Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-08

ings which they had brought with them
20 the strange city was lesscning every
day, and the bills for coal seemed
enormous.
Knowing no one. Mrs. Whitacre
would have found it difficult to obtain
work for herself, even if she could have
lett her husband. who required almost
constant attention. With matters in
TINS shape, and a bleak winter settling
down upon them, it was with q heavy
heart that Mrs. Whitacre opened the
door to the messenger.
The boxes were marked plainly
enough, Fanny and Katy Wllitacre,
Christmas, 1S8-," and all she could do
was to take them in and open them.
The contents, with their unspoken
message of comfort and care, drew
from her eyes the tears which neither
hardship MOI her husbands despond-
eency had forced to flow, and she laid
her head down upon the boxes and had
a good cry. There are times when a
sympathetic word, or look, or sign, is
the last straw, and this was one of
them.
After the general delight that fol-
lowed the opening of the boxes came a
general curiosity as to who could have
sent them. While they were still dis
cussing this question, as the children
stood arrayed fromhead to footin their
new suits, came a ring at the door
which was like none ever heard there
before. It was the postman. with the
first letter which had come to them
since their removal to the city.
From JACKIE cried Mrs. Whitacre,
''and it has been a whole month find
ing us! 1t must have been written about
the time we moved, and he hadn't re-
ceived my letter giving IL new ad-
dress. 1t is post-marked Los Angeles"
Scarcely had she glanced at the first
few lines, then she turned to her hus-
band with a glad cry. HE is coming in
six weeks, he says-that is two weeks
from now-oh, and he thinks he may
settle here! Isn't that too good to be
true?" As she turned the. page, a bit
of paper Huttered into her lap, a check
for fifty dollars! ITO buy toys for the
babies,' the writer explained. 1t was
very evident that her struggles to get
along had never been mentioned to him
in the letters of his proud sister.
And so it was that on the day after
New Years, while the children were at
school, Jack Midway arrived unex-
pectedly and took the house by storm.
Hope had revived in Henry's breast
since the Christmas surprises, and he
was beginning to sit up and to look
stronger and not quite so colorless. AS
for his wife, she flew to the arms of
Jacks shaggy great-coat and laughed
and cried, and begged him to take offhis
overcoat, and chung to him so that he
couldn't, and did and said things that
would have been undignifed even in
Fanny.
After a good hour of talk about
everything that had happened and was
going to happen, the newcomer grew
impatient and anxious for the children
to come, and finally proposed going to
the school and surprising them.
"Where are theyp" he asked; EDO
you suppose their dragons will let me
see them9"
ooh, yes-their teacher is anything
but a dragon, 1 Judge from the way
in which they speak of her. The
school-building is on the corner Of
Berry street and King avenue, they tell
me. I have never been to visit it,
though 1 mean to some day. Bring
them home withyou, Jack, if you may
A few moments later Jack Midway,
with a puzzled face, was walking up
the steps OF Miss Barnard's private
school. ''This is certainly the right
corner" he said. ''but how in the
world can they send the children to a
private school in a fashionable quarter
like this?"
He had no cards with him, and so
simply sent word that a gentleman
would like to see the Whitacre children,
if their teacher did not object. 1t
might be all right, Ehie thought, but
there was no telling-she would do
better to see him herself first; so with
out so much as a look in the little
cloak-room mirror, she went into the
reception-room. She did not know
how bright the color was in her cheeks
| from the recent lesson in c~alisthenics,
nor how becoming, with her dark HAN
and eyes, were the Jacqueminot roses
which one of the children had place.
in her button-hole that morning.
But when he saw her as she came
| toward him, Jack Midway was ready
to say that she looked as young and
twice as pretty as five years ago, on
| the evening of their broken engage
ment. He met her at the door, look
ing down upon her from his six feet,
and, in his shaggy g%reat-coat, filling
up the narrow doorway.
"Et1ie, is this your" he cried, hold
ing out both hands. She was as
tonlshed, of course, but after her first
exclamat'o on of 'tJack!' under her
breath. she put out one of her hands
and said, demurely:
at is really l. Mr.. Midway"
Don't call me that" he protested,
i%mpetuously. ..Let it be Jack, as il
used to be. Etfie, and let's begin the
New Year right. l have been sorry a
thousand times, and if I had known
where you were, l should have told
you so. Now, shall we call it square?'
he demanded, still holding her hand.
What could she do but assent to the
romantic proposition couched in such
unromantic words? 1t is possible thai
Jack would have forgotten his errand,
and Ellie her young charges, had not
Pauline entered the reception room, MOI
knowing that it was occupied, and by