The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1879-12-18
MRS. HARDNESS WILL


"FACr, FATS AND FANCY"
Erc., Erc., Erc.
Entered. according 10 Act Of Congress. in the
year ISIS, in the oniee OF the Librarian Of Con-
gress at Washington, D.Cl
CHAPTER V.
MISCHIEF.
John Ingleton was very pale aud
weary when be again reached his faith
er's cabin. For the first time in his life,
he repulsed his gentle mothers mute
earess, thereby seriously alarming the
affectioDate dame
I'm weary of life, mother" he said,
with bitter sigh.
Chow now, my son ?" replied his
mother, coaxiugly. Don't Ge discour-
aged. ! know you set great store 10y
Reuben, but, for all that, b'lieve I'd
as lief he was dead as for him TO live
aud be the property Of Captain Hardne
wouldn't mind"
at isn't Rsuben that the troubles
about, mother; though that's bad
enough, heaven knows. It's serna-
tion sight worse than that" aud tile
young man sighed heavily.
"You don't mean that Lie Hardiue's
Tilted you, my son ?"
"No, mother. wish to God she had.
Then I'd be angry with her, and could
bear it better"
Then, dear-do tell me-wlat Is the
matter?"
"Nothiug. You couldn't understand
- --....
"How DO o." ] couldn't MY I
son ?''
" Because you've never had any
trouble like mine. Where's Tirzah ?"
'I don't know, dear. OF dreaming
somewh here, I reckon. When girls fall
in love, they're not worth the powder
and lead it would take to blow en to
atoms. Iirzah was a splendid girl TO
work till she got smitten with john
Hardine."
(which way did she gO?"
Down 10y the spring"
"Then / must find her."
"And you won't tell me anything ?"
"Didn't tell you you couldn't under
stand ?"
"Ah, John! young people think old
ones are fools; but old ones know that
young ones are idiots" said his mother,
sadly. "Td be your best friend and
counselor if you'd only trust me-"
''No, mother; you'd only object to my
plans. Ny mind is made up"
"But, my boy" and the tears sprang
unbidden to the good mothers eyes,
"wheuever you make up your mind to
do something which you dare not tell /
your mother because you know she will
object to it, you may depend upon it
you are contemplating the committal of
wrong action"
John Ingleton closed his eyes and
pressed his hands upon his throbbing
temples.
Don't lecture me further, mother,
please. cannot bear itln be exclaimed,
as be arose and strobe away from the
house IN the direction Of the spring,
while his mother, her heart aching with
vague apprehension Of impending ca
lamity, gazed after him in fearful silence
In a shady nook beside the spring sat
Tirzah, bathing her feet 10 the water
that rippled over the pebbles.
81 danced my feet into blisters last
night, trying to accommodate you and
John Hardine with partner for every
set because the stranger couldn't dance
with gentlemen, and there weren't girls
enough to 20 round" she said, with
merry laugh, as her brother approached
her with a grave face, but without
speaking. "But what's the matter,
John? You look as if you'd lost 'Lize
instead o. Reuben"
"rve lost 'em both, Sis. Aud, what's
more, you've lost John Hardine."
Tirzah sprang to her feet with look
Of blank dismay. Her very heart stood
still.
"What do you mean, John ?" she
gasped, in sstonishment.
81 mean that Reubeu's dead, Can
Hardlne's got bold Of fathers first mort
gage, and agreed to marry Lie TO that
hard-skulied fool, Sam Hardpan, and
yoke John to that fellows carrot-headed
sister, julie. You see, father aud Cap
tain Hardine hate each other like skunk
weed, and Hardness got the bulge on
the governor, because be has the cash
or the backing, which amounts to the
same thing-to buy up fathers debts;
and there'll be no grace allowed on the
notes when he gets control, as Won
know. Then our land ~ be gone and
I'll have neither property nor expeeta-
tions, nor will you; SO we'll have to
stand it,"
"But it always takes two to make a
bargain, brother. Lie hasn't agreed
to that condition, has she ?"
"I suppose so. Indeed, can't see how
she's going 10 help herself"
"An6 John ?"
''Oh, he's as niggardly and close as
the old skin-fint Of father whom he
affeetiouately dubs the monarch ]
shouldn't wonder if he'd agree to marry
julie and throw of with you, just to gel
the spondulicks."
"Did be talk like il ?"
mo"
''Then what makes you imagine that
be might?"