here yesterday. His name is John Ranger, and I am his long-lost brother, Joseph. He is taking his family to the Territory of Oregon."
He arose finally and made a tolerable breakfast, she, for the first time since their marriage, taking her seat at the table beside him as he ate.
"If you'd keep yourself clean and tidy, like a self-respecting white woman, you wouldn't appear so—so Injuny, and I wouldn't be so very much ashamed of you. I'm sick to death of this bondage, Wahnetta. I, too, was a young and unsophisticated fool when we were married. What will you take to let me out of it honorably? I want to do everything I can to atone; but something must be done. I will not longer endure this mode of existence."
"I have an idea, Joseph. My inheritance from my father arrived several days ago. I hadn't thought of claiming it for myself, but I will now. Give me a letter of credit for the whole of it, with an outfit for travelling, and I will go, with the children, to a village on the Willamette River called Portland, in the Territory of Oregon. You know Dr. McLoughlin well, and so do I. There's a convent in Portland, where I can place the girls, and a brothers' school near by for the boys. I'll get a boarding-place, not too far away, for myself and the little tots that are too young to be in school. I will soon recruit if I can get a chance to rest up and dress myself as the white women in my position do. You won't know me in three months after I have had a chance to live in keeping with my station."
She paused, panting because of her own audacity. Never before had she ventured to give utterance to so long a speech in his presence. He saw a ray of hope and pursued it eagerly.
"I have a good wagon, and a fine four-mule team that is idle," he said musingly. "I guess we can manage to make the change."
