Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-10-10
State secret. She did not let It droo,

. State secret She did not let 1t droou
very long after meeting, one day her
bosom friend, Julia Billings, who lived
on the ''Back Road"
In the meantime, Uncle lothian car.
ried out his intention to enter upon the
summer boarding business. He painted
his house white, and a newly painted
white house and q red settee on the
piazza that prefaced it were ALWAYS a
sign of a disposition to know more init
mately any summer tourists. The sign
of the red : settee, Uncle lothian
promptly put out. Then he adver-
tised, enthusiastically, of course. In
stead Of some mysterious bucolic sigma
ture like Crosse Glen'' or Sylvan Lodge,
Post-Ofice so-and-so," he attached his
own name in good square English,
GOTHAM Needs" However, all the
lines thrown out by this skillful angler
did not bring any fish, or in another
word, boarders, to that little piazza
with its red settee. Day after day, the
''Valley Stage ratified along the road
but did not stop for a month after the
painting Of the house. One day though
it did stop, and "Miss Primrosee'
stepped out. So she announced her
name, and if she didn't step like a
fairy and look like a fairy! Uncle
lothian saw this at a glance, and SO did
his wife. and so did Rev. James Strong
field, who allowed himself to take a
peep between the Stats of the closed
blinds of his How can l describe
her?-the eyes that had somehow
0ol1Ohf tho n1y,n tint of NJ, ,s,,~1n
in which the sun has dropped to argol-
den flash. the fair complexion, too, chat
which had coaxed from a lily the secret
OF its purity, and the-well, let Rev.
James Stronghold tell what he thought.
Minister though he was, he stole enough
glances through his human eyes at ehis
summer boarder to be able to ptint ncr
portrait.
eve all do like Miss Primrose so,"
said Uncle Jotham's wife to the post
mistress. "She's real nice. Uncle
lothian is just taken up with her.
She seems just like one of u.s.
"What does the minister say?"
II never heard him say anything agin
her,"
What? Is that all you can say, kind
hearted landlady? Didn'tyou and Aunt
Nabby, after a morning hour chat be-
tween the minister and the summer
boarder, find him in his room pretend
ing to examine a sermon on '.Neb-
uchadneMar'' to be read before q min
isterial association, but there to be read,
let up hope, right side up? Rev. James
Stronghold was q quiet man, not moved
by any impulsive moods, and somehow
this bunch of v~ivacity charmed him be-
cause the opposite of James Stronghold.
And she-did she lean restfully against
his strong, self-collected nature? Miss
Primrose did not say. She acted toward
him as toward everybody else, kindly,
and with her bird-like voice helped him
in his services. With her acts went q
spirit of conciliation' and the temple of
modesty. She assisted in the choir so
discreetly that she did not offend the
''head voice on the air, Miranda Watt,
spinster, who, with her most persuasive
notes, had stormed the pulpit from her
red-curtained intrenchments in the
choir, but without success.
To himself, Uncle lothian made q con-
fession one day: THAT gal from the
city has Jest got the upper hand of me.
She makes me thinks
He did not finish his thought. There
had been aroused in his heart a want
that he had been trying to starve TO
death for years, the old longing for his
own, the flesh and blood so identified
with his very being.
Uncle lothian was taken sick one
day. The haying season had been a very
warm one and the heat overcome the
old farmer. His iron frame was forced
to yield, and for a few days he kept his
bed. He rallied soon though and was
seen one day sitting in the red settee
out on the piazza. The air came fra
grant from the shaven haytields dotted
with stacks.
II shall be out there Tomorrow" he
said to Miss Primrose who sat beside
him. ''Time goes sort of heavy. We
men-folks don't know nothin' about
sickness, and I & expect we are worrisome
c%ritturs to take care Of"
"Oh, no." gently demonstrated Miss
Primrose who had been constant in her
attentions during his sickness.
"You seem like a darter or grand
darter," said the old man, swallowing
sundry ugly feelings that would persist
Al NOnAAAS Ouo VI LIS LCdII3 lu0u MAKING
their way to his throat.
"Do l? That's a compliment.
Thank YOU" In a few minutes she
said: ''MayI read you something's"
"Oh, sartin, do"
The rest of the story ''Tildy Perkins,
may tell. She had come at the time to see
Uncle Jotham's wife, and the two were
shelling peas as they sat in the entry
that opened out upon the piazza. These
are ''Tildy's' very words given under a
charge of inviolable secrecy, and poured
into the big ears of herfriend, "Prissy,"
the post-mistress. All the while she
held 3 letter in her hand.
"You see. Prissy, l was a-settin' in
the entry and could see Uncle lothian
and Miss Primrose side by side. Wall,
she began to read and her voice was
suthin' like . robins at matin' time.
sweet as that. She began to read a
sort of story she had written, and do
you b'lieve it, Prissy," said Tidy, low
ering her voice and opening her eyes,
''f it wasn't the story of Uncle Jotham's
AIMS trouble with her father, but. sakes.
not givin' those names, of course, and
told SO kind of deleket, it wouldn't have
hurt a lamb's fao1;nrc T. - 81