The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-09-09


VIZ nut now and then into mv llr.
az A- llele shifting purse far Gou.
lucy, he said, as l Wove in the
s-u-h stitches, ''you'v We knit my love
Nsry hie-up in that purse. Tell
e NV oeIore you finish il, how is it
" Ds Am to have you, or"
~, lou are 10 have the purse, aud the
mana tnat knit It, too.n I answered.
LOT Tom ! he cried then just Ike
lage. '''' ." '1
NO fault In him, only a little too
WIZ TOO fond Of gay company bot you
mus tame him, Lucy, IS your mother
I"at was my old fathers advice on
1nf welding day Nv heart smDte nae
5IesuIu. ly as recalled lt To NV mind.
-lau / done my duty? Had ! foliuwed
ne example ~ nv mother, who never
iet iail an uukind word?
but lom would be home 10 his din
her The thought brought me 10 ny
iset. did my work bfiskly, aud went
about cooking just such dinner as
Nnew he liked. The plum pudding
was hone 10 perfection the hauy iu a
clean s!ip' and myself all smiles tu re-
celVe MN when the clock struck one
l But he didu't come.
put up tie untasted dinner aud ire
I pared supper, and lit a bright fire in the
/ little parlor He should have pleas
ant welcome. But he did not come.
/ Eight, nine, ten O'Clock, and put uP
I the uutasted supper, aud baby aud /
/ went up 20 the nursery 90 wait and
/ watch How the little thorn in my
| heart pierced aud raukIei : Tom hat
] broken his promise, and my uukiudne-s
/ was the cause. Nothing else rang iu
my ears through the loug hours. a bout
I two O'Clock ! heard a noise below and
went 10 the window. I could zee him
in the dim light below.
Tom, Is that you 20 ! asked, softly,
l putting out my head.
Yes; open the door, Lucy, quick (;
i the police are after me.n
My heart sank. The police after
him! What could he have done? ! ran
swiftly and unlocked the door. But
as did so, two men, wearing official
badges, stepped upon the porch, aud
one Of them laid his hand on Tom e
shoulder and said:
~ arrest you, sir"
For what?" / cried.
"FOr murder"
The floor seemed sliding from beneath u
] --Ag +NAAH 1AN kANEAA ~ NlNF .A|NfNl
steady my self and looked at Tom. A.
that instant the officer uncovered hi,
lantern, and. Oh, Godi there was tloot
on my husbands bands.
All the rest is q blank. When | came
TO myself again I was in my room, and
kind, com passionate faces were AROUND
me. / asked FOR Tom. He was il
prison, awaiting his trial. There has
been quarrel at the tavern, and Ton
nad struck his Antagonist. The mai
wasn't dead, though they thought be
VAS It first, but he was badly hur
atout The head. But II he recovered
q we'll, it would not 20 SO hard with Tom
/ arose aud went 90 the prison, bu
they would not adnii me. Anothe
day erept 10y, night sud when morn
ing came 7 went down 90 the door al,
opened II, with a vague feeling of eX
pectatioH which always accompanies 81
we're afll ctous, and looked out. Tn
sun was rising graudly and brightly
over tie black stone jail. The iros
hung thick and sparkling over every
thing, even on the scrap OF folded pape
that lay at my feet l stopped an'
picked IL up Idly, as We catch al g sirsv
or twig sometimes, without any mo
tive or power OF volitiou. The super
scriptiou caught my eye; il was M
own lie, 10 was my own name, sud nil
husbands handwriting. / tore it opel
aud read:
DEAR Lucy Il have broken out O
jail, aud AN goiug-well, no matte
where. I didn't strike Hastings Witl
au Intention 10 kill him. was iutoxi
Gated, aud it was more his fault thai
mine but he may die, and theu-s
any rate, il IS best for you, Lucy, for IN.
Co 90. ! never was worthy OF your love
Vow you can 90 back to your father
and forget me aud be happy. You vii
tiud the bonds for that money have Il
the bank in the desk il is enough {,
make you aud the child comfortable
Forgive and forget me, Lucy. CO,
bless you-yOu and the baby. Tom.
. This was the end. Tuis was the re
{ ward that my cross words bad purchase,
= for mel Truly, truly, the wages of sIi
is death. We shall not ueed one Paui
Of corporal punishment, one spark o
= real fire 10 perfect our torment-remurse
: that worm that never dies.
D IL Is not for me 10 talk about what
, suffered iu the days that followed tina
j morning Words could not express IL
5 save to one who has passed through th
same furnace Of atll ,ction. But / lived
/ for sorrow aud death rarely walk II
zach Others steps, aud nursed my baby
and did the work nay hands had 10 d.
{ did not 90 back 10 my father. / re
. mained at Toms home aud kept hi
J things all around me, even his ca
e hanging on the wall. Forget him
Does love ever forget?
4 Hastings did not die. He recovere
, aud made "A public statement He IA
more ia fault than Tom was. Then d.
% put notice ia the paper, telling IOm {
E come back but he did not come.
The Winter pas ei away with Ion
. nights of bitter remorse, and tender rec
P ollections Of the dear husband who-
D strong arms had once been my stay an
? support; the Spring came-the sum
meT-auother Winter; three years wen
b by-crept by.
+ My child. Toms little baby, grew {
D be a fairy little thing, with blue eye
and golden hair aud d tongue that neve
, Wearled OF its childish prattling. Al
6 day long she sat on tile doorstep, wher
{ the evening suubeams slauted in, lisp
iig To her doll aud listening, while
. told her OF the father Who would com
b back 10 US some day-for surely b
would come. Mosl surely Coils mere
would v0uchsafe some compensation
- some pardon for such repentance ss IN
q soul had poured forth.
). The third Spring vas peculiar; some
, how the far-oh sky seemed To drop dow
Z 90 nearer, bluer folds the sun wore
d softer rAdiauce; the trees, the grass, On
flowers, a diviner tender beauty. ! ros
D every morning aud looked out of IN
y little window at the kindliug glories &
r the morn with a feeling Of strange
tremnlous eXpeetation. | seemed I