Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-12-18
% ground where long before An

oio stounu Where long before An
way and Huntley had travelled in
discomfort, luxurious carriages rolled
between the city of Los Angeles and her
nelghbor OF greatest beauty; for the
loveliest of all towns-jndeed. the
Crown of the Valley-sprung up on
ground that had been waste land,
chaparral, where merry rabbits frisked
and quail flew whirring thickly, and
where even the wary deer at times
stepped down from their haunts i'm the
foothills.
And here had dwelt John Huntlev-
had dwelt, but dwelt no longer. Cher
ishing his distrust and his resentment
with a sullen persistcncy that had not
even y hope of vengeance, he chose to
deem the wholesome air envcnomcd that
was brcathcd by his old-time partner.
Benjamin Anyway had p~rospered with
the prospecting country. He had
worked manfully; he had striven faith
fully with fate, and the laborer had been
found worthy of his hire. Here, then,
to the bcauteous town on the upland he
brought his loved ones, when the MONDAY
stress and storm were OVERCAST. and
the afternoon golden lights of life Inv
athwart his pathway. But at the mere
approach OF his once friend, John Hunt
ley turned about like a wolf at bay, and
Withdrew again to q remoter spot. 1t
mattercd to him naught that he sacri-i
feed land whose value increased three
fold within the year; that was but an in
cldental disadvantage, to be set down,
with all his misfortunes, in the account
against his fancied enemy. 1t mattered
not that he inflicted social isolation upon
his family. Ever since the calamity
discovered in the shades of the oak
grove, John Huntley had been actuated
by this motive of hatred that had spared
neither himself O others. He never
publicly arraigncd or accused Anyway;
perhaps from some vague conscientious
remembrance Of the want of reason in
his charge, or perhaps I'M subtle in
stlnct OF policy forbade his taking an
untenable position against q man Of An
ways influence. But his own family
were fairly nurtured upon the story Of
his wrongs and the villainy of BENJAMIN
ANYWAY, which gathered cumulative force
to his warped mind from every trivial
matter. Anyway was in no wise to blame
forthis situation. He had forgiven, long
since, the insane accusation of his fell
low-loser. He knew, as by intuition,
the depth of Huntley's present animosi-
tty, by no means adequately indexed by
his attitude of avoidance. But never
lived a man more single-hcarted and
generous than Anyway. As his own pros
poets frightened, he had sought out
John Huntley, and had offered him-had
entreated him to accept-ash share in prof
table enterprises. But Huntley would
have none of his help.
"Shall I take my own from him, and
be grateful?" he cried, when his wife
urged acceptance; sshe is vastly grand
to play the bcnefactor! I tell you, Kate,
| will have my own from him again, and
admittedly as my own, or else l will
have none!"
And the gentle wife had been con-
strained to accept the fiat, while she
saw her children growing up bright,
and full of grace, lacking the pleasures
and the comforts even that fell in ample
share to others no more good or fair
than they. She had less regret for the
younger, being boys. But Adelaide!
ali, there the cramping tortured! She
was SO dear, this slender, tall, young
daughter. She was so sweet and pure,
so good and true. Why must she be
debarred from the joys and pleasures of
~youth?-even from many an attainment
that she would have graced. And the
girl felt it, too. But she had-surely
from that fond mother-the heri-
tage of a gentlencss and a patience
divine. If in all other things Fate
should have been cruel to John Hunt
ley, if every blow known to outrageous
fortune had bulfetcd him, still would he
have been wondrously blessed in this
n child. Her devotion to him was al
most more than human. The sweet
submission with which she endured pri-
walton, the loving forbearance she gave
to her fathers morose and violent
moods, her modest grace, the uncon-
seriousness of her beauty-all these were
themes Of admiration for the country
roundabout. Even Mrs. Huntley was
sometimes lost in wonder at her daugh-
ter so much perfection appeared to her
s%uperhumMn, and she regarded with a
pang of foreboding the delicate frame
and sadly serene face.
Il believe you would sacrifice us all
for your father" she said one day to
the girl, in mock %reproach; II believe
you love him more than all the rest"
Adelaide knelt by her mothers side,
scanning her W face, to see if
p%crchance something Of pain lay be-
meath the playful Gliding. Glove you,
mother! l know l love you better. But
it seems to me that father needs me
most"
''Dear child! I dread to think of the
day when your father may exact the re-
linquishmcnt of anothcr-a different
love-
The daughter looked up with startled,
anxious eyes. Did her mother suspect
the present strait that tried her? For
weeks her sensitive conscience had re-
buked a secret she had locked from her
mother in her heart. But she hadretlccted
that this would be another and q grave
anxiety to that ov~erburdcned spirit, and
silence had seemed the truest loyalty.
Thus the girl kept her own troubled
counsel. 'sIt seems the very irony of
fate" she told herself, ':tiat my fathers
daughter should come to care for an An
way. Is that disloyalty to Edward, l
wonder? Not so. He is the truest, ten
derest Of men-his father over again"
And here again she found divided duty.