The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-01-09

4
"Why What IS the matter ~
81 cannot keep il from you, Mrs.
Emerson, so I will tell you all, and
throw myself and son upon your mercy.
Alonzo has betrayed a young girl to her
ruin"
81 knowed &C.; / felt it the minute you
spoke of great trouble. But, really,
now, and upon the honor of a mother,
didn't you know word Of this till to-
day >"
"r first learned it last evening, Mrs.
Emerson, and 1 am out now upon a
mission Of mercy, determined to make
whatever reparation is possible"
"Why didn't Lonzo marry the girl?'
"For the same wicked reason that
prompts all other fellows in like cir
cumstances, I suppose. The girl loved
him to distraction. But, poor child,
she'll never suffer over it any more"
"She isn't dead 81
Unfortunately for her, 10; would TO
/ heaven that she were"
81 do not understand"
Alas, do. She is crazy"
"And her child ?''
SIS a homeless orphan"
"Then [ mean TO have IL"
80, Mrs. Emerson; would you take
it as your own ~
"Of course / would, If / could only
have it so nobody would interfere. Is it
a girl?"
'Yes."
81 thought So"
"Aud why did you think 50 ."
81 don't know. I s'pose it was only
because. But, I've had a waruin' Of
this, and somehow it don't seem sudden
like. Where is the poor crazy mother ?n
Il suppose she is in the asylum by
this time. And the child will be upon
the town"
"Would you allow that p"
81 couldn't help myself Mr.. Suow-
den would not permit me to Interfere
with IT,"
Mrs. Emerson did not believe word
Of that. but she was too generous 10 say
90. The idea that the wiry, nervous lit
tie man whom she had met at the we'd
ding could ever successfully oppose the
specimen Of feminine avoirdupuis be-
fore her, when that specimen had her
will set, was simply absurd. But Mrs.
/ Emerson could not help but look the in
credulity she did not speak, aud Mrs.
. Snowden seeing the fact, thought fur
ther explanation necessary.
"You see, we have large family oi
marriageable daughters. Aud we can
not afford TO spoil their chances by a
public scandal Bot you could take the
child and nobody would ever dream that
anything was wrong"
. '.Has the poor girl no parents ?'
"She has a father"
Doesn't he want the child ?"
''No. You see, the law ia some in.
explicable way recognizes married
women as mems property. Aud wher
, nv poor, misguided son got into thi
. trouble, the girls father, who is = yer!
hard man, demanded heavy damages Il
money, which my husband met. Blu
p this did not compel the man to TAX
r care Of the girl Il only appeased hi
= wounded honor according to mems code
7 So he turned her and the child adrift.'
? "But it was the gal that was dam
: aged, ! should say"
e "And so would any woman decide
my dear Men do not look at justice IL
} the same light that we do"
81 should say they didn't, if that's tn
J way they manage matters" said Mn
Emerson. "But Pve always had enoug
to do to look after my own affairs, an
{ leave law maxim to the men,
al am afraid We women have bee
D.. culpably negligent all along the by
gone years, else we'd have had thing
different" was Mrs. Snowdeu's yer
wise rejoinder.
D. at amt quite clear why you shoul
u o. come to me about this trouble" sal
4 Mrs. Emerson, with a look Of deep al
straction in her usually not very exprei
q sionless face.
D. 81 really didn't mean to tell you am
ol thing about it, my dear madam. a su,
den impulse seized me, though, and
., obeyed 1t. And now, since you EXPIRE
Ia yourself so humanity, I feel as thoug
d the angel might have prompted the ide
Nv business here ,ras r,e.,,t 70 /
strictly private with Grace and Alonz
ny But seeing you know about IL, pc
on haps you had better tell the captain
"Iell him? / guess will. Y,
;k- don't catch me keepiu' any impor,,
a secret like that from pap.r
des While this conversation was GOING
( between the mothers, Alonzo a
an Grace were riding here aud there O,
In', their new domain, the former secre
uld intent upon calculating his proba
re- realizations from its speedy sale, q
ain the latter openly planning, with the
ent nocent artlessness Of a child, as to
hat site, style and surroundings Of her n
country abode.
-ter at will not be as you promised, a
uld way, Alonzo, for you told me that
in should have city home, with eleg
vii. furniture and a grand observatory. 4