The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-09-26

CHAPTERL
''Is that the Captains house ?''
(which one ?"
THAT low, white. rambling affair,
with gable ends and dormer windows,
aud that dilapidated door-yard fence,
and the general flavor OF mild decay
that is everywhere visible about the
premises"
Yes"
"Confonnd your laconic monosyl-
lablesl Why don't you talk ~
"What shall say ?''
Anything. No matter what, 50 YOU
prove that you've tongue in your
head"
The first and last speaker was a young
man with Liliputian proportions, big
whiskers, lorid complexion, and fluent
tongue. He had decided city air
aoout him, a sort Of 'counter-jumper'
STYLE which played sad havoc among
the country lasses wherever he went.
To- Iced, there seemed to be no end 20 the
afectional oouquests of Alonzo Snow
den.
''AN NatN y 'flAAt- EEAlAAElAlall WIS ID hE All
other fortune-seekers of his kind. He
was in search of a rich mans daughter
whom he might make his wife, aud be-
ing young, handsome, dashing, and a
hue musieian-he could both play and
s1g 'divineiy"-the young ladies' con-
1ered him very desirable "catch."
This feeling was not participated in,
however, by the parents of supposed-to-
ba-marriageable girls, and it was cur
reutly reported that more than one
p1tcr Jamilias had parted company
with him from the front door, the lesve-
king of the young fortune-hDuter hav-
ing been facilitated from the toe OF a boot.
The daughter Of Captain Emerson-a
gentleman we'll known in volunteer
military circles iu Indian war times
pretty Lille Emerson, blue-eyed bru-
nette, and a striking rustic beauty, with
many charms peculiarly her own, had
recently speu- "a week i'm the city. and
bad there formed the acquaintance Of
fhe dashing Alouzo. She aad also been
Introduced to his companion at the
.erry, or "ha .-wav house on the road
eading from ihe city TO the Captains
farm, and young gentleman number
two had been smitten with a desire to
pursue the acquaintance thus oppor-
tuuely begun; and, after waiting sew
eral days to avoid unseemly haste, he
had mounted horse and started out in
quest Of his am0rita's whereabouts, en-
couutering at the cross roads his rival,
who, i'm his eyes as well as in
the estimation Of the rival himself
loomed up very formidably.
"Beg pardon; did not quite under
stand your name," said Aionzo Snow
den, again attempting to draw his reti-
cent companion into conversation.
"1Iy name in Anders-John Anders.' -
Again the second speaker relapsed
into silence. He was evidently a
younger man than his companion, and
had seen less of "the world" That is
he was less audacious aud self-confi-
dent, and the casual observer would not
have considered him ar all the equal of
the other.
Yet there was one impulse or ambi-
ton which the two held in common,
which, unlike as they were, made each
a special subject Of the others interest
John Anders was neither tall nor
short, large nor little. He was not "a
blonde, nor was he a brunette. He was
not homely nor handsome. In short,
there was nothing about him to distin-
guish him from other men save an in
describable cmprcssmcnt, which caused
one to feel interested in him without
caring to analyze the reason why.
"We're almost at the Captains gate.
as you perceive" said Snowden, "and
now want You to tell me what brought
you here"
"a FOOLS errand, probably"
"I thought as much"
"Well, since you are so inquisitive, ]
should like to know what brought yoD
Luck
"Who's laeonic now ?u
Alonzo Snowden laughed, bat did not
answer; aud the two ,iisr,,,,,,,,.,,, ~, -. -.
front gate, amid the bar,;,.,. - -.
and walked together up ,ba -,
raLls rs llnfhueul9 lnlbHeu with t,t-o.i
for each other as it was possible 40 ~,
agine.
Mrs. Emerson was busy in the zen
try" at her churn. The day was warm
but there was light breeze in the ail
aud she was standing where she coul
get the fall benefit OF it while at he
labor.
"Is thst Lilies mother ?' aske
Alonzo, under his breath.
john shook his head, but whether
reply in the negative, or simply that b
could not answer the question, Alonz
did not know.
"lf thought Lii would ever develO
into a hogshead Of eutrails like that, J.
foregO my claim on the Captain
ducats," further observed the gentl
AlOnzO.