Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-10-02

ne I.PS o,ei renamed irresistible.
~, ioveliness, of spiritual or in
=, teA.eclual beauty. it was not at all like.
~ mat ne should have the remotest
conceptions; but he owned the sway Of
a.oilcsome girlhood-the easy assur-
ahce OF young. handsome, reckless
women. 10 surface charms of look or
manner he was e ready to do hon.
age. But the ring had other and praycr
meaning for him. His first marriage
mad been childless. The enormous
wealth amassed so laboriously lacked
an heir. Might not a Young wife make
nm the proud father of blooming chill
The tiny box consigned to its hiding
place. Mr.. Harden fetched from The
lobby close by a carriage-cloak lined
WIN rare fnr. and bestowed itcarcfully
oou the girls shoulders. He next
Went to the sideboard, and, half-hlling
aglass with wine. ..Do not let yourself
get chill or faint them" he said, softly,
scanning over her. glass in hand.
ehe just slipped the wine and put
PACK the glass. smiling gratefully. He
returned to the sideboard. swallowed
the remainder of the wine. then sat
down in his old place by the fire.
just then the door was tapped LIGHTLY
and an elderly, homely woman-servant
made her appearance.
III You please. SIR" she said, with.
out looking at the girl, "mistress is
herself again and asks for YOU"
such a summons, unwelcome nj.
though it might be, was imperative.
With a lingering look at the vision OF
life. youth and jollity left behind. Mr..
Harden followedhis hushed conductress
to the chamber of death.
II.
1t was a strikingly luxurious room,
hung with rich arras of crimson silk.
and carpets to match, in which the feet
sank noisclessly. On each side of the
Venetian looking-glass were handsome
French candelabras supported by little
Loves u tinted porcelain. On the
dressingg-table glittercd silvcr-topped
s~cent-bottles and a woman's small
watch set with diamonds. The fire had
been allowed to burn low, and only one
small lamp lit up the silent room and
its solitary occupant worn. white.
haired woman, whose life was NEARING
its close.
1t was easy to see that. like her has.
band, Mis-. Harden had not been born
to such luxury as this; her physioe-
nomy as well as his own indicated a
homely origin. Her thin hands still
showed evidence of laborious toll. The
heavy silk curtains of warm red, and
downy quilt covered with satin, were
in strangest contrast with the look of
the mistress. Twenty years of opulence
had never familiarizcd her with it. To
the last she looked. as indeed she felt,
a stranger in her own home.
go away. Anna" she said gently
to the faithful peasant-woman who had
grown old in her service. Leave us
alone"
The husband realized at a glance
what had happened. She had remem-
bered something. been reminded OF
something she wanted to say to him at
the last, and, as will often happen in
the case of the dying. a brief return OF
consciousness was accompanied by a
momentary recovery of physical
strength-last. bright, e%vancscent
flicker Of the flame of lie.
The servant withdrew, and Mrs.
Harden now beckoned the shrinking
consclence-striken man to her bedside.
There had hitherto been no leave
taking between him and the faithful
partner of well-nigh forty years. From
the beginning of her illness, greatly to
his relief, she had avoided anything APP
preaching to close, confidential talk
any allus!on to the past OF the future
as they more Immediately concerned
themselves. He had taken care that
everything money could do was done
for her. IL London physician had been
summoned in consultation; all the con-
Germ that decorum cxactel under the
circumstances had been testified by
him; he was constantly in the sick
room. But the solemn confidence, the
final understanding, the supreme vale
diction that might be looked for from
two human beings who had passed al
most ffc-time together, had never
been uttered.
Now it became clear to him that they
We're not to be separated thus. The
opportunity for a last word had come.
and she clutched at it with almost fren-
zied eagerness. The expression on her
face he could not misread: She was de-
termined to say what she had to say.
She felt confident that death would az
ford her this grace-conscnt to hold
aloof a little while.
John" she began. gathering fire
and force with every word, all the pcnt-
up indignation of years poured forth at
the last. Il have had something to say
to you for years past. Now must
speak, or not at all"
'You ought not to agitatc Yourself,
Bessie" he said, n~crvously; cit will do
you harm"
..Harm!" she reiterated with a ges-
turc of contempt. ''You speak of harm
to a diving woman! But do not inter-
rupt me: my time is short. John. ! am
not afraid to die. I have never been
what is called a relig Gus woman. l
was never so tendcr-hearted to the poor
and afflicted as l see now that | ought
to have been. But I have done my
duty. As q wife, as a woman, l have
acted uprightly. When the same mo-
ment comes to you. when the door
stands open before you, as it does to
me, between life and death. and you
know you must go the dark way. a
YOU say even so much for YOURSELF"
She leaned forward. not looking ex-
.o+l, Of ;m-ha could have horne that