The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-08-15

I
"NIy husband is wholly unfit to attend
/ to business this morning, so it devolves
upon me 10 look after the means Of con-
veying our effects to our new home" 1
said, my voice sounding so constrained
and hard that I could with difficulty be-
lieve my own ears.
MADAM" replied the gentleman,
again bowing low, while a flush over
spread his features, that I saw were
open, honest, and handsome, despite the
soil and CRIME Of travel, "it would
afford me great pleasure 20 remain
few days and assist you 10 getting set
tied, that is, if you would not consider
my company an intrusion"
In spite OF the nameless dread that
had filled my heart at the prospect Of
losing EtheFs affections, felt a strange
confidence in the young man, though !
could not for my life have told why.
81 am footloose," he continued, "and
am searching for location for myself
If can be Of any use to you, l shall be
most happy TO serve you"
81 should like a team to convey our
effects TO the rancho, sir, and will pay
whatever the service may be worth"
The young man turned away aud held
a short conference with the head mana
ger of the freight train, and returned in
little while with the intelligence that
they were ready to assist US.
Our household goods, a very meager
quantity, were soon placed atop Of the
great loads Of produce bound for the
mountain mines, the family, including
my drunken lord, were slowed away in
cuddies here and there, and we started
out from the rivers bank and over the
sandy, sage-b brush plain behind the long
lines Of slim-legged, rat-tailed mules,
that astonished us by the fidelity with
which they planted their little hoofs in
the flinty roadway and pulled and
tugged at the monster loads, under the
cruel lash Of the teamsters' whips, from
which their rib-hardened sides shrank
in ill-concealed agony.
/ managed to get seat in the forward
wagon, so near my eldest daughter that
she could not exchange a word with our
new friend without my hearing il. And
watched them exchange glances Of ill
disguised affection with my heart in
my throat. At that hour I felt for the
first time that, rather than see my child
compelled, even through a match OF her
own choosing, 10 walk such a road as
had travelled, would willingly bang
her with my own bands to a friendly
tree, and submit 10 personal execution
to expiate the crime, if crime il might
be to shield her from a slow, living
death by sudden strangulation. But
felt that there was no resisting destiny,
and so | tried as well as could to be re-
signed to what seemed my inevitable
Let.
Our new home was a broad expause Of
almost treeless plain, with heavy bunch
/ grass waving in great patches here and
there, the monotouy broken by occa-
sioual tracts Of sage, the gnarled and
aged and dwarled appearance Of which
was in strange contrast TO the vast ex-
panse which they crowned, in hum ble
imitation OF an oaken forest.
on in one direction rose the purply-
blue range known as the Blue Noun
tains, and in another, with a vast waste
of broken valleys intervening, the
snow-crowned Cascades loomed IN. ap.
{ pearing IN the distance like mammoth
line of bleaching linen. joaquin Mille
may OF may not be a poet, but that ex
preston Of his in which the Sierras ar
said 10 look "as if Diana's maid hal
hung her mistress linen out to dry upol
their bent and swaying line" contain
truth when applied TO the Cascades
whether there's any poesy in it or not
But my mind was not prepared TO en-
JOY the beauty or sublimity Of nature
was thinking not only Of my own fu
ture lot, but Of the fate in store 70
Ethel, my darling.
At last our heavy fve-mile drive wa
over, and we halted upon a gentle emi
nence, with sage and grease wood al
around Us, and a willow-fringed rive
? hard by. In the center Of the risinI
ground was cabin, made of shakes,
with an earthern floor, and the sky 70
windows. The place had been oeeupie
for a few months at some former period
and then abandoned by its squatte
2 claimant
what ever possessed father % caus
6 him to imagine that we could live il
such a place as this ?" said Ethel, he
e cheeks agIow with feeling, and her eye
4 brilliant with new light.
D Never mind" replied her younge
y sister, "we'll make a beautiful hom
}, here after we've had a little time TO i'm
y prove it,"
1 was disappointed in everything
B yet, bad it not been for Gerald's relaps
e into drunkenness, ! should not hav
been hopeless. As il was, I was as on
/, paralyzed.
4, went about the duties Of unloadin
IN an aimless, dead-alive sort Of wa,
~ ou' ielt much relieved when the team
% %e'e ready TO depart aud bear with ther
lu 1ue handsome stranger that had so in
ey pressed my child.
al The head man of the freightinr con
pauy had received his pay. and AN we,
q, ready, as thought, to move ON =.
leave us, when the man who had giv.
7 me so much uneasiness. tbougb =. :