Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-04-25
ssFAINT HEART NE'ER WON FAIR
LADY,"

AADA
"a hat of last years fashion!"
'.But her eyes were like gray stars. y
"And her manner dreadfully quick
and decided"
bright and sparkling, I should cal
it,"
..My dear Richard, you are really
absurd. The girl is a hospital nurse,
and what woman with any refinement
or delicacy would take up such profes
sion as thatp 1t shows she can't be
nice"
Ladies do such things now-a-days''-
less defantly.
'.Now you know you're only saying
so because she's pretty. Of course,
ladies do queer things nowadays, but
that doesn't excuse an unwomanly feel
ing. Besides, she's only a solicitors
daughter. I shan't ask mamma tc
CALI
"But don't you think common civil.
'ity-
"No, I don't. She's only staying al
the rectory, and we are not forced to
call on every ones friends. Besides,
Captain Hardwicke is expected home,
and it would make it awkward. What
awould one of Lord Belmont's people
say if we asked them to. meet a girl like
Miss Traverse"
'tAll the same, she's as pretty and
aadylike as any M 1 ever met in these
parts"
every likely, but she's not in our set
Now, Richard, if you say any more I
shall begin to think you're falling in
love with her, if the idea is not too alb
surd,"
But Richard had closed the drawing
DON door upon his six sisters languid
voices, and was half way across the
wide lawn with its brilliant parterres of
summer flowers. Poor Richard Aller-
dyce! only son of the richest banker in
~sChellowdean, people of good family,
but with just that uncertainty of social
position which made them afraid of
"overstepping any boundaries, rather
gratiied at being on intimate terms
with Lord Belmont and the Hardwickes,
he was of divided mind this summer
afternoon. He had been greatly taken
by the sweet face and slight Fl gure in
hhe rectory pew last Sunday; was sensi-
ole of a thrill of more than civil interest
when he met their owner walking home
with the good old rector after service,
and was introduced to ''Miss Travers,' -
while the eyes like gray stars'' were
suddenly raised to his; and he had ever
since spent q large portion of his time
than was strictly needful in walking
past the rectory's ~rose-covered garden
gate. But, on the other side, his sisters
words had certainly struck home.
Brought up, as all the Allerdyces
were, like hot house plants, sheltered
from every breath of frosty air, it was
not strange that Richard at 25, though
q big, burly enough young Englishman
mind or heart. knowledge of the
world had been carefully kept from
him, as from his sisters, lest they should
learn evil; but their very Ignorance had
cost them the loss of power to choose
between evil and good, and had given
them weak prejudices and conceited
opinionativeness, instead of a mind able
to discern and prefer the right.
Richards handsome face was over
cast as he swung out of the lodge gates
and down the road. Miss Travers, a
hospital nurse? certainly it was q shock.
Not only did it seem to him unwomanly
for a woman to work at all, but in
finitely more so to do mental work.
And then the awful thought of what his
mother and sisters would say, were they
asked to receive a hospital nurse IS his
future wife, For it had gone as far as
that, in Richards susceptible mind,
even in these three short days. All at
once his thoughts broke off, as Miss
Travers Acrs4l.t, sweet and bright as
ever, in her black dress, came out from
the rectory gate, the great rectory mas
tiff pacing behind her.
Now, Richards own collie was at his
masters heels, and there was a border
feud of long standing between these two
faithful followers. There was one
angry growl, a heavy rush, a thud,
and then Il brown body and black rolled
together in the dust in a manner sug-
gestive of a dogs funeral on one side or
the other. Richard, who was actually
staggered by the %suddenness of it all,
could not for a moment regain his SEN
ses; and when he did, it was to find
Miss Travers, both white hands locked
in the hair of Rollo's shaggy neck, pull
ing him from his foe with all her
strength, and calling to 'tMr. Aller-
dyce" to stake hold Of his dog and pull
him off"
She was being whirled around in the
eloud by the frantic walters before
Richard could quite settle wheus to
k1ake hold" but that task was per-