Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-29

departure she arose, as was her GUS
00- when all the inmates of her home
were "rapt In slumber, to see if the
vapor and the star were still
there. She had made up her
her mind, no matter what the result
wo1ld be, to go and explore it; for she
coulo not rest to go awav from home
SO long a time with the mystery unex-
planned.
IL was q calm, clear midsummer
night; the harvest moon shone in I'M
usual splendor wei orchard and mead
ow; the stars glimmered dimly in the
brilliant light of their regal queen;
great stacks of hay were heaped up
ready t o be gathered in by the har-
vesters next day, and the scent of it's
fragrance perfumed the mild evening
air. The vapor tloated in a luminous
cloud over the swamp, whilst the star
OF the mist cleaned through it ncom
monty brilliant.
Ethel sat down by the open window
and leaned out. gazing at the 'mystery.
she wanted to go, yet was held back
with a nervous dread of going alone,
and was afraid to ask any one to ac-
company her for fear she would be
laughed at and called visionary aud
fool sh, which had sometimes been the
case when she had spoken of some OF
her romantic ~conjectures and fairy vis-
ions. She was SO long in getting up
her courage that sleep overcame her.
During her slumbers she had a strange
dream, which helped her to carry out
at once, OF awakening. her resolution
to investigate the mystery of the mead
ow. She dreamed that she went to the
brook. e a the walnut tree, where the
mist foated like a pale, shimmery cloud
in the moonlight, and in the midst of
it stood a tall graceful creature whose
gauZe-like draperv wac formed from
the tlmy shroud that arose from the
swamp. Her head was adorned by
golden curls which covered it like a
halo, and looked like gold lighted by
the moonbeams; the star had assembled
and shone in brill ant splendor in the
middle of her forehead. Her large
violet eyes, with their calm, clear light,
were fixed on Ethel and a half smile
played over her perfect features. On
the other SIDE of the brook stood deer
which had come to the stream from the
distant woods to drink, and stood W tn
d'lated eyes gazing at the vision. Ethel
stretched out her hands and advanced
toward the beautiful eltins creature,
slowly at first, but faster as her ankle
ty and excitement increased. She went
on and on, " advancing. but never
getting nearer the beautiful creature,
who. although never appearing to
move, kept always at the same dis
lance before her. At last, overcome
with her eager anxiety to reach the
beautiful lady, she awoke.
She looked out over the moonlit
meadow; there was the silvery floating
cloud, and in the midst, meteor-like,
the star. The lady must surely be
there. thought Ethel in her excitement.
She would delay no longer, but go and
see. A slight nervous dread made her
hesitate for a few moments. however.
Finally, summoning up her courage.
she hastily dressed and stealthlly left
the house, leaving the door unlocked so
that she might return without be ng
discovered. When she reached the
back yard, Carlo, the house dog. gave
a low bark, then approached. and after
being patted by his mistress, followed
her, wagging his tail. She fastened
through the shadowy walks on to the
meadow land beyond. How bcaut full
the scene! Grand in IFS m dnight SOL
itude. Ethel's heart beat with Joy at
the prospect before her. She thought
that she had, the dream to encourage
her and to give her an idea of the beat
tiful lady there waiting to make her
gel who had wandered from the mystic
land for a little while, or some fairy
that had come from some ave in fairy
land and was reigning queen over the
place. How should she introduce her.
self, and how approach! She formed
several pretty speeches in her mind as
she hurried on. She followed the brook
at first, carefully picking her way
through the Shiny little pools that in
terspersed the tufted grass, rel some
of which large scales appeared to float,
while others were entirely covered with
Il rank-looking green crust, which here
and there the moonlight frightened
with phosphorescent splendor.
Ethel was cautious at first where she
walked, but becoming more and o
excited as she went on in her haste to
sec the beautiful lady, she became care
less. When she reached the walnut
tree, while hurrying along under its
shadowy branches she lost her footing,
slipped and plunged into a deep pool
up to her waist. Poor Ethel! She gave
one terrified scream after another, and
in vain tried to extricate herself. Carlo
barked and howled at the sight of her
distress. The sounds tioated out OF the
still night air, and went echoing away
in the wooded hills in the distance.
Where now was the beautiful lady, the
star and the astonished deer? All were
cnshrined in the mist before her, and
she herself encased in a bed of slime
under the deep, dark shadows of the
walnut tree. She called piteously for
help, the great tears meanwh. lie rolling
down her cheeks. She shivered with
the chill she felt from the cold slime;
there was no now in the sit
uation. Poor little Ethel! What should
she do? She was too far from home to
make herself heard, and there was no
other house neal She called again and
again, and Carlo, in his distress, parked
and howled. The white, misty veil
t1oo+od around her head as if in mock