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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 14, 1889)
411 WEST SHORE. suit him till ho gets another, and I won't marry him cither, unless he axles me to! " with a glance at Rill. " I won't promiHe not tor ask ye," paid Bill, fer there's no accountin' for what a man'll do, 'ith a pretty woman a turnin' of his head." " Dam it, ye old IUueheard ! Are ye a courtin' of mv wife afore my eyes? " asked Mr. Durkee, in a pet. " What have I done Priscilla, that ye should use me like this? " plaintively. " I hate to see a man make a llunky of himself," retorted Priscilla. "Who's mado a llunky of himself?" asked Mr. Durkee, evidently much discomfited by her withering disdain. "Ain't I done everythin' I could for ye, Pris cilla? Don't I dress ye in the best o' style? Look at that hat." appealing to Hill. " Don't I do most o' the " Oh, I ain't afraid! Not a bit! But Mirandy'g washin', an ain't I allers a pamperin' of ye? And so quick, ye know. I didn't know but what-er- tu, nuumn w mil, iiun a mu n vu uu, in n, arif r p raps I get ye out of a mess?" Mr. DuWs red face wore MVe'd better get along toward home," said Pris- Priscilla tore away the envelope and read: I've seen Lawyer Smith and he tells me he will take ctnnf the case. He says he'll sue you for $10,000. If you want t settle send to klm" " There's a bit o' fight to her," said Bill, wiping hij forehead. " P'raps I was a little quick about it " Priscilla was examining him with a peculiar ex pression. From experience Mr. Durkee understood what that expression meant. His own fat face took on a rather queer look as he eyed his friend, and said: " You ain't jest what one might call spunky." Bill looked up and trembled at what he saw. " I hate a coward! " Priscilla exclaimed. Mr. Durkee coughed a disagreeable cough that iorceu Din to explain: a look of iniured diirnitv j n j " There goes Miranda I You go along with her V save me the trouble o' gettin' a divorce," persisted Pris cilla, with cutting severity. " Here's a pretty go!" exclaimed Mr. Durkee, in jM'tulant despair, thrusting his hands into his pockets, and, despite the inllained condition of his neck, drop pins his head. Bill stole a glance through the window. Miranda was actually going out into tho road, looking neither right nor left. Bill's spirits rose with each step that carried her away. When she was fairly out of sight he turned to Mr. Durkee, blusteringly, "I don't know as you got mo out o' no mens! " then smiled to Priscilla a though to her tho credit was due. " Didn't I bring Priscilla over?" looking appeal lngly at his wife. " Ye fold mo ye was up for their capers 'n' knew how ter manage um." " What's that? " Priscilla inquired, with a satirical laugh. " I meant um all but you?" exclaimed the miser able Durkee. " 1 did, Priscilla, honest Injun!" " '.V ye said ye didn't go squiggliu' round, but married sorter off hand," persisted Bill. "Made no more account o' it than as if 'twas killin' a cat?" . " VlI.ye lWR"n' t ", was ye?" exclaimed Priscilla in a high rage. " No, I swear I wa'n't, Priscilla!" earnestly. "I wouldn tdo noseeh thing!" ' A thump at the door interrupted them Bill turned pule and sank into a chair. "Its Mirandy come back," he whisiered Mr. Durkee tip-toed to the window and retried It a a young feller." " The West boy after Mirandy's trunk," said Bill springing toward tho door. I V"t liM.,k WM ,1.TiU,,, in tho w8n the boy hand,. B,ll , eait, letter, with tho exclamation: 7 Here, you old Monnan!" , "What's that, ye rascal?" exclaimed Bill, cafoh mghmi by the arm. ' " b'nn alone, Munw.y Mjj the lH)y .,h geriiur d.H,Hvt "When ye've read tnat lett " ye won t have spunk enough for lick a K.y, even " Bill's trembling legs carri.nl him back to the house on read it," he said to Priscilla. cilia. "I guess we've made a mistake interferin' here!" exclaimed Mr. Durkee, pulling himself out of his col lar as much as possible. " We'd better go! " " I'm glad I married a man! " said Priscilla, plac ing her arm through her husband's. " Thank 'ee, my love! " Mr. Durkee lifted his hat gallantly, and they left the house. " I hope ye ain't goin'?" said Bill. " If Mirandy should come back" " Drive along, Mr. Durkee," said Priscilla, coldly, "Good day, Willum!" said Mr. Durkee, with i satirical smile. "I hope when next we meet ye'll feel spryer," and away they rode, while Bill, with conflict ing emotions of sheepishness, rage and terror, went in to the house and locked himself away from the world. At eleven o'clock on the morning of the Pattern Ooldthurst wedding, Alice and Marie entered the la dies parlor of the Grand hotel in Boston. During the journey from Linn, a tinge of sadness had often blurred Marie's happy, hopeful dream of the future, as she thought of Little John in his fruitless search for her. Alice had dissipated this one alloy to her companion's pleasure by declaring: " Your little, old lover will see you as often as he wishes, soon. You will have our house in the city for your place of rendezvous! " As they had entered tho parlor Alice had said, with her contagious sprightliness. " Who would suspect that wo were runaways?" Then Marie was givtn directions for her further guid ance. " I must now leave you," said Alice, with her pret ty air of patronizing solicitude, "and hurry hack to my husband that is to be! My friend will call for you, and as I have described you, you need feel no alarni if you are scrutinized rather closely. And now good bye, dear! I regret this parting even for so short a time, for I have learned to love your vcrv depend ance on me. It is a strange freak on my part," with a caress, " for I'm not considered very demonstrative, not even by Mr. Pattern." , Marie's foolish little heart was thrilled with in innocent exultation at the thought that she alone knew of the impulsive affection hidden by the beauti ful, haughty exterior.