Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1883-06-23
feryent hope that his hostess Was quite

dreadful headache; nearly frantic
with IT." said Mrs. Cathcart, knitting
her pretty brows and rising, pressing
one hand to her forehead as she did so.
There had been times, and those dis
tant but a few brief hours ago, when
such words and such q movement of
pain would have wrung her husbands
heart, and his "My darling! what can I
do for it?" would have sounded per-
fectly aggonizing; now, the wretched be-
ing only turned abruptly to his sister,
in-law with, "Come, Eunice; dinners
late enough already" and marched off
with her hufily.
IL am sorry you are so unwell. The
day has been oppressive. You will be
glad to get down to the sea side, won't
you?'' said James Grafton, as he gave
his arm to the too-evidently snubbed
wife.
81 shall be glad to get away some
where. I'm sure 1 don't care where it
is. l want change terribly" said Mrs.
Cathcart, with a certain hardness of
tone in her voice that her guest had
never before observed.
"Do you know, l always admire YOU
dining-room so much" put in the bache-
lor as they entered the room.
"There's a perfectly hideous glare on
it just now," retorted Mrs. CatRcart.
"And your decorations are charming
these trailing bits of briony and
| Wild
WiDon't agree with you, Grafton. I'm
ai& Of seeing the place Uttered with
weds," interpolated Cathcart, the
yong married man, with an angry
siff, as they took their places at table.
'tohn," he exclaimed, turning to the
s'vant, ''see that there's something
fcent out OF the conservatory in the
entire of the table to-morrow-some-
hing at least three feet high, and
nshy."
John, as he went about his work with
mperturbable gravity, remembered with
Ereat inward mirth that only a few DAYS
Sefore he had been ordered to remove
tall fern, because, as his master had
aid, it hid his wife's face. tsRum 'uns,
married folks, amt theyp" he remarked
% himself. All, indeed they are, es-
|lecially when young, good-looking and
|tery much in love with each other!
3ut their 'rum'-ness, Oh, worthy John,
TRANCE as it is, is as nothing to their
liter want of consideration for other
seople's feelings.
what James Grafton and Eunice Bell
Uttered at that little square dinrer I
eally have not the heart to relate in
etail; and, indeed, there is but small
iced that I should do so, for have not
gu and l taken a melancholy part in
aany only too similar scenes? fcould,
owever, forgive the young couple for
heir conduct during dinner; but what
}consider absolutely brutal and UNI
prdonable wa that although I feel
ertain both Captain and Mrs. Cathcart
hew that James Grafton would have
ajoyed a quiet stroll about the grounds
Nhen the sun was setting (for Of course
b was on a certain subject as easy for
ITEM to read as the morning paper),
vt these two selfish married creatures,
asorbed only in the interesting game
oiirritating each other, hung on to the
two unmarried ones the whole evening
with relentless malice that's perfectly
u4Attainable except by a husband and
vile who are. for-the time being, not
or. speaking terms.
After dinner Mrs. Cathcart, by way
vof pretending she did not care, ratified
loft her gayest dance-music and sang
I dozens Of her brightest songs; but moth
ing would please her except to have
Eunice sitting quite close to her, turn
ing over the pages. Once, indeed, Miss
Bell ventured as far as the window, but
she was speedily captured; a s~isterly
arm being gently but firmly placed
round her waist, while a plaintive voice
murmured in her ear: '.Ah, Eunice! q
sisters affection-love-is, after all, the
only thing in the world one can really
depend upon!"
And while this was going on in the
d~rawing-room Cathcart had e~ffectually
button-holed Grafton, and was confid.
ing to him that as his domestic life had
suffered an utter collapse he intended
indeed, it was his only chance of saving
his life and reason-he intended to ex.
change with Hutchings, and go to seek
glory and, he devoutly hoped, death in
South Africa.
Butthe wretched evening must atlast
come to an end. About ten O'Clock
James Grafton again found himself in
Tulip-tree lane; but instead of the hap.
py calm Of a few hours earlier, he now
felt as if he had been assisting at an
earthquake. He was quite dazed, and
unable to contemplate anything at al.
except the extraordinary ways Of mar
ried people, at which he gazed, so te
speak, with mingled wonder, terror and
anger. Should he ever be able to re
enter that house, that desecrated sanet,
uary?
1t was, however, a sweet, peaceful
night; so that by the time he had reached
his own door he had so far recovered
himself as to see that it was his bounder
duty to rescue Eunice Bell from-goot
Heavens! it was maddening to thinl
what she might be enduring that very
minute. He entered his house as soor
as he had made up his mind, while tax
ing an extra stroll or two in front of it
!. that nothing should hinder him from
going over to Tulip-tree lane first thinE
in the morning and taking circum
stances firmly in hand.
Now one might perhaps get along
fairly if one had merely to deal with tn
circumstances that properly belong to
case, if it were not for the collateral cir