
forehead, and giving vent TO sundry
pulls and respirations Of the discomfort
always inspired by intense heat. "If
had my way, I'd move this molten cap
ital to the summit Of the Rocky Noun
tains, or some equally central position,
where there's a breath Of air in the sum
mer months,1 he added, not noticing
that be had a listener.
"Ah. eli ?' be asked, in mingled rage
and scorn, as Thomas Jones stood before
him, trembling like the arrant culprit
that he was. "And TO what am in
debted for this untimely visit, pray
The atmosphere Of my Office was nearly
enough like the temperature of hell be-
fore you entered it, and now it is insult
ferable. Read that, you dogw
Atanother time the Honorable Thomas
Jones would have resented the insult;
now he fairly quaked with guilt and
apprehension. 10 his soul he knew
be was a thief and a robber, and,
though he believed there were no hu-
man laws TO bring him to justice, he felt
instinctively the foretaste Of the higher
law to which all are ever to be held re-
sponsible in the end. He took the let
ter 10 his nerveless fingers. The hand
writing was only too familiar.
"What business has my wife to be
writing to yOug' be managed to say;
but bis assumption Of injured dignity
only made bim feel aud look the more
contemplate.
"Read, and see."
''The home your kindly hand and no.
ble heart prepared for me is gone,
wrote Martha. ''The Captain johnson
who negotiated for the sale Of my hard
earned farm, and helped the dishonest
thing the law calls my husband 10
wrong you out of, after you had paid
your money for it, has levied upon all
my right, title, and interest in the city
house and grounds, and the whole is
gone, under the hammer. / protested,
but in vain. tried TO hold third in
terest in the property, but failed. Ny
husbands debts, the judge decided
took precedence over any Of my own in
terestsi for, in law, 1 belong to Thomas
Jones, soul, body, and earnings. I
know not what TO do next. / have been
very IN for a day or two, else would
have written earlier My step-mother,
touched by remorse, and humiliated by
her public discontinue, has been kind
to me- but, King, her very atmosphere
is poison 10 me, and caunot live in il.
My father offers me a home, but I can
not become a peusioner upon the bounty
Of man, in my faded womauhood. who
married me Of, in my fresh young girl
hood, to get rid OF me, when he knew I
de;ested the bonds. 7 have the house
hold furniture left, which would sell
and hide myself somewhere, IN earth's
Oblivion, and live tll could do better
on the proceeds, only nobody is willing
TO purchase, lest my legal master come
aud reclaim his property, as he did ir
your case. So am driven 20 the wall
/ will send the children home with ms
step-mother, for they have not my caus,
for withering under her breath, aud
will start forth, peuniless and alone, @,
make my way 10 the world unaided
Don't try 10 fnd me, King. I shal
never look you IN the face again, for
feel that you have been wrouged so fal
beyond my poor power 20 make repara.
tion that / cannot bear 10 meet you
King, I sometimes wonder il there is q
life beyond this vale Of tears, where the
wrongs Of this life may be righted. II
may surprise you that a Christian WON.
an should ask such question, or rails,
such doubt, but am driven to doubr
everything except my own dreary ex
istenee- Would to God I might doub
that"
The lawful husband aud absolut,
owner Of this hunted woman's earning
hung his head iu shame.
"Do you know, Tom Jones. low-iive,
dog that you are, that il is only M,
sublime contempt for you that peroi,
you to exist for a minute ?'' said Kino
giowering.
q am more sinned against than Sin
ming" whimpered the legal head.
"And how ~ asked King.
'She never loved me-"
"And you, knowing she did not Io1
you, intruded your presence upon he
and compelled her 10 be your drude
your slave, and the mother Of your chi
dren. To addition to this, YOU have d
prived her Of the entire proceeds Of b
earnings, and made her the unwittir
instrumen. TO rob and ruin me. her be
and truesi friend. No wonder. poor n
silianimous BOBBY, that you think you
self aggrieved. I never in my life ha,