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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1888)
THE WKST SIIOIU: Ml was the Iloosier who was the intruder and usurper, nml not the radiant creature beforo him. The predicament of Jonathan Wobbles had in. creased considerably since morning, ami at this mo. ment it was not only dreadful, but alarming. He sat staring intently at the lloor for fully two minutes without saying a word or venturing to look up, in as profound a Btate of meditation and abstrac tion as he was capable of. At last an idea seemed to take possession of him a very assuring, pleasing idea, evidently, from the way he took up with it -and he smiled, made some common-placo remarks about the weather and her solitary condition, and departed. The idea that had taken possession of the Iloosier and had given him so much evident satisfaction wu to frighten this timid young widow so badly- so ef foctuallythat her life would scarcely lc worth liv ing thero, at least The idea was a very foolish one, it must be confessed; so silly, in fact, that Jonathan would have been ashamed of it in his sane moments; but ho had become so frenzied by tho hopelessness of his caso that he was desperate, and was not himself. Before carrying any of his plans into execution, however, ho called on tho widow Pgain. His mission this time was to ascertain if she would sell, reason, ably if she would abandon tho tract, for a small consideration, say, for tho value of her improvements. Uut tho widow was resolute, though very mild and sweetly innocent Sho camo to stay. Tho land and location suited her so well that she doubted exceed iDgly whether she could bi tter herself, or, indtid, do half so well a second time; and as tho laws would un doubtedly uphold her rights, she would remain where sho was. Tho only peaceable way out of his dreadful pre dicament now, he thoughtfully relucted all tho way home, would be to marry her. Tho lam! had never seemed so valuable to Jonathan as just now since ho discovered that it did not belong to him. " At tho samo time," ho continual to reason with himself, "she aint bad looking by a drnd sight." Of course, tho widow would not object - widows never da A widow could have no other object in life but to ensnare another husband Uko IVggoty's lUrkis, she was always " willin'." Jonathan therefore prepared himself for the sac rifico. He presented himself In-fore her door om af. ternoon, arrayed in his very best His mission was love and mercy this time, and not land Iad had nothing whatever to do with tho filings of r veranc und devotion ho entertained for the lovely young and the little love paaaageg were well mapped out - iu his mind. Just what did occur, howevrr, will never W known, I fear, but Jonathan camo rushing out of tho 1oum five minutes later at break-ncck speed, swearing hlo a troojer, with hot water streaming down over his clothes ami faco. Ho was n 4 badly scalded as at first ho supposed himself to U, but suflici.-t.tly so to keep him io dxrs for several days, appljing Ukir.g soda plasters and slippery elm lark, ami cmleavuring ti mso some means of revenge. That something would havo to I done quickly in regard to getting rid of tho widow was evident to Jonathan tho moment ho again present! bimt If at tho village. The news f his unmerciful hamllitig hail not h-corae known as yet, as to discovered by all manner of suggestive queries, but a growing diib tion on tho part of tho settlers m manifesting ita.-lf to get rid of him. Public sentiment was decidedly against him. If ho had no right to the Urn), thry sr. gued, ho should get ff of it, or lxi mad t, and craw annoying a defenseless femalo by his predion, 'I ho prosjx'ct of remaining much longer, therefore, was very unpromising to Jonathan, ami ho had too whole, some a fear of hemp to pTsit among a class of t plo who frequently tok justice into their own hands, suddenly and effectually. Ho thought ho would di a littlo reconnoitring first however, to fe I th enemy, at it were, and to ascertain what condition things wcro in. Tho wblow had kept very clonely within doors sine" tho memor abln exit of Jonathan, ami as ho had neither seen her during tho day mr her accustomed light at night, ho was strongly inclined to Ulievn ho had wared her off. Ho took cmrsgo at tho thought His arterial thermometer lbU-d away up immediately. H would investigate that very night, a u as tho ruririn was up so that ho ru! 1 sen without U-irg seen. Ho was going to uo a littlo morn dicrrtion this time, however, ami not lak so many things for graft ed, nor act so recklessly hasty. H merely wishd t awertaiu whether sho was there, nothii g morn. J.lko numerous txieiul-ra of tho Wobbles trl Jonathan frequently dvisM plans that ho never had tho r. molest Intention of carrying out his bravery iu more in thought than in action. As soon as l.er lunar nnj"!y load her appear, ancothat tight therefore, a dark f!'uro cad-1 t I en aero stealthily picking its way vt tho j rairio in tho direction of Its sibsi It wis Jonathan on tho reconnoitre, with lis pants tueUI j0 KU cr-.turo h, wool,! m.k U. tri,k lb W toM Wk M .l t I . Utew. U. knew jet ,U to l U. to ui. . U,f cH t-u ILU U l.