Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-07-14

"Hush! only NE; Send away your
Frank Reston nodded at his wonder
ing aid, who left the room.
"Why, my dear John, what is the
ooh, she's all right; God bless hertz
cried Audas, throwing himself into a
chair, and gazing wildly, with blank,
Give me something, for Heavens sake
-brandy-wine-I'm done up"
Reston opened a cupboard, brought
out his spirit stand, and Audas hastily
gulped down q glass of spirit, returning
the glass to the table with trembling
hand.
"Why, John, old fellow, said Reston,
'what is it?"
"Ill-rn tell you directly. hardly
dare; but, oh, Frank, I swear to YOU
!! did it in all innocency. Oh, my poor
darling! my poor darling! Don't
blame me, Frank. 1 swear to YOU ]
believed it all.".
"Here, here! come, come, old fellow.
Don't give way ike this. Why, hang
it, man, what is it? You look as if you
Aou SOlullllGlcu a CRIME.
81 have, Frank, 1 have; and against
the dearest, the sweetest girl that ever
blessed a man with her tender love.n
"Why, John Audis,''> said Reston.
hercely, .if you have dared to raise
your hand against my sister"
"Raised my hand against hertz cried
Audas, in tones of whitening contempt.
"Why, l would sooner hew it off,"
"Then what the deuce is the meaning
of all this? You haven't been such q
fool as to take shares in a gold mine!'
"Bah! Don't be absurd.H
"'What is it then? Crime: What 10
you meanp"
'Read that" cried Audas, tearing
his pocket-book from his breast with
trembling hands, opening it and pro-
ducing one of those dirty, discolored
pieces of paper which q pa%ternal Gov
eminent considers good enough for the
transcription of a telegram.
"Eh! Why, what's this" said Reston,
reading. 'sFrom Grace Audas. Ultra
marine Hotel, Folkestone, to John
Audas, The Coppices, Calkston, Calk-
shire. Come to me at n Our boat
drifted to an island. Very ILL.,"
John Audas wiped the great drops
of perspiration from his forehead.
"Well, but" began Reston, in puz-
| zled tones.
81 believed she was dead, Frank. On
my soul I believed she was"
"And on the strength of that, sir,
you have won a sweet young girls af-
lection, and committed bigamyI."
Eyes; yes" ggroaned Audas: "And 1
was so happy"
"You scoundrel" cried Reston
fiercely.
Don't. for Gods sake, don't turn
upon me like that, Frank"
"There's one comfort" continued
the young barrister, s.the law can be
pretty hard upon a william who blights
a young girls life in such a way as
Course the punishment" roared
Audas. "What care 1 for the punish
ment? I'd go through fourteen years
penal servitude with pleasure if it
would spare my poor darling pain" !
"Then she doesn't know It yet?"
"Know it? OF course not. / could
not tell her." groaned Audas.
"And pray what do you intend to dop
OF course, the only thing is for you to
make my poor sister a very large set
tiement. But | shall insist upon that.
I'll go and fetch her away at once"
"What! and separate us, Frank? No!
no, for heavens sake, don't think Of
that! As for money, all I have is hers
bless her; but we must not part.
Frank, l swear to you, that if you take
the hotel"
"Humph! I wouldn't do that" said
Reston, cody. "But perhaps you have
some plans"
"Plansp Yes" cried the other, ex-
citedly; II brought her up with me!
She's at the Grand"
"What, here in London?"
"Of course. I am going to take her
to Paris"
"Via Folkestone?"
Course it, no! via Dover. I shall
take an assumed name. Well travel
for a few years, till that fend of q
woman really dies. Frank, she was a
perfect curse to me. My life was one
long torment, and here, now that nv
life has been one long bliss, like a
| spoiled fool, [ have been hipped and
gloomy; and, Frank--wouldyou believe
it'll was such a brute, such a scoun-
drel to poor Lesby that l found fault
with the dinner, and 1 said l wish nv
tongue had been cut out"
"What did you say that for?"
"No, no, l did not say that. I said
if my first wife had been alive we would
have had a better dinner"
II should hardly have believed it of
you, John Audas."
"No, you would not, Frank; but
I'm such a fool at times. You see I'm
not like you, all brains. I'd give any
thing to be as clever and-and-"
GAS uglyp"
"No, old fellow; I was going to saw
wise as you are. All! Frank, that
woman was nearly fifty when married
her, and she only had me out of spite,
| believe, so as to annoy some one else.
I never had a moments peace with
her. I was a bigger fool when I mar
ried her than 1 am now. I say, O
won't think of my beingseparated from
Lesby?"
"But your wife? She has the best
right to you-of course the right"