The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-05-15
VOLUME vIIE.

[ our ialltl-
{ How came be 10 tell you that?'
81 asked him if he would object TO th
matrimonial overture Of one wh'
never could imagine what love was iii
he met you yesterday, but who, nov
} that he has known you, never can b.
/. happy except as your chosen husband. >
"And my father said that I was {,
marry John Auders ?"
"Yes."
"With his consent ."
''Yes.u
"Well, you can go to him and SAY
! that John Auders and I can never b,
more to each other than we are at pres
ent."
"Then you do not love him?'
"Fah ~
Excuse me-" exclaimed a voice, and
looking up, the visitor and mis- hostes:
were surprised to see Nancy Shaddou
standing in the doorway.
"AIr. Malcolm, allow me to introduce
Miss Dearie Shaddon, my ward" !" said
Grace, rising.
"How many wards have you?" quer-
led the gentleman, as he profered his
hand. 81 saw five as / came up the
walk"
This is only my SIXTH" was the
laughing answer 'Now you have seen
them all. But what did you want,
Dearie?"
81 heard you and the gentleman talk
ing Of marriage and John Anders.
didn't mean TO eavesdrop, but felt like
il might make you both happier if I'd
come in and tell you that John and /
are to be married soon. He knows he
can never get Oracle, and I've a notion
/ that she'd succeed no better as his wife
than poor Lillian did. He loved Oracle,
or thought he did, but / told him she
only said 'fah' when I talked about il 10
her the other day, and then be hung his
head long time, and at last he said,
'Dearie, will you marry me- p Isiudied
a while, and then / thought to myself
that wouldn't be imposed upon by any
mother-in-law, or anybody else for that
matter, if did, for I'd learned to fight
my own battles through great tribula-
tion, and said, Yes, john Then he
put this ring on my finger, and / guess
he's gone after the license, for he's dead
in earnest about marrying somebody"
"But, Dearie, do you love John An
ders well enough to bear the burdens oi
life as his companion -
"Not as I have loved and not as
might love; but you can't expect
warmed over victuals to be as fresh and
toothsome as when they're first cooked u
There, Dearie," said Grace, laughing
you've explained enough. Go, now,
and leave US to ourselves. 1t was very
good Of you to favor Us with the infor-
nation. assure you am delighted IL
you are"
Grace accompanied her 10 the door
and closed it. As soon as sue was alone
the girl clenched her fist aud shook il
defiantly in the air, while she laughed
in a cultural paroxysm Of satisfaction
"Ill do what I can to make Gracie's
life pleasant" she exclaimed, half aud
IDLY. somebody has TO marry John
and bis young ones, or he'll go to de-
struction. pm nobody anyhow. I'll
match him"
Why need we linger, reader, you and
I, to describe courting aud love-making
scenes? Don't we know that every
couple when in love is laughing stock
for everybody except themselves?
John Anders ground his teeth and
cursed his luck and abused his adverse
fate to his hearts content, but he bad
the good sense to hide the keenest edge
Of his disappointment under the cloak OF
his engagement with Nancy Shaddon,
of which the girl was so prompt TO speak,
that nobody knew except himself and
Grace and George Malcolm that the
wife Of Alonzo Snowden had won and
held his heart from the hour Of their
meeting. And none, save himself, i'm
agined the severe struggle he endured
that ended at last in making him a
miser aud misanthrope. If the secret
history Of every graspiug, avaricious
mortal could be laid bare, fancy that
the fact would be revealed that, after all,
the bard and erring are bad as they are
because Of the relentless fate that has
turned the sweetened balm Of their life
, into bitterness.
Patient reader, is it necessary that we
enter minuteiy into a wedding scene .
;, You remember all about Graee,s firs,
e nuptials at the paternal home. Tbes.
: at the splendid farmhouse that ,v.,
: her own abode were conducted ON
quiet scale, quite distinct from those
: The Suowden family came up from IN,
4 city, headed by Alonzo, senior. Mrs
J. Snowden was not so corpulent as for
n merly, her advancing years and activ
4 life proving adverse TO the accumulation
# Of adipose tissue. The Anders famil-
r came from the ferry, aud the Shaddon
= came over in a wagon from their farm. Q
q course the Emersons were present, no
e even excepting the two surviving dog;