Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-06-27

Who are you that I should talk to you
in this way? What interest have you
in me?"
A terrible suspicion crossedmy mind,
but vanished in an instant. She had
become calm again, and spoke as one
who weighed her words and told no
more than she was aware of. | begged,
[ implored her, that she would speak
to me and make me her contidant. as
suring her of my fidelity and my r
est desire to serve her; but she was
silent, and when she spoke again it was
with q shadow of GOODNESS in her man
ner, and she thanked me, but said that
she had spoken more than she intended,
and made an excuse, and begged that
| would forget. The maid, who, as L
believed, had noticed her recent excite
ment, anne up, and saying that it was
late and the air was growing chilly,
suggested that her mistress should re-
turn. She rose at once and gave me
her hand, saving that she would not
trouble me to accompany them to the
shore, and seeing that it was her wish
to be alone, [ bowed and she withdrew,
followed by the maid.
From that night I thought of her
more than ever. Nay, her sweet,
mournful face haunted my waking and
my sleeping dreams, and the sad music
of her voice echoed in my ear.
To the interest of her beauty and her
bearing was now added that of the
mystery she had darkly limited at
mystery which remained q mystery, for
she never again reverted to it, and 1
forebore to trouble her with question
ings.
But the feeling that had been grow
ing in me since our friendship opened,
sank deeper and acquired ever fresh
strength. Interest had long since
passed into fascination; fascination now
passed into love.
At this there was nothing to wonder.
Her dark and melancholy beauty, the
inexplicably subtle charm of her man
ner, the frequency of II meetings and
the curiously fitting character Of time
and ~place-these were circumstances |
had neither power nor will to resist.
And 1 grew to love her with the heat
and passion Of youth, though conscious
always Of Il something lowering about
her which made it difficult for me to
approach her in the character of a
lover.
But one evening as we sat together
on the steps leading down to the water
1 dared to speak to her as l had never
spoken before. She heard me, but
with agitation in her looks; and when
1 paused and drew q little closer to her
she shrank back, and in q tone almost
of horror she answered that what Ihad
asked her was wholly impossible for
her to grant. Then her manner
softened, and with tears in her eyes she
babe me leave her and forget her.
10 me then it seemed that this was
not less impossible, and / said so earn
estly and pleadingly; urging that if it
might not be now it might be in the
future, and imploring for leave only to
hope.
But she, gently and kindly inexora.
bic, denied me again: then giving way
utterly to tears and with q gesture Of
despair she begged Of me to go and see
her no more.
i Scarcely knowing what I did
reached out my arms toward her, and
she, thinking apparently that 1 mean
to clasp her-though l myself know moi
even now whether that were really my
intention-moved from me, and would
have fallen backward into the water
had I not caught and held her by the
wrist.
In the same instant we both observed
u sudden and startling change that had
try afternoon, but the oppressive calm
Of the past two hours mad ceased, and
the wind, with an ominous sound o.
storm. was rising in the west. The sur
had set red, and angry, and m artillery
Of heavy clouds loaded the western sky
and spread rapidly until the whole
heavens were obscured, save where one
broad streak of a dull yellow marked
where the sun had lately sunk. . The
sea was Of one metallic hue-its sur
face was broken by the wind, and little
sullen waves with glittering crests bea
against the sides of the pier.
The preparations for the storm
alarmed my companion thoroughly
She rose quickly and turning to me anc
reckoning to her maid, who came or
the instant, said nervously, 'sLet us %
at once; l am afraid of the Storm
We were ~three-quarters Of q milo
from the shore, and the wind continued
to rise, and the clouds changed from /;
leaden to an inky color. Certain winds
brought with them Il very full anc
heavy tide, and the waters, which were
then nearly at the flood, o S as W.
went until they were almost flush witt
the edge of the pier. A single flasl
of lightning parted the clouds ani
danced for an instant right over
our heads, followed by q prolonged
muttering of thunder. which burst ther
into a crashing peal. The arm tina
rested in mine trembled, and l saw tina
my companion vas completely over
come by nervous excitement. Her eyes
wandered with a troubled look over thu
now tossing and swelling waves, anc
her whole frame was violently wrough
upon. The maid on one side and IShpo1
i the other, held each an arm and strovt
to set her at ease, but her fear increased
with every step she took. Suddenly
when we were distant not a hundred
yards from the shore, a glittering mas
OF spray was dashed up through tn.
open beams of the pier, a few feet il
l front of us. She screamed, pointing a
it with quiyering finger, and coulc
T. ho,.d1u ho ,,or,,,o1ul ~ I'M