An Oregon Girl

e had been tenderly carried. Virginia was with her, and with the aid of a professional nurse, who li

way of some trouble on the lawn, the reports were so varied and coupled with the fact that no names were obtainable

was being driven home in her carriage. Not a word from John to soothe the aching void. She did not even i

stitution, already frail to the declining point. Scarcely more than a year had pa

d her recovery complete, there were those of her friends who, with bated breath, questioned his con

ld began to come in the second day, but no

d been careful, upon Constance's recovery at the reception, not to breathe a word, or t

had a vague idea that Constance was the cause; but being a discreet young woman, she had refrained from mentioning any

ominent family, and which was likely to terminate in a tragedy. It was a society paragraph separate from the report of the probable drowning of the child, Dorothy Thorpe. Several personal acquaintances had become aware, through the

t a thought of being shunned. And so she waited for news of her child-waited with heart lead

ndow, foreshadowing by his appeara

ntful night, and yet no relief from this awful suspense.

had just entered the room. "Dorothy may be safe with her father,

Something tells me that I shall see her no more," and tear

n, sure mam, yees do be ma

a full, smooth-shaven, ruddy face, strong in its lines of "true to a trust." His thin hair was tinged with gray. He wore a black frock coat that had seen considerable wear; in fact, that style of a coat was worn by him for t

he continued with a look sug

d be the token av it, may it plaise ye m

oul, Smith," and Constance tri

ous to know the result of y

t, and nervously commence

to, and all the people I sphoke to"-and he dolefully muttered u

l and persistent, Smith

t I up at Rose-a-mant and walked the bache there and watch

ind Dorothy," assured Constance, "but you, poo

all, at all. Sure, the child may not be in the water at all. Will yees try to

o, Smith?" inte

d to be plain, and not hurtin' yees

urprised, for such a possibil

" he r

to myself, says I, 'I'll just flim-flam around the 'dago' quarters in

nd there?" again

r a sassy fellow wid a big black mous

t looking for hi

ell at all, at all. Sure, wasn't the little darlint missin', and between the sorrow at home and the f

that so offended hi

more or less, Miss-an' he axed me what I wanted. Says I to him, says I, respectful-like, 'Maybe ye

ark, quick an' sharp-like, a

xclaimed, int

" exclaime

followed wid wan on the

arlints, but that's just what he towld me an

rin' to, because I had in my moind a

wid a snarl, 'None

hing by it or not, I tould him he was

im!" exclaimed

softly to Hazel-"he got it right betwix the two eyes,

yet with an irrepressible smile th

he replie

lexus in his eyes, Smit

ps; but I think it do be trouble

onstance, and she looke

a disgusted look on his face,

had spoken hastily and rude, and the disgust so palpably

er, came to his aid i

spot on the pavement, I called up a

" Constance assured h

dago' who'll do it!" he solemnly

any more a

ted, still on her face. "God bless yees!" he replied, and then as he turned to leave the room, said to himself, "I shud loik

er head and said distractedly, "Still no word of encouragement; n

rl was to be condoned rather than censured for desiring to get away from the distress that pervaded the house

r?" she said, with a wistful look of sympathy at C

u think some good may come from your visit. Virg

l get m

harmony with Smith's simple recital of his search for Dorothy, stepped

loudy, the ai

under its wing, rested on the perch of its

aimed tenderly. "Sweet

owness, looked curiously about, gave a "cheep" of rec

into her eyes as she turned away from the bird. "Oh, Sam, I'v

when she turned away from the bird he stood dire

the ground on that fateful night of the reception, and it was therefore t

vident surprise and

if I had found her, I should o

? But-come in, I am sure someth

d to himself, "She's conjuring tears already, but I

he looked at her stea

is look, too, that bore

midly with alarm in her voice.

