Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-18
eyes. hnt wa keen their secrets. Now

1t was q sad. weird sight altogether,
and as Grayton watched it, it reminded
him of Kaulbach's ''Dance of DEATH"
and he felt oddly morbid rs he thought
of his w lonely life. He had once
loved and given his heart to a woman
whom he had both idealized and idol
lied; he had youth, brains and position,
and with her he felt he could conquer
the world. 1t was an old story; she
turned out to be as loveless as she was
lovely, and so he took to the tigers. He
had got over it all now, but he shud-
dered as he remembered the fret of it
all, and thought how near madness he
had been driven when he heard of her
ultimate fate, and where her life had
drifted to. So there were Ophelias
here! More like Audreys, he thought,
as he watched some uncouth gamboling
in a corner. His eyes wandered round
the room, and rested at last on face.
1t was an exquisite oval face, some
what sad and wistful in expression, of
that rare delicate olive color II sees in
the South, with the skin of so fine q tex
ture that the red flush springs up
through the v~ein-tracery at a moments
excitement; the large brown eyes were
soft and dreamy, the chiseled mouth wa
parted, and the dark brown hair, look
ing black at night, was worn Greek
fashion close to the head, sweeping in
undulating lines past tho tiny rose
tipped ears. She was seated on a low
sofa, carelessly clasping one knee with
both hands. She wore a simple white
frock, just mysteriously frilled round
the little white column of a throat, and
a great black-red rose nestled in her
breast. One little high-arched foot, in
p~each-colored netted silk, kept swinging
to the music. No one seemed to talk to
her except the Doctor, who smiled
pleasantly as he passed and said some
thing to which she answered with a nod.
"Ophelia at last" said Grayton to
himself; and in melancholy vein he
wished he were q Hamlet and could lie
at her feet and watch the play.
"'Poor Ophelia! divided from her.
self and her fair Judgment" (the quo
tation was irresistible). Il wonder
what sent her here-some brute of a
man, or a soldier-lover killed at Kas-
sassin. Gracious! I hope this terrible
Meg Merrilies is not going to ask me to
dance!!" and he moved away, as his saw
a wild-eyed woman bearing down upon
him. to a seat somewhat nearer the pale
girl with the black-red rose.
For a time he watched her; then he
tried to magnetic her. At last their
eyes met; he stared her full in the face.
She never shrank from his look, only a
sort OF pitying light seemed to glow in
the sorrowful eyes. A moment passed,
and then she rose quietly and with per-
feet self-possessed grace walked over to
him-to his intense establishment sat
down quietly by his side, and said in a
soft musical voice:
"You seem sad tonight; am sorry"
For a moment he was tongue-tied;
then he recollected his instructions and
pulled himself together.
"Well, l think I was sad because you
were looking sad"
''Was l? l suppose 1 always do, then.
OF course, being here naturally makes
n feel sad. But we won't talk Of that"
she added, quickly. '.Do you care for
dancing? I'll dance with you, if you
like"
"Dance! with you?"
80 yes. if you like; many Of the 9TH
ers dance, you know"
elbow calmly she seems to recognize
her sad state!" thought Grayton, as he
stood up and passedhis arm round poor
Ophelia's slender waist, wondering how
she would Zig and amble." They were
playing the '.Dream-Faces," as they
swung in undulating rhythm to the
pretty song hefelt that few slips of sane
seventeen sould come up to her.
THAT right" said the Doctor, en-
couragginggly; ''set a good example"
''Means I'm to be a tonic, + suppose"
thought Grayton; so he carried offOphe-
liza for an ice.
you dance beautifully" she said.
..No, you sit down and I'll get you the
ice; there now, there's a spoon and a
wafer; now you feel comfortable, don't
you2 Isn't that a lovely valse?"
eyes, I'm fond of Dream Faces;' the
people one meets in dreams are general
ly vastly nicer than the real folk. l have
many dream-friends."
"Have you?" she said, looking
amused; .'tell me of Them"
"Well, you know, 1 think I'm married
to a dream-wife-just like Gilbert's
Princess Toto, you know, with her
dream-husband. And she comes to me
sometimes and scolds me if I've done
anything wrong in the day; and some-
times she's very loving, and sometimes
she's cross and doesn't come near me
for weeks"
He felt as if he was telling afairy tale
to a child.
Chow charming! Do tell ME more of
her. Is she beautiful? What is she
like?'
The fanciful conceit seemed to amuse
her, SO he went on drawing pictures of
an ideal woman; then growing uncon-
%sciously eloquent, he burst out, 'Ah, if
n could only meet her alive, what q
wife she would make! A very second
self, aiding, sympathizing, helping, low
ing-at c the cheeriest of chums and
the most idolized of IDOLS"
She had flushed a little as he spoke,
but she went On: ..'What a pretty picture!