Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-01

suppose we must go to the hotel," he
;a.u, When his anger showed signs of Civ
ing OUT. We can't spend half-a-dozen
hours on this confounded PLATFORM"
1 snuddsred when l saw again the place
"99Ere nrst my trouble had come upon me.
we mad dinner. ldon't think either of
US eat much-and then I said: II am GO
ing out, Edward."
IN" "Ho you wish to go alone!" he asked.
III don't feel disposed to go out" he
yourself"
II must go, Edward" 1said. II feelthat
1 can not stay in the house."
NY gong out was not q mere caprice. /
felt that the clew to that dream-tragedy
was ODE founl at Calverley. Edwards
unusual anger had settled that point, and
! was determined to make use Of this de-
lay which had been forced upon us, walk
CnrouSh and round the place, in the effort
70 md out something. So l ven out. At
we door Edward overlook mo.
| Y don't like your walking alone, Mary"
hesaid. 1--WE ought to keep together"
.Yon went out alone the last time we
were here" I replied, trying to force u
iaugh. "bu5 I've no objection to YOU com
ing with me-"
SO we walked down the High Street si-
lently, and a little apart.
"Where are you wandering?" he asked
| Ny duu Oys
u want to seq the waterfall by the wood.
en- nridge,.' l answered. almost involun-
tariiy, looking down as I spoke.
How do you know there's q wooden
bridge here at all?"<
"Didn't you'tell me sop
NO" very CURLY.
"AhW with a fine afectation of indiffer-
it -"
"Did YOU dream the wav there as wall9O
mo, but III ask it of this man. and 1
went up to a passing laborer. "Can you
tell me whether there is a wooden brids go
over the river, near a waterfali?"
l had felt irresistibly impelled to ask
the question, but I was hardly prepared
for the answer.
"Oh, yes, ma'am. Go straight through
the town, and then turn over the stile into
the Meads and follow the path. You can't
miss it."
We walked on. The silence presently
became u~nbearable, II we plunged into
quaintances-talk characterized by a ter
rlble p%oliteness. My heart was aching at
it all. What was in his heart? I would
not let myself wonder.
We found the Meads, and over the sti1e
we went. In a moment I knew that the
scene; at least, of my dream was real, for
the whole picture was before me exactly
as had seen it. Then 1 stopped short, and
turned to my husband.
Come" 1 said, land stand by the bridge
at that corner"
My mind was made up. Even if eternal
parting were to follow, I would tell. him
now what was in my mind. I would say
Here are all as 1 saw them ~before-bridge,
wood, path, water-and you; where is the
girl?
"come,, Edward" I repeated, "and
stand as I tell you"
gone mad, Mary"
Heaven knows; perhaps I have: but
stand there o must"
"Auything to humor you" he answered.
His face was white and set; his lips were
closed tightly. In his eyes was q sort Of
bewidered misery, the look of one who're
ceives u blow from a hand he loves, and
can not either understand or resent it.
Suddenly, before l could begin my tale
or ask ray question, his whole face changed
grew glad-ohe look of misery vanished
fled away. Nay, more. IT tired, trou-
bled Look, the shadow that had darkened
it for tie last ten days, was gone. I fol-
lowed ihe direction Of his eyes.
Mercful heavenl Was this another
dream: Was it all a dream?
Coming along the path, as l had seer
them tefore, were two figures. The girl
whose face l had sketched, and beside her
-2ot Edward; he was standing close to
me-but Edwards face, his figure, his
walk. Was it Edwards ghost? Was Ed
that what it had all driven me to? They
drew nearer. Then my husband sprang
towards the other Edward, who made an
nswering movement, Il their right
lands clasped each other fast.
1 saw nothing more. l suppose I tainted.
When 1 came to myself 1 was on that
same sofa in the Calverley Arms which
4 bod hoou u,antinnad hafOra RanHjDp pvar
me was the same face that had so haunted
and tortured me.
"This is our future sister-in -law," said
Edward. presently, s 'and my brother is
waiting to see YOU, as soon as you are well
enough. It's all right; We'll explain things
pr sently, Mary"
81 didn't know you had a brother" 1 re-
turned, family.
"oh well, 1have, you see. Will, come
and speak to my wife"
That night Edward and I made mutual
confession. and in bitterest shame and hu
initiation, I sobbed out all my story. Then
Edward told his tale, and l learned thai
meier. do weel, and such a disgrace to the
family that Edward had chosen not to
mention him. 1t was a little weak of him,
was it not, to think my love for him could
be changed by his having a good-for-
nothing twin brother? His wish to stop at
| CalV6rl6y ne COulQ QOG Explain; IL was an
impulse for which he could not account.
When he went out chat first evening he
had witnessed that scene between Wini-
fred and his brother, just as I had dreamed
it. The horror of the whole thing had
completely unnamed him, and, without
waiting to try and rescue the girl, he had
turned and torn his way through the
brambles aud woody underground (ah,
knew what that felt llke). He had felt
that he had been a coward, and that, al
most as much as the other reasons, had
kept him from telling me.
Had his manhood stood him good an
other half minute, he would v seen his
brother rush down stream, dash in and
bring the girl to the bank, and then all this
agony would hav been spared us both. He
would never hav thought his brother was
q murderer, and l should never have be-
lieved-ah, don't ask mo achat.
All the same, you arc not to suppose
that 1 consider Edward q coward; that
was only his way Of putting it. 1t was
simply his physical weakness that was to
blame; you know he vas never strong.
Can you wonder that in the relief of know
ing that his brother was innocent my hus-
band should have forgotten and forgiven
all old scenes, and have sprung forward to
greet him?
Poor Will! his mad jealousy, in pushing
Winifred into the stream, had really bsen
the best advocate OF his cause. He very
etfectuaily persuaded her Of the sincerity
of b 8 passion, at any rate, and l believe
their betrothal was settled before they