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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1889)
THE WEST SHORE. ir.jf l l l'-r f lUtMful trolly. I , , r 1 Un and hi. ifew.-re vry much inU-rPiU .nJtl.r1ry.)fLrrcN)t.T1!yMKiv,Dthrmbyth('.r ,,Hijgur.t hh- mifcuL-ly fi-Utl d.-UiUof her fk-l.i..ibthK-. hw glumly oil l!runob,Ml c...duVd hi.na.lf, a:,d !. fiu'linR "lf ovorfx,w; m! at U.I, ihe ml. undoubtedly have, len killed U, t,o the rhi-f Watumrji appeared at that mo-tiii-tit ar 1 iiil'-rvI-l in h-r Nhalf. Aft'T ihe Ct f'w month, I Wcarno aomewhat rrxwiW t. my M and it U lk-Iy I ahould have l-0-.tr.c uif m biorh a lavage m any of them, had I remained with thnn much longer," the girl contiu uM, ar,d thu ahe "'tt on to relate, how the old chief had rualn ,P hr, and that he wan going to marry hrr, f.-r liirh ri-awm hit wife, in her jealousy, had aidod her in making her earaje, "And now," she ad Ird, havir g o.iiclu ld her narrative, " I must beg ym l jjm tun a di'oription of the frightful massa rm at (Ink I )!', how ymi and your family managed Id rt a l III" Ma! thinly aavagei; and how my poor lroth r and Mortimer (iray hwt their lives at their cruel hat.U." M tln'ir liviV" exclaimed the old trapper, in tirj rit " Why, r ycr precious littlo heart they're jrnt a much alive aa you Ins" " That.k (!' " ahe cried, liir round face lighting up with an utirijct happiuoaa. "And I have inourixsl thrro aa d"ad for ao long a time. The In diana tuld me thry n-re d'l, and I had no reason to duUliM thrro (i.k haa Ixvn ti)it merciful to me, after all. Are ihry t ()k I'ale? I taunt iee them. 1 ran M wait a minute." " N Mim l.iio," Mra. Kirgiton repliinl, (rail irg aa ahe Kjxl oti the hnj.j.y fof her young filet,.!, "yur bruihrr'a Um-q gone to Sun Francisco U ;rae lima Mortimer ko,.ja hiaaelf down to the We tnmt o the tim. 't n to !e married to rat iU purtict gal at Oak lUle. Mebbv ion re. mrttt-r hrr lMIe Kuidall, Harry Randall's which I BuppoBO you will deem odd and uncalled for. However, I must insist that you grant it, as it is a doty which I owe to myself as well as others." She paused, and the old trapper, surprised at the sudden change in the girl's manner, and the cold, grating tone of her voice, said " Speak it out Reckon there ain't much that my ole woman an' me can do for ye that we wouldn't is thar, ole woman? " he added, turning to his wife. "OoPBsnot. She knows that well enough; at leaBt, she orter." Dobs required no further assurance, and she said: " I want you to keep the news of my return a secret. Not a soul at Oak Dale must know that I yet live. They believe me dead, and it is better that they should continue to think so. I shall write a letter to my dear brother, tellicg him all, and requesting him to have a home in readiness for me. In less than two weeks I shall join him. Till then I must beg you to afford me a shelter, and to keep my concealment a close se cret" She looked up as she spoke, a strange, pitia ble expression in her brown eyes, that the old trapper and his wife were grieved to witness. " Dobb, if you knowed how much my ole woman an' me loves you, you'd not try to deceive us," Mr. Kingston said, as he advanced to the side of his little friend, and, etoopingdown, gazed searchingly into the depth of her sad, brown eyes. " Tell me the truth, for I can read it plain enough in your purty face, an confess that you love Mortimer Gray better 'n any livin' soul-better 'n your own brother, better n all the world." If there was one virtue that Dess Watson loved more than another, it was that of truthfulness. Frank ly and unhesitatingly she made her confession, with out a quaver in her low, gentle voice. " You have guessed the truth," she said. " I am not ashamed to admit that I loved Mortimer Gray that 1 love him yet lie loved me once, and we were betrothed. I do not blame him for loving Mabel, or for marrying her. She is worthy of him, and I love them both." The old trapper turned away with a choking sen- Had the rarth audd-nly o,,tJ, 1 , IBtHnw r I ' WnW WlUl tt Chm ' nnnj a u..nr luai flaa crepi siyiy aown ikt r1 i . . . . . ' M.iaS.iaua 1, tfcrtttnse jn hei life, ,or j rrfuplt.,t,,w,.ri Hrr JsralBrdl.vy,an, ale lrtr ahe ,uM vru.,.!y furl "Yoa,,Uki;iU. I v.. ,.",!,!,, I;m.rg alarrl - M. ! ! y, .,a- wro lir,, ) d Mtrr r U. , ir ..n:an .;., vmj t., 11" "lli.a!,. ,, ,. R, IVlU,,h .tnufirl?,,MU, ar,uaU,.!f fr,ia I , .i . 11 Wist Ur. "ItaveafavtoMk.f joaK th fMllf rl, tlexhy cheek. "(Ul knows I pity you, dear child," she said, earnestly. " Mortimer loved you once with his whole h wt and soul. Tor a long time after he thought you lead and g.,Ro, he went about lookin like a ghost, an' f " " D0V,r Wired j.st the same since. Mebbby he hves M t:mch R9 ho djJ m, mebby he don.t Hint srcrrfs liK-krd up in his own heart, an' I guees m hln' ni,,rU1 ''I over know all it holds. Tears to thonb.h, that you're not doin' Jest right by him-