Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-23

'A'A And this angel waif,
AS the angels safe,
Shnll be ours in the endless tomorrow.
A
SO NEARLY WON!
The carriage was just turning the cor
(ner of the drive where the tall eve
Greens grow thickest, the final shower
81 rice and the last old satin slipper
were falling far behind it, when James
Grafton realized for the first time that
Lettie was gone indeed, and had left
him there alone and unprotected. For
him the bright June day seemed sud-
denly over-clouded, and his own little
domestic world strangely empty in
spite of the merry chattering groups of
bridal guests on his sunny lawn. In
another instant the carriage had disap-
peared; the bridesmaids and their at
tendant SWANS turned laughingly away,
and sauntered off mostly in couples; for
one wedding is very provocative of an
other. few things being more infectious
than love-making.
James Grafton went toward his house
with a very grave face Che had been
standing on the path that he might
watch the carriage to the very last) and
on the doorstep he met his two sisters
in-law, Mrs. Charles and Mrs. Harry,
both widows, and arrayed in differing
shades of iron-gray silk. It was awful
to have to face them alone without that
good, kind, brave Lettie who had hith-
ero looked so we'll after him and his in.
terests, who had always stood between
him and the widows. They seemed to
come fearfully ear to him all at once.
We're they going to crush him complete
N Would they eat him up and pick
his bones? What would they do to
him?
James Grafton was a bachelor of forty
of there-about. Lettie, his only sister,
whom he had a couple of hours ago most
unselishly given away to Colonel Rath-
bone at the little white church at the
foot of the hill, although many years
younger than himself had alwaysfought
his domestic battles for him and had
been quite equal to the task of defend
Ing him from any number of aggressive
relatives. And James Grafton needed
a protector badly, for he was the only
man of his family who had v made
any money; while his brothers, after
trying hard to ruin him as well as them
selves, had died penniless, leaving him
thirteen nephews and nieces to care for
as well as two widows, whose only join.
lures were a couple of very different but,
to James Grafton, equally Objectionable
tempers. A heavy burden truly; but
he and Lettie had taken it up bravely
and cheerfully, and had done very much
more than their duty.
But now James Grafton had given
Lettie away; she was gone, and the
widows were standing on the doorstep
saying all sorts of pretty things about
the pretty wedding and charming bride.
There was a great blank where Lettie
mad been: Oh, then, surely the widows
and the thirteen children could fill it!
Everything his friends said brought this
thought to James Grafton's mind; but
that only made the blank look blanker.
Mrs. Charles and Mrs. Harry did not
love each other. How could they, being
me mothers of two rival clans Of
children? THAT woman was the
term by which the n indicated the
other in a general way; but to-day, as
each tried to excel the other in doing
me honors of James Grafton's very
picturesque little house, no one, except
Inc keenest observer, could have told
mat open war ragged permanently be-
tween the two smiling ladies who re-
celved SO graciously the parting cons
gratulations of the wedding guests.
James Grafton, however, knew the
State of affairs only too well, and as he
watched the groups on the lawn thin
nlng, and carriage after carriage driv-
ing OF, his heart sank down and down,
and the blackness of darkness settled
upon him.
At length all had departed except the
ssters-ln-law and their elder children
slrs; Charles at once began to explore
me house which during Lettie's reign
sne had never been able to do quite tc
ter hearts content; and Mrs. Harry
tolowed her stealthily about, as a de-
Ieetive might watch a suspected thief
AS 1or James Grafton, he CROPPED hif
melancholy way into his library.
"Ha! what's this?" he exclaimed
with sudden joy, as his eyes fell upon g
note lying upon his desk. s'From Let
ae: Dear girl! How thoughtful" He
eagerly tore open the envelope. It al
iheaay appeared to him as if she had
peen gone some centuries. The note hac
oeen SCI billed in desperate haste anc
vehement, but it brought hope ane
:souragge with it. ''My dearest old JIM
g ran "be firm now, or you are los
.i1"Mlever. Isee they don't mean to go
aney must go, both of them. Keep tt
y1r arrangement. Don't yield an inch
r noo dear larnp, how l grieve to leave
WV so detenseiess! If YOU value my