t-well, the truth is, I called to kno

" replied Constance brokenly, while a

any offense to you, but-ahem-you see, madam, you are the unhappy cause of as fine

edly exclaimed. "Wh

ll tell you the truth. You are the talk of the town, and th

ered, then sank into a chair. Presently she looked up with a sort of dazed, wandering expression an

or he felt his resolution to accomplish wh

life. And as this affair occurred at my uncle's place, they say he knows more about it than he cares to tell, which he doesn't. And I have come to see

ore joyful desire-to let you know, to let your aunt know, that Dorothy is-is safe. As it is, I would to heaven that I w

rpe-ahem! But-but, Lord-Lord! I can't bear to hear you take on that way. Ahem! Ahem! I'm rough and thoughtless in my way, and it seems harsh and brutal to spe

ch slandered woman, and in his eagerness to undo the wrong he had done her by practically charging her with the wrecking of her husband's happiness and connivance at the chil

eved about Dorothy, and I'm interested in her, too. The fact is, I was so anxious on my aunt's account that I have behaved like a brute. Now please u

stress that raised a lump in his throat whic

eitful as her reputed double life. He departed, her firm friend and almost choked with di

gnificant dryness had come into her eyes as she stared at the wall with pr

isper-tones in which a woman's life was projected on the h

You are break

tle upon one object-to see

ot be so. John would never treat me thus. I will

ide the coach-house door, and remembering his tired look, softly said: "Poor man! How fatigued he must be! After all, what matters it for a few hours?" And then, instead of arousing him, she took his coat off

e table to think of a possible something s

lly. A tall, grave and elderly gentleman, with stoo

"I beg to apologize for the intrusion. The door bein

! Have you any ti

has been carefully dragged for a considerable distance in front of 'Ros

or dar

lurking about the grounds the night she was lost. He has not been seen since. Detectives are baffled in trac

But who could be so cruel as to steal away

satisfied of the propriety of the moment for so serious a declarati

al adviser-." A

thing dreadful about to happen chilled her. Her blanched fac

ed with parched lips, "speak out

gh?-I think-perhaps-

-the suspense-I cannot bear. Let me he

a notice of an application for a divorce,

he laid the docu

ir for support, for the suddenness and weight of the blow st

believe this of me?"

the National Bank a sum of money for your immediate wa

pared to receive instructions. Shall I give notice of

ith the huskiness and tremor of threatened physical collapse, "Please leave me for awhile. Providence has seen fit to afflict me so sorely that I

s complaint, and you will return the money he has placed to my

ad calloused somewhat his sense of sympathy. But as he gazed upon the white, spiritually chaste face of this

and then with bent head he left her, feeling that he would value beyond pri

nd he passed out from her presence

touch of a

a voice tha

strangely quiet, yet wrapt in thoughts of bitterest sham

eavily upon her oppressed spirits, smothering by

of the cause of John's absence now, and the very worst has come to me. What now can compensate me for the humiliation of bein

now? Or-life? My darling is drowned. John has left me

into her eyes. Suddenly she withdrew her hand from the

n exultation that instantly overwhelmed all opposition to a suddenly conceived and terrible purpose. She whispered with an earnestness intense as it was signi

to my darli

pause as some do to take a last farewell look at earth and sky

nees, locked her hands together, and her voice softened into tenderness-softened in inex

Ages, cle

n the shadow of th

he air from a piano in the music room below. As the grand strains swelled upward, they were

in the raw cold of the morning, felt the warm influence of the sunshine that fell upon it, and looked up, twittered, lifted its v

lled, cleaving the air w

ring flight of t

rst and flooded the room with its glad

roat of her darling's pet had

ed in the splendor of the sun's radiance. She heeded the call, and then, appalled at her contemplated sin, she cowered-bowed down

ked into her spiritual face with eyes overflowing with tears. In a broken voice, scarcely articul

to Mrs. Harris, she descended the stairs with t

s of the instrument. Then she saw Virginia pass up the walk and enter the house, but after the lapse of a few moments and her cousin not appearing, Hazel entered the drawing room to greet her-but too late. Through the open door she heard a step on the main stairs above. Hazel followed. On passing the table

e Constance and Virginia, looking into each other's eyes, Constance drawn back in timid alarm, and Virginia blinde

suffusing her eyes with tears. "Poor Constance!