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

tbugh l was thinking some of reading
liz myself l am getting rather along
u years. I know, for that now, but I
hive quite a smattering of legal proceed
ub to start WITH"
\. Let's see, you are something less
lfn q hundred, are you notp" she said,
Narch look sparkling in her hazel eyes
~ dimpiing her pretty cheeks.
F.Oh, no, I'm not an old man, of
tdrse not; I'm only thirty-one; but
TIN, you know, a man at that age
ofht to be settled in life if he ever in
tsHs to be-"
te fumbled more awkwardlv than
evF with the vases and other trinkets
bede him, as q silence fell upon them.
TIN he took up the gauge of battle for
hi4rother again.
But this matter on which I was
spdking concerns me very nearly. NY
moker, Of course, would prefer that he
shoyd enter the law, but it would near
ly leak her heart to have him 90 out
intdhe world with no settled purpose.
l d not wish to influence you, dear
chilly" he said, with a deep, yearning
tendEness in hls voice, 'sfor [ value
yourlappiness above that of any other
humh being, but from what nv BROTH
er tof me to-day l could not but think
he wa in great measure dear to you"
Th(color famed hotly in her cheeks.
Sc What did he tell she demand
ed, 81 quickly that he in turn was
somewhat startled.
Clothing of any moment; onlv that
you \pldl him that unless you became
Mrs. Alden you would not marry at all.
or w4dsto that effect"
Agin The color left her face, and she
tappei the floor impatiently with her
slipperedlfoot.
"WH can't a mar plead his own
cause, nd not give it into the hands of
others3 she said, with a scornful look
on herfll lips, and then she continued:
"WhAhould it not break your parents
hearts Just as much to have YOU quit
home J for Lance to gop You have
laborel and planned and contrived for
them Pr over a dozen years, while he
has ben a useless idler. Is he made of
+moreprecious clay?"
join smiled deprecatingly.
"Bu know, Millv, how it is. Some
peope are made to buffet with the a
of a6Yersity, and others must be cared
for tnderly."
ssFknow this much," she exclaimed,
will that spirit of independence which
is sch a prominent trait with the typi-
cal Massachusetts girl, s'that a good,
rud shaking up by the hand of ADVERSE
ty will sometimes do a selfish person a
vat amount of good"
He was more puzzled than ever. :
SIS it useless to urge my brothers.
sutp" he ventured, as q softer look stole
into her face.
She smiled upon him almost roguishly.
"Did you ever know good to come Of
such a courtship as thisP Are you
familiar with the courtship of Miles
Standishp" =.
"Somewhat," he said, q little un.
steadily, taking a volume from a what
not close at hand and opening it in an
absent manner.
It was 2 copyof Longfellow's .Court
ship of Miles Standish," which he had
given her himself, and he mentally
another John Alden whom the sterl
Puritan had sent to plead tho suit o,
Miles Standish with the fair Priscilla,
though in the olden time the young man,
in all the freshness of youth, urged the
cause of his elder by many years, while
now the case was reversed, and the
plain, unattractive man pressed the suit
of his young, w%ell-favored brother.
The volume seemed to open of its own
accord.
" But as he warmed and glowed, in his simple
and eloquent language
his rival,
Archly the maiden smiled, and, with eyes
overrnnning with laughter,
Said, in a tremulous voice: why don't YOU
speak for yourself, John?"
The strong hand that held the book
gave q c%onvulsive movement like the
throe of a dying man, and the vase Law
shivered in a thousand pieces upon the
carpet, while great gasping sob seemed
to wrentch him asunder. His face ap.
peared harder than ever, and the giant
frame of John Alden tottered with the
feeble strength of a child toward the
scared girl, the room swimming before
his eyes.
emily, little Milly," he said, broken.
". "are you hooking me? what do you
mean?"
"Don't you love me?' she whispered,
not a vestige of color in her face.
Glove you! As the angels love their
he said, solemnly.
"Then why don't you say SOP" she
sobbed, bursting into a passion OF tears.
His strength came like lighting, and
he gathered her up in his arms very
much as he did a half-score of years
aggo-albeit her weight had nearly
since that time-and endeavored
to soothe her by joining his tears with
hers.
And just here Farmer Jones cam
into the room unannounced, Mrs. Jones
told him that his particular
friend John Alden was in the parlor
Milly.
"By gosh!" he cried, as he took in
the situation of affairs at a glance, .if
John Alden isn't making love to my
and he held his Sides and roaren