Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-03-07
gage to q man by the name OF Sanborn.
that mao moved TO Californv

gage to q man by the name OF Sanborn.
that had moved to C~aliforny.
"Ihey wrote, an found out that the
man was dead, an hadn't left no heirs.
an, men the town up an claimed the
meooer lot. 1t was SO hard up for
money to finish the new road that It put
tne land up to auction, an Mary Ann
sne sold the honaestid-all she had-an'
BID for the lmedder lot. But, land
sakes! twas no use her nor ANYBODY
else blddin' agin old 'Liph'let. He was
pound to hev it, an he got it, though
ne give most everything he was with
Tor 1t. An 'twa'n't SIX months. arter-
ward that the railroad folks decided not
to come nigh Farmin'ton! Old 'Liph'le
ne was sick an poor an all alone in the
world an Mary Ann she buried the
hatchet an went an took care of him.
Shes KEEP school between times, an
she's held the old mans head above
water, an give him the comforts O. life
these five year. Now 1 s'pose he'll
leave her the medder lot, bein' it's all
ne 8 got to leave, an she's all he's got
to leave it to, am seems as if there was
a providence in it, for now the rail
roads a-comin' sure.
Gurus to see whether Jason I'll
come TO the pint now, won't it? He's
been goin' to see Mary Ann off an on
the null time, so't he can Jest mention
matramony, kind of easy an material, if
he wants to.
can Mary Ann? Well, womenfolks
is the weaker vessel, if I do quote Scrip
ter, that amt a professor. So you sec
there amt all been told about that
medder lot that may be yet"
And Uncle Cy looked tr%iumphantly
yet modestly at the stranger, as if fully
satisfied that he had proved the meadow
lots claim to distinction, but had no in
%tention of discomfting his enemies by
boasting of it.
The stranger had shown some inter-
est; he had even put a leading question
now and then; and, his horse being
shod, he had fingered, evidently to hear
the conclusion Of Uncle Cy's narrative.
And Uncle Cy, in the proud con
s%c:ousness of having established more
familiar relations with him than any,
body else had been able to do, made
bold to ask him a question:
"Calkilate to stop round here a
spell?"
Probably. It depends upon circum-
Stances said the stranger.
And without any further remark he
paid his bill and departed.
An expression of disappointment
rested upon the faces Of those he left be-
hind; upon Uncle Cy's FACET amounted
to dismay. He was not prepared for
such scanty return for his efforts at en-
tertainment.
But he suddenly caught sight of a
card which the stranger had dropped
from his pocket-book as he paid his bill,
and stopped eagerly to pick it up.
The group collected around him as
he adjusted his spectacles to read the
card.
"Otis sanborn, Y, Arizona"
Eight months after Eliphalet Top
hams death, his niece, Mary Ann,
stood in the doorway of the house that
had been his, looking out upon the
meadow lot. 1t was a fall June day,
but its peace was invaded by a noise
and hustle arousing echoes which had
lain asleep in Pennington since the be.
ginning of the world. The waving
grass of the meadow lot was being
ruthlessly trampled by the feet of the
workmen who swarmed the town. The
railroad had "come!' There was a
glow on Mary AIMS cheek and a light
in her eye. She looked as if some OF
her years had fallen off her. The figure
OF a man coming along the road at.
tracted her eye. He food still and
gazed at the meadow lot. Then, catch.
ing sight of her, he came toward he1
with quick steps. She gazed at him
c%uriously and intently, as if she saw
him for the first time. She said, "Good
afternoon, Jason,'' as to an old &C
quaintance.
He was an old-looking mar for one
who had but just reached middle age,
in spite of an alert and active air and a
generally youthful carriage. His light
gray eyes. contrasted unpleasantly with
his dark and sallow skin; but when he
spoke they lighted up, and his smile
was not altogether ungenial. His eyes
and hers wandered together to the
meadow lot.
"The years bring changes" he said,
and as he uttered this commonplace
sentiment there was a tremor in his
voice which filled Mary Ann with won
der. He turned abruptly toward her.
"You and I are all alone now, Mary
Ann: why shouldn't we he together?'
A wave of color surged over her face;
a long, tluttering sigh came from her
lips. She felt as if the ground were
slipping away from beneath her feet,
but it was only the years rolling away
from before her like q mist. She had
hoped and longed and waited for these
words in those years; she had doubted
and despaired of them. Now they
fell as upon deafened ears. She felt
as if it were not she who had heard
them.
"Oh, no., no, no, Jasonn. she said.
He took her hand and would have
drawn her toward him,
"But, Mary Ann, you used to"
"Yes, yes, but not now"
"You understand me, Mary Ann. as
nobody else ever did, and the old feel
ing will come back. We are older, OF
course, and things have been against
us, we have had no space for senti-
ment."
cit could never come back, JASON"
she cried. set is dead! You might as