The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-05-06

But let me not linger over these sad
days and hasten to tie climax. Oue
dfizz.y morning IN early March one OF
my iellOW-clerks Informed ME that
there was lady 30 the corridor who
VINO desired to see me. / biushei furi-
ousiy (aiiording my fellow. clerks a
deal OF innocent amusement thereby
and at first expressed some doubts as
10 myinformaups veracity. He shrugged
MS shoulders, and said I could do as
pleased, but the lady was there waiting.
~ no" added the malicious scamp,
shes carrying present for you iu her
arms and looks as If you bad better not
keep Ter waiting too long. Ey-the-by," 4"
ne called after me, as 7 went ont, "ahe
lolu me 90 tell you that her name was
fiaherty l forgot that"
More innocent amusement am6ng tie
clerks!
When ! reached the corridor-always
iull Of people at that time Of the day,
and as crowded az usual espied my
grenadier friend leaning against one Of
The windows, With an expression on her
engaging countcnnucs from which
shTank back aghast; only that she was
kosauna's mother, would have turned
and fed. She bore in her arms "a huge,
kicking, Growing spra wiling Shanghai
rooster; and, as she advanced upon me
with the loud confidence characteristic
I Of her. / prayed for ana earthquake, or
some other conrulsi0on of nature. iu
the midst Of which I might escape. Bat
I the fatea ordered otherwise.
'Och, Mlsther PioWden, aud ips glad
I am 70 see the sight oi yeri" exclaimed
Mrs. Flaherly, IN that terrible voice,
which at once attracted egeryboIy's at
teuGon, and caused my heart 10 sink
into my boots aud the blood 20 rush to
my face. "Ae haven't been a-clliin' on
Us lately,n she continued; "me Ros4nna
was a-wandering au' a-WaulerinE-i
"Come this wayw I vhispered
hoaiselyi making q break Tor tle open
air lu my desperation.
Why should dwell upon the details
OF that fatal Interview Ny greusdieg
friend desired 10 send that horrible, saw
age-iooking wretch 90 some town iu
SisEiyou county, by mail, and had come
10 me, because / was a frieudp Tie
stamp clerk having refused 90 have
anything whatever to DO with the az
iair. / acted the part Of a coward ;
afraid TO offend the mother OF nv ever
dear Rosanna, I mildly exp0s,ulatei,
explaining that it was likely 10 Le
killed. or sm0tbered, or losl-at any
rate, would probably never Ie4ch iis
destination alive.
"Oil risk 90 !p said 1Irs. FlaheTiy, IN
reply 20 all my suggestiOnsi SO at last,
in deportation I timidly took the hid
eous beast, aud promised 90 stamp &c
and send it OF all right.
"Ouly You mustn't blame me- ] said,
'if &c never gets 90 Siskiy0u.'
"Oil uivver blame sc bit, aEd oim
everlasting obliged % ye," said the
greuadier, os sm!iiugiy as possible.
I walked slowly around TO the rear 0f
the building, mcditatiug what I should,
could, or would do 20 get myself out of
the scrape, when my eye fell upon a
small halclet which somebody bad left
upon an empty box. To send the
Shanghai was OF course impossible; 20
take 10 into the room where my fellow
clerks were lHb0riug would be 20 make
myself mark FOR their jeers aud laugh
ter; ! bad promised 90 stamp il and
''send It orr sil right; I would DO &C.!
quickly drew from my pocket couple
Z of three-eeut stamps, and, getting sew
! eTal severe scratches in the operation,
managed TO stick them to the left wing
Of my tormentOr. I seized the hatcbet
murmured "Forrive me, Rosauua," D" aul
in an instant the Shanghai's head role,
10 the ground. ThTusliug head and body
under the box and wiping The hatche
on the grass, I beat a hasty retreat frnu
the scene, hatteriug myself THAI / hal
been unobserved.
The next morning, as I passed o.,
Flaheriys' premises, with lingering l-T
and tender glances, trusting that ha,
now so pTopiiiated the grepadier that
might venture TO hope TO see her daugl.
ter, The door opened, and out rushed, no.
Eosanua, but the grenadieF herself
looking iierccuess pGrsouilad, and armed
with o bucket Of stcaming water and &
huge, long-haudlcd mop, which SD,
fiour.shed about in q threatening man
neF, shouting;
"Ochi ye ould rooster murthcrer
OIL taehe yez % be a decaving Of a dl.
/ cent WomGn-the loikes of youi Och
sc loug-legged, dough-faced-n
I waited 20 hear DO more, but started
of at my best speed, receiving, in my
flight, one tolerably severe rap from Oh,
mop-handle, which The g-eullier threw
after me with all the strength of h-l
strong arm.
l had run several blocks before could
convince myself that she was not altel
me. Preached tie post Office aboGt hai
IN lOuE AlE-l OF Allle. IA man va.
sweeping out the corridor; he stopped
and looked at me; I stopped aud looked
at him. Great Scots, &c was Gre u, On,
janitor,
"Good-mornioc, sir" said be, with q
bland air, which made me want Go
choke him; "you viii fud tie head un
der the box, sii ! took the body home
to 1Irs. Fiaherty; just as good 60 cook
you know. Wen have it roasted to-
night; drop in aud have a drum-stick.h
don't know what derations
kept me from knocking the wretch
down 7 stalked by without q word.
As wrile, J look occasionally 40 the
cards-wedding cards, BosaUua's we'd
ding cards, Green's aud R1sanua's we'd
ding cards-which lie upon the desk be-
fore me, and my sorTowing soul grows q
shade more bitter, and only the dreaded
filters Of my fellow-cleTks prevent me
from gr0auing "Rosannal o Rosaunan'
&C q. D0liiUer iR The Californian JOl
GTy.
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