The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-07-08
VOLUME TX.

"
former pages I declared that Peter Tubbs
was not at heart a bad man. But he
will please remember that idieness and
iHtoxication will debase any man. He
has seen that the overruling passion Of
/ Peter Tubbs, even in his courtiug days,
was acquisitiveness. He had coveted
Lie Hardine as a wife because he had
rightly calculated upon her ability 10
toll for him and bis household. Covet-
ing her, he had not scrnpled to win her
by lie. Winning her, he had not hes
itated 10 make her useful according 10
his idea Of a woman's usefulness. That
he had been unfortunate in his specula-
tious, had not been the fault Of his ac-
quisitiveness, but Of his judgment
And, now that fortune was once more
within his grasp, and the moiety of
finer feeling within him was blurred by
inebriety, il was little wonder that he
was utterly devoid Of consideration or
seusibility.
'Peter :" said Mrs. Tubbs, her voice
choking with mingled rage, disgust aud
sorrow, "if it were possible for the hu-
man tongue TO frame into words the
disgust aud hoathing that feel for you
this minute, my very utteraBce would
crush you forever into oblivion! But
you are, aud for many years have been,
beneath my contempt. Yon are so de-
spicable that / cannot even hate you
But would to God that you were dead
And declare to you that oue-teuth of
the rejoicing that shall feel when you
have breathed your last has not been
even thought of-by you to-day, exultant
as you are over my poor dear mothers
death. You have stung me till I have
no heart for anything. had so loDged
to be with my mother in her closing
honrs You robbed me, sir, Of that iu-
aiienable right You robbed her Of my
loving care, which she so much needed,
aud which, before your baleiul shadow
crossed my path, could always give
her! Peter Tubbs, now that she is dead,
1 swear 10 you that would rather toll
till my dying hour in this smoky
kitchen than to see you obtain possess
sion Of my mothers hard earnings
You have 10 right 10 them You
gained me by a lie--a wicked, damned
lie and only through me have you
any claim at all upon the riches you are
rejoicing over"
The boarie:s were left 90 get through
their meal in their own way, for Mrs.
Tubbs was soon on her way to her ma
ternal home, her means Of travel the
numbering stage coach, which was not
yet superseded by the railway. Her
husband did not object to her going this
time, for he felt thGt lie had self-inter-
esis at stake which by her going she
could best subserve.
After the death OF the senior Hardiue,
the widow had bnilt a quaint, old
fashioned house, aud fitted up her sur
rouudings with comparative comfort,
and her loug-absent daughter was not
prepared Tor the change that met her
eyes as she approached the well-remem-
bered grounds adjacent 10 the old cabin
home, where the new house, stark and
white ana glitlerHs, confronted her
with It's somewhat commanding pres
ence.
In The door-yard were groups Of chill
dren, the descendants Of Mr. aud Mrs.
Hardiue. Louuging on the front porch,
and lazily smoking an antiquated pipe,
sat John Hardiue, with Tirzah standing
beside him, looking as pale, weak aud
nervous as it was possible, SOFT seemed
to Lie, for her to look and live. Sally
Ridgeway and her husband, and the
widow Ridgeway, the latter now aged
and decrepit and almost ready for the
change We call death, were standing at
an open window, and the remaining
elder members Of the family were loiter-
ing idly about with saddened faces and
expeoiaut hearts, for they were all look
ing for the one absent living member Of
the old-ume home. But the most strik-
ing figure Of the assembled group was
Dave, the oracle, who, feeble in health
and somewhat shaky in intellect, came
tottering forward to greet her, after first
making sure that Peter TuJbs was not
al hand 10 interfere.
Silenuy, tearIully, the bereaved
daughter greeted them all; aud then,
led by her sister Tirzah, whose fading
form almost startled her into exclama-
tions OF alarm, she entered the DEATH
chamber and was left alone with her
mothers mortal remains. Gently, rev.
erently, as when a mother gazes for the
FIRST time upon her sleeping infant, she
looked upon the marble face, and un-
consciously Saced the outlines Of its
early beauty. Back through the years
long gone her swift thoughts flew
mar eng the passing months with many
mile stone Of iuciden: Of inexpressibl,
, interest to herself alone. No othel
member Of the family had ever cared fol
, her mother through her helpless year.
, sgone. The illness that at last had
3 snapped the lie cord had not lasted bal
T an hour. Disease Of the heart, thu
= physician had called it. Evidently i
had been a painless death. The features
wore a placid smile so serene and peace
J ful that Lie clasped her hands an,
, gazed upon them with only the menta
. ejaculation Of Thanks, my Godv'
So rapt was she in this hallowed as