Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-02

/ ha fo,,o1 l. OCIlueTer one S1nrN
heI .ou n now distasteful his plea was to
Ter. ~ course, such a thing could.not he'
ne was loyal, true-hearted. 7agood az cold
DuS only Cousin Tom, after alp She a.,
saneu nerseif, a part of the old life she was
eaRer 20 escape from, s
He looked around the nrat+,, roo,, +..+
evening while she told him her burmese anJ
b bn!y ms eyes said how pleasant and cozy
ne Iound II, or expressed q wonder at her
i iosGiess wlsh TO be away; but she read the
1oo Ok, ana answered it half im%patiently:
I'LL ~ ISM Just a question Of a home and
s pvsITYy auinlCure, or even of hard work and
sa Mall wages, Tom; it is something quite
understand if l could" ''o "ouAo no'
"lt.you could explain"-with slight en-
Pnasls on the one word, which she might
nave resented had she noticed It'll might
e unuelseand more than you think. How
Eyer, ! nm not saying you are not right,
Margie; it will be a change, and rest.
She softened at the name: there was m
n else who called her Margie now.
You see l am growing old so fast.n she
SAID, in a quieter tone, "that If I am
ever 70 90 any good true work in the world
anything worth doing, 1 mean is time
l found IT, 'A1o
"A sudden suggestion leaped into TOMS
gray eyes, but it did not pass his lips. He
se nolS 4, with your face, Margio! Non
| SC1lSCS ~
She flushed and laughed, woman-like. OF
but in a moment she resumed, gravely:
what l have said is true, nevertheless.
! want to go-somewhere. Iwant to meet
the real, earnest, helpfullives of the world
to see what they are doing-and may be ]
can find a niche for myself. It is all
vague yet, Tom, but you will help me, j
know"
Across Toms prosaic brain flashed the
memory OF a nursery rhyme they had long
ago learned together:
II went to a place Il don't know where).
To meet somebody Il don't know whO).
VINO told me something q don't know what,
And that is the reason I'll never tell you"
He understood her far too we'll to quote
it, or to argue with her. She was one of
those not uncommon spirits who wish ssto
follow the leadings of Providence by going
ahead and showing the way"
Surely, Margie," he answered, sitting a
sigh. IL shal miss you, though; you must
remember that"
The trltiing circumstance of her not
Knowing exactly what she wanted to do
made it a difficult and delicate task to aid
her in doing it. But Tom did his best, and
by the help OF railway guides, many dis
cqssl9ps n a few letters, they discovered
a lovely little nook, not possessing any no.
toriety Of its W to make it too expensive
for Miss Deans exchequer, yet sufficiently
near to notable places to allow of visiting
them at will. In short, a little quiet bay
from whence n might push out into the
great ocean at pleasure. 1t suited her per-
fectly, Miss Dean declared, and with the
first day of vacation she was ready to de-
part.
Worthy Meggins wiped her eyes with a
corner Of her immaculate apron, and prom
ised to take good care of the plants. It was
significant OF her softened feelings that she
dignifed them by that name instead of
calling them SCREEN truck" as usual. Tom
looked disconsolate, but Margaret's heart
swelled exultantly as she waved her fare
we'll. She watched with dreamy eyes the
panorama of hill, hamlet and wood that
fitted past her window that day, and filed
the long hours with Visions. Her oppor-
tunity had come at last, and she meant to
improve it to the utmost. She was free;
she would find the most and best the world
held.
The car door opened to admit a rush of
wind, a puff of smoke and an unintelligible
statement concerning something that
Margaret started, reflected, and settled
quietly in her seat again. Two minutes
later the door banged once more, a pair of
eyes under a gilt-banded cap glared full
upon her, and a hoarse voice shouted, more
distinctly:
"Change cars for Noxton and Meadville."
I SIS hat the train for Noxton?" asked
Margaret, making her way to the plat
form.
"Yes, IN. There's your train, right
across there. Only stop five minutes"
And she was hurried away in the ~jostling
throng, and found herself breathless on
board the other train just as it began to
nov 1t proved a shorter journey than
she had expected. She had mis%calculated
the time by an hour or more, she said to
herself, when later in the afternoon her des-
%tination was announced, and she found her
self standing on the platform Of an unpre-
tending little station, while the shrieking
locomotive rushed away on it's course. She
was disappointed in her first view of the
| place. 1t was extremely quiet and coun-
try-like, and she seemed to be the only pas
senger who had stopped there. No sign of
any one awaiting her or of any conveyance
rewarded her anxious chances, and she ap-
preached a boy who, perched in a window
of the rude building, was swinging a pair
of muddy boots and comfortably whit
thing.
.This is Noxton, isn't it,"
"S'pose So"
"Aren't you sure about it?"
"Used to be; but, we see, brother Jim has
been up to town 'tendin' some lectures, an
he's told me about 'em; an now him an
mes an eggnoggsticism-we don't infrm
nor deny nOthin'."
The reply, though unsatisfactory, might
have been regarded as an evidence that
she was approaching the great centers OF
thought and culture, but Margaret was in
no mood to appreciate it in that aspect, and
she remarked, with the asperity she was
wont to assume toward refractory pupils
eff you ever Knew the name of the place,
you know it now, of course. Can you tell
me where Mr.. Grey lives"
The boy twisted his torn straw hat, and
wavered between a good-natured desire tc
crafty an anxious inquirer after TRUTH and
his longing to air his recent requirements
He compromised.
"Well, l won't say as there is a Mr.
Grey, am 1 WON'T say as there amt; but
she lives in that square house up on to the
hill"
"Nho is 'she'~
"Miss Grey"
Margaret reflected a moment, looked
vainly for her trunk, and considered the
smaller articles of baggage in her posses
sion. There appeared no reliable person
about the premises to whom she could APP
peal for aid or information. She turned tt
the boy again and proffered a bit OF silver
81 will give you this if you will carry my
satchel and shawl-strap up to that house,
The eyes under the straw hat sparkled
and their owner forgot his new mistiness IL
absolute certainty.
"Golly! Id do it as quick as wink, marin