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

%csredulity; II thought you would have
been faithful to me even if we had
parted-for a while, at least"
but L was weaker and meaner, you
see l wanted some one to keep me in
ioleness and buy me fine dresses and
treat me we'll, and. when you could not
20 1t, | closed with the offer of the first
man who could" She seemed to take
q certain bitter pleasure in her self-ac.
cusation now.
"oh. Mary, I can't believe it, it's not
possible! You who were always so high
m far removed from the temptations
That beset ordinary women!' he burst
forth groaning.
You overrated me. I oyerrated N.Y.
sell: You see now 1 am not worth
taking to Rangoon, not worth loving
or thinking ABOUT"
But is it really true? Are you not
tofturing mo with q cruel iest??"
ut is quite true: l have promised to
be another man wife, and I wrote him
that no thought of you would ever
stand between u.s." she answered ar
ralgning herself.
Then you are a heartless woman,
and L shall never forgive you!" he burst
forth pronouncing judgment on the
spot, and then he rushed past her and
out of her sight, while she continued
her solitary way with laggarl steps
an q heart that lay in her bosom heavy
as lead.
What can she do now?: She has sown
the wind, and the harvest of the whirl-
wind has been very bitter. She has
dallied with temptation, and her mo-
mentary unfaithfulness has cost her
self-respect. Butsshe will be true to
herself at last; she will recall the prom
Use that should never have been given.
1t will not matter as far as her happi-
ness is concerned, but it will be the
first step in the painful elf-restoration.
When her %recantation was written
there was 4 load off her mind; but she
was not in any fever of Impotence to
post this letter-it would keep till she
was on her way to school. After the
hurried emotions OF the last twenty-four
hours she was physically tired, and so
she sat rocking herself backward and
forward in her wicker chair with a
faint sensation of relief in the motion.
Twilight was fading, and timid little
stars were trembling into the sky be-
yond the uncurta;ned windows, when
there came a soft tap TO the door, AMI
Mousie Graham's rosy, roguish face
peeped in.
''Oh, you are not busy-t*a nk good
ness for that! l was half afraid 1
might find you deep in the Differential
Calculus, and l did so want a good long
chat"
"Come in, dear, I am so glad to see
you; it is an age since you were here
before" Mary took the soft little face
between her hands and kissed the de-
licious pink cheeks.
Ceramic has been worse lately,
weaker and more fretful, and so I felt
| could not leave her without q special
GRAND"
"But she is better to-day?"
ooh yes, ever so much better, and
then Aunt Lizzie came to pay her = lit
tie visit, so [ loft Grannie with her, and
ran over to see YOU"
"That was very good Of you, dear
ooh no, it was not; l came on bust
ness" Mousie laughed and flushed a
little. then she drew q letter from her
pocket. ''This came addressed to me
yesterday, but it is evidently meant fol
you. 1t is from that BOBBY, John Hay
ward; he is always in the clouds, OF
among the ~cog-wheels of his looms,
and so the result is a blunder." She
unfolded the sheet as she spoke, and
handed it to Mary, and this is what
stood before the latter's astonished
eyes:
DEAR MISS RENLEY.-In the pleasant excur
sion we had together last summer remem
Der your mentioning q book on ferns that you
desired to have, but could not get, as you had
forgotten the authors name. l have just
opening chapter of which is on the Osmunda
RECALLS. ii you think this is the work in ques
ton I shall be happy to forward it to you.
Sincerely yours, JOHN HAYWARD.
Mary Ranley was sure some complex
machinery in her head had got out OF
order, SO loud and persistent vas the
whirring in her ears.
When she spoke at last her voice
sounded faint and far away.
.Is your name Mary?'
"Of course it is, or rather Mary Ann,
but every one calls ME Mousie except
John Hayward. He thought Mousie no
name for a girl, and SO he always
called me Mary-Miss Mary; it did
sound SO funny
''Then, Miss Mary, l have an offer of
marriage for you; it came to me, and,
naturally enough, I took it to myself"
Mousie was so Hurried that she did
not notice her friends perturbation.
Il fancied,'' she said, holding the
letter in her hand, but not looking at
it, ''that he must have been writing to
me and had mixed the covers. That is
so like your very clever people! But
how lucky the letter came to an en-
gagged girl"
swell, 1 don't see the luck of it, for
1 wrote yesterday and accepted him. -
sob, Mary, And Toni"
Tom and [ had quarreled, and
Johns letter came ut the worst mo-
ment; SO l accepted him."
Poor Mousie's eyes grew dim.
In that case, Mary, l suppose you
had better keep the letter. She said,
faltering a little. at was really sent
to you, and, after all, L don't mind SO
very much"
"You are a generous little darling,
but there is nc necessity for your sacri-
flee even if Mr.. Hayward would permit
it. I wrote him my recartation this
afternoon. There is the letter; you can