Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-25

Cau u ooey tne IuieS OF art; and my con-
dundee feelings trip me. get jealous and
sulk. and all that sort of thing: though /
know all the time tina it is a mistake to
sulk when nobody cares about it. wish
were as sure that my luck would not spoil
all as that shall succeed. Laugh if you
win have that in me that will buy the
triumph; but as the prize is in my hand my
luck will cross me again, andI shall lose it,,
Nonsense! !" said Dayton. ''Stuff!"
Very. good. Wait and see" said Tom;
and in the same breath, "Why, WHAT'S Miss
Miller about?'
That morning the entire party at Rother-
hithe had embarked for an excursion to a
neighboring town. Tom determined to
throw up his office of shawl-bearer, had
walked to the forward car, where he stood
talking, as just quoted, with Dayton. Per-
haps something beside the shawls was at
the bottom of ibis move. Bingham walked
with Mollie, who looked as fresh as the
rose in her little hat, and blushcd as pref
tlly.. But then it was not a pleasant Sight
for Tom.a and he went on i'll a rage, leaving
Aunt Slap Derrick and her bundles to
Bingham, also. Mrs. Slap Derrick was not
the woman to bate n lot of her claims
for the prettiest girl in the world. Bingham
was fully occupied with her; and mean
time Mollie found that she had left her bag
IN the waltlng-roum, and Sprang out to
fetch it.
How in an instant, from careless ease and
security. we sometimes find ourselves hang
ing between life and death Mollie did
not lind the bag at once and she was de-
termined not to lose it. as it held her watch
and chain. She was gene, she thought, but
a moment, and the train was in motion and
her mother and Mrs. Slap Derrick scream
ing for her as she stepped OF the platform.
1t was all in an instant. One moment she
next she was being dragged by the train,
cllnging desperately to the railing of the
car platform, sure of going under the
wheels if she relaxed her hold, and sure
OF going under, in any event, a little
further on. A woman had been cut to
pieces there two weeks before. She had
time to remember that. She saw the white
shocked faces of men looking down .at her;
Bingham, who had made his way to the
door, among the rest, snd wondered WIN
they did not help her. She seemed to have
dragged there for an eternity, yet it was
but an instant, when somebody clasped her
about the waist; somebody, painting and
breathing hard, ran desperately with the
train. Stacking its speed now as her peril
was dlscovered; helping hands were held
dizzy; Mollie stood in the door; the little
Knot OF men made way for her, and Mrs.
Slap Derrick, who had seen it all, seized
her hands.
Nh MY poor child! my dear child" Sied
thankG God that she is safe!''
Mrs; Miller, calmly. tying up a parcel,
looked up i'll surprise, thus pathetically ad-
Safe; Good Lord! what has been the
Are you hurt?" exclaimed Bingham,
b%ustling up. II was SO frightened, Miss
Mollie."
"Hurt, frightened!n Mrs. Miller began to
grow hystelical. Everybody talked to
gether. Mollie leaned back, every nerve
Jalrlng to that dreadful, remroseless
rhythm to which she had been dragged.
She was not even curious to know who was
her pleserver. She was in a sort of mental
swoon when Mrs. Miller asked who had
saved her.
ga brakeman, was it not9" she said,
family. and looking at Bingham. You
saw. l should like to find him and give
something"
IL am not sure,' answered Bingham,
heSitatins, for he had seen Tom, perfectly.
Fl wore a wide hat; very like a brake
man as you say.'
'What is that:n cried Mrs. Slap Derrick, |
sharply. You do not know, Bingham2 1
should think you might; l saw him dis
tinctly, over your shoulder. 1t was Tom
Du CGnr, Miss Mollie, if you like to know
was trying to get to Molie, myself"
Bingham, greatly abashed under
that formidable look of his aunt's, which
Tom called her, 'rhinoceros expression"
Nh Dn Cour!' repeated Mollie, blush
ing brightly; She could not tell why, hut
Slap Derrick where is he: Why does he
not come here. l want to thank him.
Where has he gomez"
"He Las a bad habit of modesty," an
was very true. Besides, Tom did not choose
that Mollie should love him, if she ever
him, out of gratitude. and he hid him
self purposely; and when Mollie found him
out and seized him, he attained between
vexation and shyness, to the very sublimity
woman that he loved, when she was thank
lng him for her life, with all her soul in her
eyes, that: sit was nothing. He would
done it for any one.n
"Really. you are too t~latteringl' Mollie
could not help but pout at that: but as she
.ooked athim she said to herself that he had
saved her, after all, and held out both her
hands to him.
IF you do not care, ! have reason to do
o. she said, earnestly, and l thank you
rom a dreadful death. Those men stood
at me, and you alone knew what to
10. will always thank YOU for it. ] will
always be your grateful friend, MI. Du
Cosur.''
Tom turned very pale.
aid, holding her hands tight. sIf the
wheels had gone over you, / would have
brown myself there.''
And now who knows What would have
happened next, but just then Tom found
Hrs. Miller at his elbow.
w shall always be grateful. Mr.. Du
,jnur.' commenced that lady, and broke
Town. She was hysterical now whenever
lollie's danger was mentioned.
w are al grateful" put in Bingham,
moothly. "Gou are sure it was YOU, Tom?
Aunt Slap Derrick says so; but her sight is
zone of the best. l thought that it was a
,rakeman.'i
Indeed, " interposed Mollie, cit was Mr..
Ju Cpur. | know it now.n And then she
flushed scarlet. She had grown suddenly
cry shy of Mr.. Du Coeur." 'iAnd | do
lot know how to thank him enough she
persisted, bravely.
Shall | tell you how TO thank me-"
whispered Tom, suddenly, forgetting his
inc theories about not owing love to graft
ude. "Tell me, if you can with truth that
'ou are willing to owe me such a debit
Il am willing" murnured Mollie very
oftly after a moments hesitation.
Tom went to bed that night in a glow of
rlumph. He forgot that haunting demon
+ his-his luck. Though he had not had an
for another word. Mollie's
ook spoke more than many words. But
lis triumph was short-lived. Mollie had
AIKEN fright and retreated behind her in
She was hardly to be seen
nd not to be spoken with alone. She was
lot angry. When she did lift her eyes to
lis they were kind eyes, though very shy.
Gut then she would hardly look at him.