Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-11-07

~ternnOn.N - "i-
Mountalnon Sup on oreen
ThAoi l went ovcr to Whites Woods.
AneIe We're some kinds there / wanted'
10 don't say so! That's a. mat.
tired?" D = 1" Aih you
'Lor', no." said Aurclia. "[ reckon
n = \, pretty strong, or mebbe the smell
i, ,he herbs keeps nj up;' and she
So did the other. .sure ENOUGH
W. mebbe it does. I never thought
-. .nae. But it seems like q pretty long
maliP 70 me, though my being solleshvv
ulaH make a difference. could have
walked it easier once"
nl shoaldn wonder il it did make a
difference. | amt got much flesh to
carry round to tire me out"
.iou re always pretty well, too, amt
"lAor, yes l never knew what twas
to be sick. How's your folks, Mis-
Atwood? Is Why any better than she
Was..n
Il don t know as she is, much. She
leels pretty poorly most OF the time. 1
guess LII hey you fix some more of that
root.beer for her. thoughtful seemed
to liven her up a little
"ive got q Jug of it all made, down
cellar, and you can take 1t when yor
go home if you want TO-"
$50 l VIII, ii you've cot it. I was in
hopes you might hev it,"
The important look had not vanished
from Mrs. Atwood's face, but she was
not the woman to tell Important news
in Il hurry. and have the gusto of it SC
soon over. She was one Of the nature:
who always dispose of bread before
pie. Now she came to it, however.
u heard some news tonight, Re
lia." said she,
Aurelia picked out another spray o
bareback. "What was it?"
"Ihomas Rankin's dead"
Aurelia clutched the bareback me
chanically. "l GU don't mean it, Mis-
Atwood! When did he die? 1 hadn'
heard he was sick.h
"He wasn't, long. Had kind of s
fit this noon, and died right of. Til,
doctor-they sent for DR.. Smith from
AIdcr-c called it sunst; oke. You know
twas awful hot, and he'd been out il
the field to work all the moynin'.
think twas heart trouble; it's in tn
Rankin family; his father died Of it
Doctors don't know everything"
"Wcll, it's a dreadful thing sait
Aurelia. 81 can't realize it. Their,
he's left four little children, and j
amt more'n q year since Mis- Rankil
l;oI t. ri,,,f ~ 1,oor i, :4S',
cit amt q year into a month ant
sixteen days" said Mrs. Atwood, sol
emily. "Niny and L was countin' O
it up Just before l come in here"
"Well, l guess 'tisn't, come to thin]
; of it. l couldn't have told exactly
!, The oldest Of those children amt NOR,
than eight, is she?"
"Ethelind is eight, coming mex
!, month; Why and / was reckinin' it up
Then Edith is six, and lsadore is five
and Myrtle amt but two, poor littl
thing"
".What do you s'pose will be don
5 with 'em?'
: II don't know. Why an me wa
talking of it over, and got it settled tina
her sister. Mis- LOOMS, w to Alden
would hev to hev 'em. It'll be consid
t cradle for hex, too, for she's got two o
her own. and don'ts'pose sam Loom
is has got much. But | don't see wha
: else can be done. OF course stranger
: amt coin' to take children when Their
is folks.'
..Wouldn't his mother take 'em?"
t sWhat, old lady Sears? Lor', nc
You know she was dreadful put on
. bout Thomas MARVIN where he die
a and declared he shouldn't hev a cent {
4 her money. 1t was all her second hu:
L bands, anyway. John Rankin WASH
worth anything. She won't do any
thing for 'em. She's livin' in gre;
q style down neal the city. they say. &C
= Il nice house and keeps help. Sh
r might have 'em Just as we'll as not, bl
she won't. She's a hard woman TO g
e along with. anyhow. She nagged bot
g her husbands to death, an Thorn;
If never had no peace at home. Cue
d that was one reason why he was in sue
Il Il hurry to get married. MIS- Rank
was a good-tempered soul, if she WASH
t. quite SO drivin' as some.'
" II do feel dreadtrlly to think
those children said Aurelia.
"'Tis hard; but we must try an b
lieve it was ruled for the best.
'spose 1 must go, for | left Why q
Y alone"
"Well, if you must. III get til
s. root-beer for you, Mis- Atwood.
shall keep thinking bout those CHI
n dren all night" .
re A week OF two after that Mrs. A
5. wood had some more news; but S
+. didn't 90 to Aureli:a with it, for Aurel
le was the very sub-essence OF 1t herse
She unfolded it gingerly to her daug
ter Lavinia-a pale, peaked you
woman, who looked as it it would ia.
1e more than Aurelia's root-bear to ma
,c her robust. Aurel'a had taken +
"a Youngest Rankin child for her own, a
a Mrs. Atwood had just heard OF it. Il
I'd true said she; 81 see her with it m
le self. Old lady Sears icy SO much
of sent q letter, let alone not coming
s, the funeral, and Mis- LOOMS vas Fl
vi enough to get rid OF it."
pr \iny drank in the story as II 1t n
r. bcen SO much nourishing Jelly. Il
I'd too narrow life was killing her us mu
it as ANYTHING else. -,
=, Meanwhile Aurelia had the Chill
IS. and was actively happy, for the il
by time in her lie, TO her w nave !