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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1888)
THE WEST SHORE. ,r,tUr; but, y.tf I c C&M ,...!i1n'ty.nrlMher'ifintname. An I M-rr Ihoagbl U inquire if yoa knew bimt f.TiiujV-lM mr bin liters were al m r;, ;!! t!.r," , ' Hi. rnaU thr r,., and I prwome his home m l t ti. .r..1.nlilj b" intend! to settle there, Mi'! Mr, Hurt MiM Murray did not ni any sapper, but lay on lh .,ut;g owtt.il itb h't own thought. Neither )( u-.r hr ii"w fri'wln thought of her taking the Ug lUl bight, and Mr. Hart kindly helped her to U4 HI" did not g t up rnit morning, and it was two wliln-forcuho iu hl to h'avo her room, weak tn j.hl" and thin. TVn he had a long talk with Mf. Hurt Hln bad no "own home," as she ex- I it, kA U drcwh-d k mako the long journey I'vk in eld weather. Hhe had now no reason to go U UutiV, Mid "would Mr. Hurt-" Hut Mr. Hurt d-liwiiVly anticipated the request, Mid Mid, g' l-tly M KUy with m until spring, my dear. Your board hull rt you nothing, and you shall bo as welcome m r- in lKo mlH r." " Oh, ILmA you!" rrhxl Agncn, grak-fully. " If 1 run h-lp yiti enough to wn my Uard, I will glad ly wvrpt your cfTor." " I fMi k-v-j) yu buy," smihvl Mrs. Hurt " Is it-ttW? " in lm," mmuUI Agnos, extending a thin litlh bund, which Mrt Hurt gmjxvl warmly. And m, A unci lUycd, growing stronger each day, M,d U,snir;g (iuitp like a daughU-r of the house, as r.linrd Mr. Hart of many little duties, and l hVrnNl up th houHO with her taste and skill. Link by littlo, M th,y lmmo moro jntimate Aen. cn l,r hi.tory, and at last shn told her" fn nd tUt !, U UB lwo ypar a l!-un bmi. Wt with h.r brother. lie had nttrn I, r ju.t L furo h,r brothor'. last letter came MhtKhrr Ltu guit;kMo m Dew mines-that t "ro t;.n, but he would got word to n .ll...i.,"1,itillu,yA . - -n .,1 ,irio.. ,oul;t; '-1 ll'l'l-H'.lr,l,.iCl.cMi, , I .l'n 1 Vim.," r,T il a,., i i ' "'I fiva Lia n. T . h"a cevtr felt it was only too probable her surmise was true. She told her hncband of Agnes' confidence. Did she tell you his name?" asked Mr. Burt. "Yea. It was Harry Ashton." The very fellow ! " exclaimed Mr. Burt " He passed here on his way to the mines. Came with a saddle horse and pack animal. He stopped for a b.t of a chat when he paid his toll. He asked me if I knew Ben-and, by the way, that is the only time 1 ever heard the name Murray in connection with him. He told me he came out West with Ben, and that he was on his way to the new mines. I remember it all distinctly." " But it won't do to tell Agnes, it would only dis tract her more than ever," said wise Mrs. Burt. The days passed, and Christmas came and went, with some little gifts and pleasing diversions, and New Year approached. " We'll keep open house," said Mrs. Bprt, " and treat the stage drivers and any chance callers." So they arranged a little round table charmingly in the sitting room, with various kinds of cake, nuts and candies, and had plenty of delicious, amber cof fee, hot and strong. Mrs. Burt and Agnes were temperance women, and " would not offer the stuff that might endanger people's lives." New Year's was a clear, cold day, and it chanced that quite a number of gentlemen did call at Burt's bridge, and were treated handsomely. All were struck with the beauty of the lady-like Agnes, and privately made inquiries of the host concerning her. He simply told them she was a friend of theirs, who would be with them until spring. Toward evening, while Mrs. Burt was busy with some household duties, and Mr. Burt was glancing over a paper, in front of the fire, Agnes took a book and lounged on the comfortable old sofa in the cor ner back of the stove. She found it too dark to read, so her book dropped, unheeded, to the carpet, and her thoughts wandered off to other, and happier, Newlear'sdaye. Suddenly a knock resounded on the front door. iIr.Bur w ent into the entry to open it. How d you do?" she heard Mr. Burt say, , m r:;ns?at 8ent the biood flying to ter " Quito well. I called-" ll'lVu in-" Baid Mr' Burt- hospitably. A 8fela t8hewould sJ, r 6 eodd aot ""Ik across the floor. 5 Ztn n n' b9 ii dark comer, 1CDC, U 'lkp t0 how the of his long si-