Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-18

WnlCn she n4Q NOT UNDERSTOOD q word,
he said:
Excuse me, but was that about the
Turkish WARP"
She referred to the heading and re-
piled:
"No, it is about the annual exporta-
ton of grain"
There was Il pause of embarrassment.
"Pardon my inattention," he said,
formally. II am somewhat preoccu-
pied to-day"
"Would you like me to read some
thing else:9" she suggested.
81 think, if you do not mind coming
in here, I would rather talk to you in
stead"
This proposition put our heroine in
quite a furry, but she arose, parted the
curtain, and timidly walked into the
darkened chamber. She found q chair
with some difficulty, and sat down tim
idly. fixing her eyes upon the floor. She
had %speculated so much upon his ap-
pearance that even after she became
accustomed to the darkness she felt that
there would be q sort of indelicacy in
looking at him.
In a few days more" he said, 81
shall know whether the experiment has
been a success or a failure"
"The experiment." said Mrs. Rosa
mond, without looking'up.
"The experiment of passing six
months in almost total darkness" he
replied. Her eyes were cast down, she
did not speak.
"You have done a great deal to make
my captivity endurable," he went on.
SSIf T hOy-0 1,non ovoofinCe 10c 1yN,, fO
forgive me-"
"You have been kind" she muir
INJURED.
eff the oculist who is coming to-
morrow reports favorably Of my eyes 1
shall probably sail at once for Europe;
if unfavorably-" He stopped and
tried to conceal his emotion by a short,
nervous laugh. For the first time she
| glanced at him. In her thoughts she
had wronged him. He was pale and
thin to cmaciation, his forehead was
high and noble, the lower part of his
face was concealed by a soft beard, a
light bandage rested upon his eyes. eff
u~nfayorably," he repeated, 81 shall
perhaps claim your services again"
Mrs. kosamond answeredthe interro-
CATION in his voice. 81 shall be happy
to serve you," she said, softly.
He held out his hand to her. 81 will
send Michael to let you know the result.
If it is what 1 fear it will be-" he said,
''for of course the verdict will be final,
you will come to me?"
She promised, and he pressed her
hand gently. She felt that She was dis
missed. She said goodbye, adding a
word of'sympathy and encouragement,
and left the room.
Outside the %spring-day was bright,
but the sunshine saddened her, and the
bird-songs had a tote of melancholy.
She reached her dull little room, and,
sitting down by the window, thought of
the awful blank which his going away
would make in her lie. "When his
eyes are cured" she said to herself, che
will have no further use for me, and he
will forget me utterly, whereas if he
were blind l could be the consolation
and delight of his life." This thought
had no sooner crossed her mind than it's
wickedness appalled, her, and she fell
upon her knees and begged to be for
given.
The two succeeding days were passed
in suspense and wretchedness. Upon
the following morning Michael tapped
at her door. She scanned his face
eagerly, but found no change in it's ex-
preston.
"Mr. Church towld me to bring the
carriage, and to zemoind you av your
promise to spake wild him." he said.
She dared not ask a question, for the
words of her friend required to her, and
she felt that she would not have been
summoned thus if the report of the ocu-
list had been afavorable one. Her mind
was in q strange tumult as she made
her toilek, and she could not define the
complex sensations which brought the
smiles to her lips and the tears to her
eyes.
She found no change in the D
ance Of the library as she entered it.
She approached the curtain and spoke
his name in Il timid voice, which, never
tr,less vibrated with love and sympa-
thy. He heard her and answered the
summons, parting the curtain and en-
tering the room with his hands out
stretched in q cropping, uncertain fash
ion. The bandage was still over his
eyes. 1t moved her with a sharp pity
to see him thus bindly feeling his way.
She ran to him, took his hands and led
him to a chair.
Il will close the blinds and shut out
some of this light she said, pitifully;
but he detained her.
''Never mind" he said, sadly. cit
does not matter now; it will never mat
ter again" She sat down in a chair
near him. There was a lump in her
throat, and she dared not trust herself
to express her distress at his misfortune.
Perhaps he OWNED this, for he said,
after a pause:
81 did not send for you to make m
demand upon your sympathy, but to re-
mind you OF your promise to come to
me as usual upon my return; for the
oculist thinks my general health has
suffered greatly from the confinement,
and that l must take a trip which may
prolong my absence for several
months"
1T was not necessary to remind me-"
said Mrs. Rosamond. 81 should not
have forgotten Her voice was broken
by a little sob. Another pause ensued,
which she could not fill with any of the