Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-06-13

maue Tor the position, with her beauty
and c~leverness and talents. She has al
ways been immensely popular"
"And who is the girl he has married.
She seems . nice little thing enough"
"OA, a harmless sort of creature;
Pink-and-whitc prettiness, nothing more.
She was a planters daughter in Ceylon,
them when the father died. She was
left quite friendless and destitute, and
he married her out of pity. He was al
ways a quixotic goose, Harry Fielding"
The spell was off now; and Nesta,
white as death, was hurrying up the
stairs to her room. There was q little
sofa in a sheltered nook in the corridor,
and there sat Harry-thc missing Harry
and the woman he should have mar
ried.
Nesta sped past, but as she did, she
saw Harry bend his head and kiss the
beautiful hand he was holding, and she
heard his low murmur:
eff had only known, years ago.,
things might have been so different"
On, on, till. her own door closed be-
hind her, and she gazed wildly round
at the pretty ornaments that strewed
her bower. as she had never seen them
before. She flung the diamonds from
her throat and wrists az if they hurt her;
and sank into a chair beside the quaint
old ebony table, leaning her head, with
its tangle of crisp, brown hair, down on
her folded arms. She did not shed q
tear, but her brain seemed on fire.
Beside her stood the tall vase of
rushes that Harry and she had gathered
from the lake only yesterday. Wasn't
it a hundred years agoP
'Never another sorrow ne could
guard her from?" Well, it was true;
he couldn't help this; it wasn't his fault,
ried her "out of pity" when he loved
another woman. 1t must be her own
fault, not his; yes, because she was
pink-and-white, and nothing more; and
she vas not tall and stately and tai
ented; and she ought to have known
pity wasn't love, only it had seemed SO
like it!
eff he had known years ago, things
might have been so different!" Might
they not still? What if she were to 90
away that very night, and never trouble
him again? She had not a friend in the
world except her old Brighton school
mistress; she would go to her and beg
her to take her in, and let her teach the
little children. And perhaps she might
die soon; and Harry could be happy
with the woman he had always loved.
Nesta felt as if death wouldn't be long
in coming, she felt so i'll now.
She got up to fetch a timetable. Yes,
the mail train passed through Middle
hampton at one o'clock; It was only
twelve now, and though she couldn't
very we'll understand the puzzling fig
ures, she thought it must stop at the
little station just the other side of the
park.
She drew her blotting book to her, and
began to write fast. A big tear or two
slashed down on the paper, but she
wiped them patiently away; it must be
clear, that Harry might read it.
''They say you only married me from
pity" she wrote; 81 night have guessed
me that l never, never did. I can't
make you free again; but it is better for
US never to see each other any more,
and perhaps I may die, and you can go
back to the woman they say you have
always loved. I saw you just now,
when you kissed her hand, and said
things might have been so different if
you had only known years ago. Yes,
they would nave been different for us
all. God bless you, my poor, good boy!
you were not to blame!!"
She paused and looked up.
"What shall 1 sign it?" She said; II
am not his wife any more. for only love
really makes a marriage"
Her eyes fell on her little wedding
ring, its brightness scarcely furnished
yet. She stopped and pressed it to her
lips gently, solemnly.
"Oh, Harry, my Harry!" she whis-
pered, eff it had only been love, not
pity"
She rose and slipped Oft the golden
satin gown and put on a dark warm
dress instead.
81 must even go away from him in
the things he gave me-" she said, as she
fastened her long fur cloak with its sill
yer clasps. II haven't a single gown
that was mine before I knew him. He
has eve dressed me out Of charity. His
pity has been more generous than other
peoples love-"
She opened the French window in he1
dressing DOM and stepped out on the
balcony, whence a fight of steps led
down to the terrace below. She glanced
back at the pretty room, with its Japan
ese cabinets, and blue and white china,
and the ebony table where the letter to
Harry lay. with the light full upon it,
so that he could not miss it. Then she
Shut the easement sharply behind her,
and resolutely turned away.
The moon was bright with a ftful
bri ghtness-now almost as light as day,
nov hidden behind hurrying clouds
and it was bitterly cold. Nesta drew
her cloak tighter around her, and tried
to walk fast, but she was desperately
weary, and could only stumble along.
Somehow the way to the little gate had
never seemed SO incomprenensibly long.
Surely she could not have missed her
way? The noon and the clouds were
playing such pranks that one could not
l. - T.. l--.L - . ~