Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-25
When the fair Betty came SLOWLY

oeiillaieAy upon MN With her blue ewes
as he put out his hand for a stepping
stone, and thus bore her like u tribe
from the saddle to the ground.
"l1>e men will come at once" she
said. He made no reply, but led her
mare to the shed, and then he strobe
away, with mighty steps; and when she
saw him later he was with im,erious
tones commanding the men to carry a
bears haunch to the old fort at Say
brook Point, and the men obeyed him,
too.
For many days Betty saw Renold no
more, except in his solitary seat at the
meeting house upon the Lords Day.
But n day she perceived him, from
her chamber window, making his way
toward the we'll that he might drink.
Very demurely Betty threw a hood over
her fair head and with q bucket and
downcast eyes she went to the we'll her.
self. He had the bucket to his lips
and heard her not, so that she stood
within hands reach of him, he not
knowing it. When he lowered the
bucket she spoke.
"You will fill it again for me, and 1
will thank you, Rcnold."
He turned, surprised, and for a mo-
ment looked down in silence upon
her, his body towering great and
mighty above her slender, graceful
figure.
You came 20 Silly" he said, at
length. :.
child?"
"Nay, no one ever made you know
what fear was, Renold. Then how
could l? Yet perhaps you fear me-"
"Why say you that?"
"You used to come once in a while to
see my father. Now you come not at
all. You may come, Renold. I will
leave the room to you if l alarm you"
"'Twas in my heart to come, but in
my resolution to come not; so I came
"Why, Remodel"
"Truly, 1 know not. IT'S pain to keep
away, yet / will not come."
"How are your wounds, Remodel"
swell, thanks to you. Sometimes I
seem to feel your touch upon my arm.
IT'S pleasant. But I must go now, Bet
ty."
"Whither, Remodel"
ITO capture a r%ascally Indian, a dam
gerous fellow, who doth terrify our peo-
pie, and they fear him. But I will take
him, or he will take my scalp"
She put her bucket down and came
forward, laying her hand upon his arm,
and looked upon him pleadingly.
"aGo you alone, Remodel"
"Aye, why not?"
"Tis very brave, I know, but tits
dangerous. Do not go alone"
''But I will. The Lord hath COM
manded me to capture him." :.
"But not alone. You shall not go
alone"
II shall not. Humph! who will pre-
vail against me?"
81 will. Come, Renold, promise me
to call your company and select from
them some sturdy men; then I will let
you 'd &C., con,o ,o,,u
not" He moved a bit, but the little
maid stood quickly right in his path,
lifting her blue eyes to his.
"You shall not 60 alone. I've
can not suffer you to be foolhardy. All
know your bravery. You need not this
exploit to prove it,"
''Let me pass, Betty"
81 will not"
He looked upon her curiously. With
one motion of his powerful arm he could
have overcome her, but he faltered.
Then he said:
81 would l had not met YOU"
s'Why, Renold?'
"Because of your constraint of me.
1 hate it, yet l like it. Truly I do. 1
lie not, Betty. And there's the mystery
of it. l hate it, yet / like it. Come, it
shall be- us you say. l will take COM
%panions."
'.Then 1 will leave you. You never
fail to keep your promise"
When next she saw him, he wa re-
turning with a captive, a strong and
treacherous savage, whom the compan-
ions said the Captain had mastered
single-handed.
Then many weeks passed till it was
the dead of winter, and she knew that
he avoided her. One Sunday, after
service, he found her, by chance as it
seemed, right in his path. @
"The Lord be with you, Betty" he
said, and her passed IN.
"Renold! Remodel" she called, gent
ly.
"You spoke, Betty?"
"My father is i'll and desires of all
things to see you. Will you not come to-
night? You will find him alone.
!'If tits to see him, so be it, Betty"
"When on that evening she had spent
an hour with Father Lee, the old man
said: ''Renold, the maid hath a sweet
voice, and on the Lords Day night she
reads the Scripture to me. Stay you
and hear her"
Then Captain Marvin, much as he
wished to 60, wished more to stay, and
while thus struggling with himself in
unaccustomed hesitancy, the father
called the girl. She came, just courte-
sying with Indifference that panied
Renold. Then when her father asked
her to read she took the great Bible in
her lap, bent her fair head over its
pages, and began in soft, but clearest,
tones to read the tale of Ruth. As she
read on, Captain Marvin forgot himself
and all save this sacred tale so sweetly
and effectively repeated by the gentle
maid. She paused not till she had fin
ished. Then she rose, babe them good
night, and was about to go.
"Stay, Betty" he said. "Let me