Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-02-15

the k Fred you may 'l'''' s''' A''
you shall have all your mind can
digest, depend upon it." said Nj. May.
nard, as he went on his way.
Opposite the residence OF MIR. Pierce,
he paused and reflected a moment. Il
seemed to him that it would be only
kind for him to go in and tell his niece
that his decision had been made, and
that his choice had fallen on Fred.
WHY keep them all in suspense until
June? So reasoning, he pushed open
the gate, and walked up the path to
the house.
The servant who answered his ring
told him that Mrs. Pierce had gone out
tor q moment, and asked him to await
her return.
"pll wait ten minutes-no longer"
said the old man, as he stepped into the
library.
Mr.. Pierce was fond of reading, and
the room was lined with bookcases. In
one of these Mr.. Maynard saw the vol.
ume of travels he had presented to
Fred.
"rn see what it was that proved 50
interesting to the lad," he muttered, as
he drew the book out.
He opened it, and began to turn
over the leaves; then suddenly starte.
back as if he had received a blow in the
face.
"Impossible!" he muttercd, as ha
sank down in a chair, completely over.
come. "There must be some mis-.
take"
. For several moments he sat thus, In
deep thought, the book resting on his
knee. Then, rising, he restored it to
its place, q deep sigh escaping his lips
as he did SO. Then, picking up his cane,
which had fallen to the floor, he left the
house.
"a most fortunate discovery" he
muttered, as he walked away. "Poor
lad! poor lad!"
When Mrs. Pierce returned home a
few minutes later, she of course found
the library u~noccupied.
"Uncle Asa is always so Impatient"
she said. ''Surely he could have waited
just a little longer"
'IIe promised to wait ten minutes,
but I'm sure he wasn't here more than
five" said the servant.
81 am very sorry l missed him." said
Mrs. Pierce.
DQu S1C Slu llOG hlloW WlliU AlCo uuu
missed by that early call of Uncle
Asa's.
Fred wondered why he did not re.
ceive the promised books, but, conclud-
ing that Mr.. Maynard had forgotten the
matter, said nothing about it.
But he had greater cause for wonder,
when, after the June graduation, he
heard that his cousin Henry had been
taken into his uncle's store.
II can't make it out,'' he said to his
cousin. II was sure Uncle Asa intend.
ed to give me the place. He always
appeared to like me better than he did
YOU"
at was a great surprise to me, I con.
fess,'' said Henry. He seemed SO
vexed with me about that book | chose,
you remember. He scarcely spoke to
me the neNt time I met him. But he il
very pleasant to me now.''
81 wish the matter could be cx
planned" said Fred. II would like to
understand about it,"
He understood very soon. One day
in the beginning of July he received 8
summons to come to his uncle'S of
flee.
The interview did not last long; but
perhaps Fred suffered more during the
ten minutes his uncle talked to him
than he had in the whole Of his life be-.
fore
"It is only right that YOU should
know why my choice fell on Henry"
said the old man. ''for | intimated ia
your father that l should choose you.
The knowledge may be OF permanent
benefit to you, and influence you fol
good in a similar case, should one evel
occur. l gave you q book two months
ago, with which you seemed immensely
pleased. Meeting you on the street q
week later, | asked you if you had read
it. You said you had. and praised il
highly. | was well pleased with you,
and concluded that l had better settle
at once the matter OF Your coming here,
after Your graduation, to learn my
business. l Wen to your fathers
house, and, your mother being out,
stepped into the library to await her re.
turn. There | saw the book | had given
you. Some impulse led me to open it.
Frederick, you know, of course, the dis.
covery made. The volume was rough.
~ bound and cheaply printed, and the
pages were uncut! DO you understand!
l Knew at once that you had not only
been guilty OF deceit, but Of deliberate
%falsehood. | want in my employment
no one whom ] can not trust, and nv
trust in you was DESTROYED forever
when l. left your fathers library that
day"
Fred tried to speak. but there was 9
lump IN his throat which prevented his
doing SC.
You may 60 now," said MIR. May.
nard; but remember, my lad, that no
matter at what apparent cost, it is al.
Ways best to stick to the old proverbs:
Honesty is the best policy"
And us Fred walked out of the Office
he felt the perfect truth of his uncle's
Wofds.-f2orcnce b. HaAoveU, IN Go.den
Days.
"a hear You have been ND in the
new Pennsylvania oil regions" re-
hiarNeu a man on Change to a friend,