Kimball enterprise. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1883, 1883-06-22
MY FIRST WIFE,
~ q. MANvrLLr FRNN.

From the Whitehan Review.
All, my darling little sis, how are
you? sLesbia hath q beaming eye."
Ny dear Franki ! am glad to see
you.'
There was an embrace, and the lady
burst into tears.
Lesbia has not beaming eyel" cried
Frank Resdoa, barrister, who had just
leaped down from the dog-cart after q
cold drive from the station at Ramford
to his brother-in-law's handsome place
the Coppices, Calkston, where that new
relative had settled after his return from
Australia, where he had been sent-the
younger son of good old family-to see
what he could do as what is euphon-
iously termed sQuatter. He had
sQuatted to some advantage, the fates
havins been kind; and, after making q
moderate fortune, he had suddenly
doubled it by marrying the widow of a
colonial magnate.
AT the lsdy's desire-her will being
paramount-they were on their way to
\ England, when one night they were
awakened by an awful crash, and, rush.
ing on deck they found all in confusion.
Some vessel had run into them during a
fog. cut the great Austral liner down be-
low the waters edge, and during the
next half hour there was fight for life.
John Audas behaved admirably.
When the rush was made for the boats,
he knocked down half dozen towards
one after the other, and by sheer
strength helped the captain to send of
the first boat properly manned, with
half the women passengers, merely stip-
ulating that his shrieking, elderly wife
should be one. Then he helped with
the next, and got that off safely, before
being overpowered, for mad rush en-
sued, the other boats were filled any,
how, and at last the captain, second
mate, half q dozen men and the brave
young passengers were left alone upon
the deck of the sinking ship, with lust
time enough to lash q few spars togeth-
er. throw them overboari, and trust
themselves to this frail support before
the vessel went down.
From this raft they were picked up
exhausted, half dead, by passing ship.
having seen no more of the boats, all Of
which were lost, presumably, in the gale
whicE came on before many hours had
passed and thus it was that John Andas
found himself q widower, at IS, and far
from inoonsolable, for report said his ex-
istence with the relict Of the colonial
magnate had been of the kind to which
some people give very unpleasant term,
So little indeed was the handsome
young colonist affected by his loss that,
after settling down at the Coppices.
where he reveled in the life of coun-
try gentleman, year had hardly passed
before he was suitor for the hand Of
Lesbie, Res:on, the daughter of the old
vicar OF Calkston. and the belle of the
country ball.
Matters followed one another in the
most prosaic way. John Audas was be-
ing was downright and honest; and the
lady found the bluff, n-browned, we'll
Informed fellow-albeit he was far from
clever-quite q contrast and relief after
the insipld locals ofthe neighborhood;
20 the result was that, after q short in
hmacy, John Audas proposed, was ac-
ceptsd. IL ank Reston came from the
Temple to be present at his sisters we'd
ding, and now that, six months later, he
had run down to spend q few days at the
Coppiees, to have little shooting, he
found her thin, pale, careworn. and
ready at d word to burst into tears.
. Why, little Lesby,' he cried with all
his old Fsstting ways, "what is it? Sure
" Jack Is not behaving badly to your
No. Oh, no. is nothing, Frank:
] am a little hysterical."
= But it is something!" he exclaimed.
ii have it out with john
Ny dear Frank, you'll make me
wretched if you say word
oh, vel, if you take that tone. Of
course will not" said her brother:
"but ] came down here for rest
and TO have bit of enjoyment, and find
you in tears"
Yes, yes; and it's all my nonsense,
Frank dear. There, it's all gone now.
Where's John?"
Either in the stables, or down the
oh, iii 60 and look him up. / sun
pose he'll be glad to see me?o
Why, Of course, dear. He has been
talking about nothing else since he heard
you We're coming, andmaking no end of
plans"
"Ah, that's right" said Frank Reston,
smiling.
And Pm so glad you've come, Frank,
dear. You see, I'm afraid Pm not much
OF company for dear John-not such
company as-as I think his first wife
WAS
I, We'll, you're deal better company
than she is now"
I'll try very hard to take an interest
IN his pnrsuits; but Pm SO stupid,
Frank, that Pm afraid he gets out OF
patience
''I'll tell you what tits, Lesby," said
Frank Reston, bluntly; ssif you two