Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-12-19

i oAOutu CHlOICc IL.
~Nonsense!" laughed Pamela.
louisville awaited the train at the
statlon, for the railway was the centre
OF life. Young ladies seated in pony
Phaetons babe lovers adieu for the
Jay, mothers impaired anxious advice
70 sons, While paterfamilias kissed the
paples. Even Pamela was not insensi-
pie to the exhilaration of being ogled
py an entire train of cars as she stood
mere IN her coachman's cape and seal
SKIN cap. She was a handsome Young
woman, tall and slight, with fine blue
eyes, a creamy skin, and rich black
halr brushed high from the nape of a
very white neck, and arranged on ton
OF the head in a fashion deemed purely
American in Europe.
Away went the train, leaving feminine
L~ocustville to a day of quiet routine.
Walter limbs was perturbed as he took
ms place in the cars. A cloud had
chilled his sunshine. Pamela had made
very light of his first attempt at assert
ing authority. What would come of
it? Perhaps his nerves had been tried
by a business knot of the previous day
at Druggett & Co.'s, impossible to un-
tangle. Possibly that last corn muffin
was a tax on digestion calculated to
produce gloom of spirit.
"She Should not have said mon.
sense! when l suggested locking the
front door," unused the husband, and
immediately took an opposite political
view to his companion Of the same seat
concerning the election of a new Mayor.
Pamela retraced her steps until she
regained the Gothic cottage. This day
before Thanksgiving was to be long
memorable to her, yet it began like ali
other mornings. She washed the deli
cate cups and saucers, and put them
up in the china closet, after the most
approved housewifcly fashion. Then
she played a Strauss waltz on the grand
piano, which. nearly filled the tiny
drawing-room. Afterward she adjust
ed curtains, patted cushions, and hoy
cred acknowledgement of the little conserv-
atory, herselfa glowinghuman blossom,
forit was inseparablet to herideas ofduty
at this date to a coquettish cap,
decked with scarlet bows, a distracting
apron, and red slippers. Valuable
rings flashed on her fingers, while a
pair Of diamond s~olitaires twinkled in
her ears. There were wedding gifts,
together with the grand piano and Che
household furniture. Pamela enjoyed
her pretty things, and liked to have
them scattered about. She was re-
hearsing the courses of her Thanks
giving dinner, with the aid of a cook
book, when a shadow darkened the
window, and a tramp looked in on her,
as a fa1nished dog scents a larder.
Dull, sodden, brutal and ferocious, ac-
cording to the amount of drink a%ccessi-
BILE, here he was, a creature preying
on the peaceful country until such time
as frost and snow should drive him to
some city den to plot in darkness, crime
and robbery. Pamela shivered, then
gave him bread and meat. The tramp
received the food with an inarticulate
growl, and slouched away again to
stretch himself on the ground in the
sun at a distance from rocustville. and
smoke a pipe. Pamela played another
| Strauss waltz to efface him. The
tramp, swarthy, bearded and unkempt,
with heavy jaw and strong white teeth
like the fangs Of a wild animal, re-
manned stamped on her mind, like a
phastasm of the night.
After lunch a hustle of preparation
for Thanksgiving pervaded the house.
The guest-chamber was re-arrangea,
and windows opened. At two o'clock
Pamela came downstairs, having un-
locked the closet Of her own oom and
taken out a bag. This bag contained
the family plate. Soon spoons, forks,
knives, pepper-castors and sugar-sifters
were spread on the dining-table, TO-
gether with all those triiles in shining
metal given by friends at a wedding.
"There will be work enough to do
tomorrow, so these had better be
frightened a bit now," thought Mrs.
limbs.
Just then Bridget announced that a
steamer was passing on the river, with
a band of music and soldiers on board.
Steamers gay with flags did not pass
louisville at every hour of the day, sc
mistress and maid ran to the summer
house to see the xxcursionists. AS they
emerged from the back door of the cot
tage to gain the summer-house on the
bank, a man entered the gate stealth
ily, tried the front door, which was UNI
fastened, and penetrated the house
Oh, rare chance of thieves! Silver was
o~utspread temptingly on the dining:
table, and the bag from which it hae
been taken reposed on a table near al
hand. The man glanced around
listened, swept the silver into the bag,
and departed as he had come. Wher
mistress and maid returned, the family
plate was gone. They gazed at eacl
other in speechless CONSERVATION: Was
the front door unfastened? Well, yes
an hour earlier Pamela had admitted
the Maltese kitten.
Walter limbs was later than usual il
coming home that night. He hac
paused to smoke a pipe with the poe:
Of the slate-gray COTTAGE and thel
talk had turned on a tramp lurking
along the hedges with his bundle on
stick. .sWhat will become OF us, as ,
country, if these Migrants are landee
on us by Europe, to be supported o.
live by depredation?' Walter had ex
claimed. '.Could you not a write a.
poem-on the subject"
The poet had removed the amber
m%outh-piece of his Oriental pipe, AM
answered, II might make a tragedy O.
such a theme.'
Tl,o, wa1ter had come home anC