Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-14
"1F MY FIRST WIFE

"Ah, my darling little sis, how are
you?: .Lesbia hath q beaming eye.'"
'My dear Frank! 1 am glad to see
you."
There was an embrace, and the lady
burst into tears.
'Lesbia has not q beaming eye!"
cried Frank Reston, barrister, who had
just leaped down from the dog-cart after
cold drive from the station at Ram
ford, 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 a good
old country family-to see what he
could do as what is euphoniously termed
s%squatter. He had squatted to some
advantage, the Fates having been kind;
and, after making a moderate fortune,
he had suddenly doubled it by marrying
The widow of a colonial magnate.
At the lady's desire--her will being
paramount-they were On their way to
England, when n night they were
awakened by an awful crash, and, rushing
on deck, they found all in confusion.
Some vessel had run into them during
a fog, cut the great Austral liner down
below the waters edge, and during the
next half hour there was a fight for
life.
John Audas behaved admirably.
When the rush was made for the boats,
he knocked down half a dozen towards
one after the other, and by sheer
strength helped the Captain to send off
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 a mad rush en-
sued, the other boats were filled any
how, and at last the Captain, Second
Mate, half a dozen men and the brave
Young passenger were left alone upon
the deck of the sinking ship, with Just
time enough to lash a few spars to-
gethcr, throw them overheard, and
trust themselves to this frail support be-
fore the vessel went down.
From this raft they we're picked up
exhausted, half dead, by a passing ship,
having seen no more Of the boats, all of
which were lost, presumably, in the gale
which came on before many hours had
passed; and thus it was that John Au-
das found himselfa widower, at thirty
I'VE and far from inconsolable, for re-
port said his existence with the relict OF
the colonial magnate had been of the
Slnd to which some people give a very
unpleasant term.
SO little. indeed, was the handsome
coIonist affected by his loss that, after
settling down at the Coppices, where he
levelled in the life of a country gentle
man, u year had hardly passed before
lie was a sutton for the hand of Lesbia
heston, the daughter of the old Vicar
Calkston, and the belle of the county
ball.
Matters followed one another in the
most prosaic way. John Audas was be-
sohu reproach for a son-in-law; his
wHoolng was downright and honest; and
.he lady found the bluff, sun-browned,
Mell-lntormed fellow-albeit he was far
ron clever-quite a contrast and re-
'ei after the insirid ''locals' of the
nelghborhood; so the result was that,
a1ler rather a short intimacy, John
puoas proposed, vas accepted, Frank
weston came from the Temple to be
present. at his sisters wedding, and now
.aat SIX months later, he had run down
10 spend = few days at the Coppices, to
nave a little shooting, he found her
,nln, pale, carewcrn and ready at a
"oru to burst into tears.
all hM III, G,d little astt; hesby - he s.1 cried, ), with f.,
your"
No. Oh, no! 1t is nothing. Frank:
.m a little hysterical.s'
"1, ubSt is is something" he exclaimed.
~ have it out with JuhR."
IVY dear Frank, you'll maks ne
't .oa if you say a word"
oh' well, if you take that tone, of
.1urse l will not" said her brother;
"us1 came down here for Arrest and to
in a va a DIT of enjoyment, and find you