Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-01-16
twilight; vet the time had been, aud not

twilight; yet the time had been, aud not
long since, that young women as we'll as
old, had smoked regularly and constantly.
They had not given up the habit because
of anything Miss Dorothy had said, but
her influence the evil had been role.
gated to the dark corner, and thrift had
the place of untidiness.
She was seven years younger then than
now, just twenty EIGHT years old-with a
form made up of pretty curves and plump
ness, and cheeks that still had the pink of
apple-blossoms on them. Since that time
had changed but little otherwise. The
work of building and Identifying had gomez
steadily on, until ut the end of seven years
there seemed but little else to be done.
Trees, natives on the mountain, had been
set out in clumps through her ground.
by spring flowers and autumn c%olorings.
A school-house nestled among the deep
green cedars, and had for q background
the scarlet sourwoods. Poultry houses and
yards We're equally aesthetic, n vine-
yards and orchards lay beyond. All this
sounds tame, but the reality was charm
ing, and Arcadia would have been a most
appropriate namef for Miss Dorothy's home.
She called it, however, by the less attract
i've one of Nemesis. Why-none knew.
They did not e~en know the meaning of
the name.
lac II IIulScIileNUS IOT Uu0 HOTs
rows festivities We're at length finished on
this last day of the year 1881, and the blnz-
ing fire of logs attracted her to rest and
mediate, Miss Dorothy, partly from IA
tigue, partly from the reaction of intense
nervous strain, seated herself in front of
the fire, and, burying her face in her hands,
gave way to a spell of the blues. She
would have been more than human could
abe have lived unnloved through the sea-
son that carried her back, more han any
other, to friends and loved ones, and Miss
Dorothy wa thoroughly human.
Pose, her faithful dog, lying at her feet,
grew uneasy at her attitude, and licked
her hand beseechingly.
Eyes, Pose, 1 know all you would say to
me, old fellow, and your counsel is good"
she said at length, patting his black head.
"You would tell me how much tr1er.
my dumb friends are than those of whom
l think; and you are right. My mules, my
calves and You, are all the society | wish,
and I am really content. II you can't
talk the worlds language, you at least
do not chatter meaningless nonsense, and
say what you do not mean; and YOUR
eyes tell me of YOU love a thousand
times a day, and, best of all, you prove
it by your actions. l would not give YOU
for all the lends of fashion 1 ever knew.
Now for some music"
Pose jumped to his feet at the words,
for she had talked to him so much that
he understood eyery word, and Logan
jumping about with evident delight that
he had broken her mood. When she
again seated herself, guitar in hand, he
stationed himself at her side, with all
his dogs senses alert to the strain
she would first produce. He had learned
to know her moods by the tunes She
chose. Pose was as much a character as
his mistress. He had followed her home
from Board Hollow one day when a mere
puppy, and had forever after refused to
leave her. She had paid for himsince, and
named him Purpose, because the old man
a purpose, and Purpose had gradually
been changed into Pose. He could do.
everything but talk and read. He could
count correctly, and bring home cattle or
sheep without missing one. In his own
way he could sing and dance, and under
stood the English language perfectly. He
was the only dog on the mountains of his
kind. and the people said, Like mistress,
like aog-he is just suited to her" He
never left his mistress, except when her
interests demanded it, but only in the
evening could they fully enjoy each others
society.
Adair." Had it been 81 Can Not Sing
the Old Songs" Pose would nave been
wretched, but robin Adair" meant con-
tent and cheer, and he was Il happy dog.
"You are a polite fellow, Pose. Fewhu u
iAttA4 'ei w tAS tii1o ~ oOJleS
year after year with such apparent de-
light. What should l do without you,
dear?"-here she pulled his long silky ears
out over her hand-''but the time must
come that we must part, and then who'll
take the missing place? The fact is, we're
gray hairs, but | counted five to-day, and
soon my head will need no cap to change
my appearance, while you are growing
staid and quiet, and life will o o be over
for us both. Only yesterday the COW rang
her bell twice before you heard her, and
frequent; but We'll stand by each other till
the last, and then-what then? Shall | find
you over there, and have you always?
Who knows:"
Here Pose began %wagging his tail vigor-
ously with heavy thulnps upon the floor, to
show his hearty response to her senti-
nent, while she continued:
"Now We'll have the last dance Of old 81
together, just to show we are not so very
old Who knows what 'S2 will bring u.s."
She took him by the hand, his two paws
in her two hands, and, humming Il little
air, they moved round and round the room
together, throwing shadows on the wall
opposite the Fireplace.
Out in the cold, frosty air, just as the
moon was rising, a black figure moved eau
tiously to the window of her .sitting-room,
hid itself behind a bush, and, after a mo-
AASAio3 e@AoeN AIoSAA vi oAP oAAu AcoNCu III
1t was just when mistress and dog were at
the height of their frolic. The figure did
not move, and a voice muttered something
about determination OF a cap,' and "for-
getting"-then moved slowly off toward
the cedars. An hour later, when Miss Dor
othy's fire had burned low, and she was
sleeping the sleep of the just, the same
figure r%eappeared in the moonlight, and
could lave been seen prowling around the
place so silently that Pose did not awaken.
Was it strange that in her dreams that
night old familiar faces became blended
with burglars, and when she awoke and
remembered her whereabouts, she should
smile and sigh and go to sleep again?
Old men and women, little children and
babies, young mel and maidens, all met
together at Miss Dorothy's that memora-
BILE morning of the New Year, 1882. Horses,
mules, and wen doukeys and oxen, had
been employed to carry the people to their
destination. Mrs. Fundy and two or three
neighbors had formed themselves, as first
Corners, into a committee OF reception, and
as each new arrival rode up, they went out
to the "upper-bloc!s," as the horse-block
was called, Il in cordial accents greeted
the guest with the old-time phrases:
I ~ T:lk .1 l.x.l u