The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-03-25

- The first days Of sunshine, lef, q crevic
! through which she looked with ease
{ and read the letter with breathless in
}, terest.
+, "Your old monarch's richer thar
cream cheese" wrote the deputy post
master, land everybody knows it. TIL,
e Iugletons are a hard lot. The old WON
e an Washes by the day, aud takes hel
( pay in Old Cloes and spoiled Bacon and
e Sope. She don't seem TO care for moth,
: ing, but reckon none OF them'll starve.
Il was dooced lucky that you didn't
marry the Hole lot rs your wife ex-
= pected. A feller don't stand 10 show
when he's hampered 10y pore relations.
J Now for BIZ. The Hardines, bag aud
baggage, are going TO start 70 Oregon in
one month. The old Man amt good on
the pen-rite, aud so he gets me to say so
for Him. He says he's bound to have
some moar Land. It's curius they don't
hear nothing of John Ingleton. A
feiier amt justifyed in throwing of on
his people like that. But then reckon
he don't know the oil mans ded. Tie
Old woman tux on powerful at fust, but
[ your sister Lie, she kinder consoled
her aud helped 'em through the Winter.
Lie swears she'd stay with them only
she can't leave her own mother. Sal
has married Joe Ridgeway and took up
with the Widder and made the monarch
awful mad. He got Mortgage on her
/ place, but Sal turned to and helped re-
DEAN it. There's no outwiltin' wimmin.
hope your'n is under good coutroal,
cause they're mighty pore stock to
| Winter over if they amt"
Tirzah could read the letter much
more rapidly than her husband, aud as
soou ss the last word was devoured, she
hurriedly retraeed her steps, and, enter
ing the cabin, threw herself upon the
bed and prayed earnestly Tor the power
10 die.
When John returned Ia the evening
10 his sapFer, he found her with RED
eyes and her face swollen with weeping
Bat her work was well done, the meal
Of vsnison steaks. POTATOES, butter aud
biscuit was savory, and the tea was ..l-
grant and palatlble The milking, too,
had been promptly finished. and the
nights wood brought in, FOR a heavy
rain was threatening, snd Tirzah loved
pcsce too well to leave anything uujaue
which she thought would offer an cz-
cuse to John to grumble. Il did not
once occur TO her ths; il was Ler duty 20
spare her strength for q far more i'm
porigut use than that Of unrsqai,ei
seTvitude. Possibly, Ia her then state
Of mind, she would aot have obeyed the
voice of duty If She had heard ifs pleat-
ings. Sine did not care 20 live, au3
would have woraei herself 90 death a.
auy time had ii been possible.
John did not once aIlnde to the letter
during the meal. lie was silent aud
preoccupied. He was glad to know his
parents were intending to join him
but, as be had been determined not TO
be annoyed by Tirzah's family, he felt
ashamed TO inform her that his own
would be upon them in the Fall lie
was glad T.izah did not ssk any ques-
tions, as explanations would have been
awkward.
When night came, a stranger craved
their humble hospitality, and received
it, In answer to bis queries in reference
10 vacant claims in the reighborhood,
John emphatically declared there we're
none. Tirzsh knew this 20 be untrue,
and, TO cover her indignation, ez pressed
a wish that her own mother anJ iroth-
ers and sisters could come 20 Oregon, 60
they might once more be q united fam
ily. Her mother could tben have %
hope Of securing home Tor her decliu-
ing days, she said.
Bat John answered never a woIj, and
the stranger looked on in silence.
Tiizah could not help exclaimlr-, az
last, rs she turned toward her husband
with look Of ineGabie scorn:
II wish it were possible for me 10 tell
how ardently loalhe the very thought
OF the Hardines ;"
The two men took q long walk before
retiring, and John Hardine was looked
upon by his visitor before their wall,
was ended as a sort Of persecuted angel.
II tell you, Mr.. Sappington," said
John, with emphasis, ~ don't know
what 10 do with my woman! ! mar
r.ed her with view Of happiness aud
domestic comfort, bat her temper tries
me almost 10 desperation"
You bear it v ell, Mr.. Harline."
"Nes, reasonably well; bui my life is
q burden. You can't tell much about
woman till you marry her. would
have sworn, one hour before she became
my wife, that she had an angelic dispo-
sition. But it wasn't two days un 1.
discovered my mistake. Have you q
family, sir?"
Yes; a wife aud one child"
'I hope your lot has been = happy
one, Mr.. Sappington."
ayes, reasonably so, all things cou-
sidsred. My wife isn't perfect, by any
means; but she wouldn't dare TO dsre
up and talk to me as your wife did o.
you. I'd slap her over for II, in double
quick"
Before folbs?"
moi uot-eXactly-Je-fcre JoEs
ia wall till ! had her alone.n
The trouble with my vile Is, that
she never says anything ugly TO me