Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-08-22

speaking In a voice so high and eager
that it scarcely sounded like her own.
"Oh, no, Miss; [ took it and put it in
my waterproof pocket, but Peter met
me before 1 reached the office and then
L forgot; but I'll run out with it now in
q minute"
"Rring it to me instead, please; 1
don't want it posted now"
BESSIE never knew till this hour why
Miss Ranley gave her five shillings in
stead of the scolding she expected,
neither does John Hayward understand
why letter number one never reached
him.
Tom Danvers went to Rangoon, az
he had said, in much disgust and de-
spair. Mary's unfaithfulness had
turned the sunlight into darkness for
him, but through his pain a certain
resolution to be and do something grew
daily. He would forget her, he would
never speak OF her, and if men uttered
her name lie would turn aside, but he
would do so we'll with his own life that
one day she would know him the
superior of the man she had married.
So, in much wrath and scorn, he sailed
away to succeed or fail s might be.
AS for Mary, her life was all at the
dead level of the monotony now. There
was always the morning work, always
the evenings enforced idleness. and
periodically the long empty holidays in
which her lonliness grew only more as
sertive. Like many another she was
learning that
t. ;, 500 -, ~.
Wcfeel benumbed, ana wish to be no more.
But in the after silence on the shore,
When all is lost except a little life.
she was growing old, she would soon
be thirty, and already there were white
threads in the smoothness of her hair,
and she knew she wa growing odder
and more unsocial than Miss Gritiiths
or Miss Henderson had cver been. But
she was a good teacher, she was a sue
cess in the high school, and she chung
to that poor triumph as her last source
OF happiness. 1t was she, the strong
one, who would do a small work in q
small groove all her life, and Tom who
would grow to success and power. But
she deserved that for her wrong esti-
mate of both OF them. And everyone
knew that he was doing we'll, and had
forgotten her. Why, It was only the
other day that MI. Wheelhouse had
stopped her to tell her that he had just
been asking Tom by letter why he was
neglecting Mary Ranley.
ut was very good of you," she had
SAID. going home with another shaft
ranking in her sore heart.
1t was dusk as she went YEARLY
down the street. The early October
night was closing in, and broad bands
Of light from open doors fell across her
path. The street was very still and
empty, and she felt thankful for that
and for the coming peace of her soil
tary parlor. But She stood for an in
slant on the doorstep to watch the
trembling stars before she rang the
bell.
Bessie answered it with a beaming
face. She was very fond of Miss Ran
ley, who had always been kind to her.
''There is a visitor for you in the par
lor, Miss"
ooh, very WE'LL" Mary expected
one of the pupil teachers who wanted a
certificates; so she went, up stairs and
put her outdoor things away, and
brushed her hair, and then came down
to be the school-mistress at home. But
it was not Jane Blakeney who rose at
her entrance, but a tall, brown bearded
man, who looked into her face and then
held out his hands to her without a
word.
TONI" she said, with a little tlut-
tering sigh; s'Tom!"
'.Yes, it is l. l came back as soon as
ever l knew YOU were tree"
~ have not deserved it."
"Perhaps not; but then, you see, 1
could not do without you. l need some
one to scold and keep me right"
ooh, no., Tom, again; old
things and old habits are all ended"
''And you threw the other fellow
over:?"
"No, not that exactly; it was all a
mistake-all my pride and his stupid
ity; but l have been well punished for
everything. l never thought you would
come back"
II did not mean to come back, till I
found there was no getting on without
you"
And then Mary burst into tears, and
stood sobbing against his shoulder:
son. Tom, 1 have missed you SOL"
she said.
..Mell, I am here now to take care
of you; won't that be reversing the
old order Of things?" smiling at her
fondlY.
And so it came about that Mary Ran
ley, despite her dangerous hesitation
between two stools, found a comfortable
seat on one OF them, after all.-AN the
Year Round.
HerOism ut Home.