Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-04-07

ana Mliiy received its first great blow.
!or the latter was to leave home to At.
tend SCHOOL, the neighborhood in which
they lived not affording sufficient facili.
tles. His heart ached as he raised her
IN MS strong arms in the old.time wav.
and kissed her at parting.
.Good,by, Milly; l shall miss you
much,'" he said, as her arms chino
around his neck.
~ snail see you real often. john,
she whispered, "and We'll be the hest
friends in the world"
And friends they always were. but
when vacation time came, and M;llv
was at home again, Johns greeting was
not as of old, for somehow he seemed
to realize for the first time that she was
not the little prattler who had filed
his lonesome heart with gladness.
Lancelot came home from college
full OF the impressive Importance that
characterized the true freshman, and
the attentions which he bestowed mon
the pretty schoolgirl in her sixteenth
year were vastly different from the man
ner in which he had treated her q half
uoZen or more years ago
John watched them walk or ride TO-
gether with q twinge of envy in his
honest heart. Tie stern hand Of Father
Time had interviewed between him and
his little pet, and the unlovely face and
stalwart, ungainly form, which might
be dear to the heart of unobseryinp
childhood, would surely stand forth in
all their responsiveness when viewed with
the critical eye of budding young wo-
manhood. At least, so he argued with
himself, and devoted his time more
closely to the details of his farming op-
erations, for his brothers. increased
expenses had drawn somewhat heavily
of late.
But the freshness and beauty seemed
all gone out of his life when the young
girl once more returned to her studies.
and Lancelot was back at college. and
each succeeding vacation only served
to build o more insurmountable barrier
between the reticent man and his
former ~inseparable companion.
The latter seemed destined to fu,fll
all the promises of a beautiful woman
hood which her childish years had
given, and the bright romping ways Of
the little girl had ripened into the
sparkling witchery of the young lady
when school-days were at last ended.
And Lancelot also graduated IN due
course of time. though not at the head
OF his class by any means, and came
home at t%wenty-four a little reluctant
about entering another course of
study Immediately, seemingly more
content to devote his time to Farmer
jones' pretty daughter.
Times without number the proud
mother, who had lost none of her vanity
in middle life, had commented with
pleasure upon the understanding that
seemed to be growing between the
young people, always saying that the
match would be particularly desirable
on account of the amiable temper and
good looks of both.
John sometimes. wondered, with a
scmbre feeling at his heart, if all women
valued the gift Of beauty as highly as his
InoIilol DID,, aHd, -Ae~ No ae%.a --..l
eager eye the exquisite taste in dress and
apparent love of ornament displayed in
Milly, his heart grew no lighter, though
he found himself admiring her little
tasteful ways with all the eagerness that
a true artist feels in viewing a beautiful
landscape or gorgeous sunset. And
then he would look in the glass which
mirrored his own rugged face, and note
the wrinkles gathering about his eyes
and the stern look which his thirty years
had brought him, though he accepted
his fate without a murmer.
Another year passed away, and Lance
lot, though twenty-five years old, was
undecided what vocation to follow in
the battle of life. He had read law q few
months, but his temperament seemed
untitled for that calling, and he now had
half a mind to turn farmer, much to his
mothers sorrow, who had SO longed to
see her favorite son rise to something
more enrolling than tilling the soil.
"John," said the younger brother
one day late in June, "what do you ad-
wise me to do in this matter? I shall
never make q lawyer. Couldn't I sue
coed at farming?
The beetling brows Of the elder brother
drew together in q thoughtful frown,
and he rubbed his hard, strong hand
through his scanty locks.
"I don't know why you couldn't"
he said at length, "though you will
have to become more or less o drudge
yourself"
As they talked, they stood near the
house on o rise of ground that com
manded a view of nearly all the home
stead. The last speaker gazed around
over the well-ordered fields which his
industry had brought to their present
state Of perfection. Everything was in
perfect order. The buildings, the
walks, the grounds, shade and fruit
trees, out-buildings and fences, vines
and shrubbery, all betokened careful
attention.
eli tell you what" he continued,
deliberately, If you wish to farm | will
relinquish all my right here. I am a
triiie tired. Of course you will marry?"
"There's the trouble" said the
younger man, with some show of irrita-
ton. 81 have been paying attentions,
as you know, for some years to Milly
Jones-I don't like that name Jones
but l can't get any satisfactory answer
to my suit, only that she is not ready to
change her lot yet, and that she will not
tie herself to any promises. l threaten
ed to withdraw my attentions entirely,
but she only laughed in her tantalizing
WOW think che takoS dalipht SOme-