Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-11-05
JOHN STANDON.
BY LLOYD L. HARSH.


Il love thca!" the hot, passionate words
came from between his lips, flashed from
his eyes, and We're hespolSen 10y his whole
deneanor. The Wild II at their feet the
white Suils circling overhead, and the ro
mamie. lock-bound coast of New Jersey
were H!l unheoded as lle went Oh, passion
atel,i ardently, telling his tale of love.
q love thee" lie repeated; and so long
as the stars turn true to their orbits, so
long n day follows might, so long as the
tides obey their mistress, Just SO long will
my heart remain true to thee, my idol All!
Iita, DO YOU, can you realize the full force
of such q love: Could you love lie in such
Il VA: Lita," and his voice became soft
ami tender, "Lita, if the sun and stars
We're 10 wanc, and this earth We're to be-
cone one vast, d:eary desert, l would
sooner slowly staryc III it alone Wit, you
than 10 feast without you in the most
beautiful paradise that heaven affords; or
darling, I would sutfertcn thousand deaths
rather tllan cause you one hours grief.
Now. sweet, do you think you can re-
turn one little drop Of love for all this
worship? Can you look into my eyes and,
from the bottom of your heart, say: Il
love sou. john? Can you do this, Lita?"
She raised her bright. beautiful eyes 10
his and said: OF course, John, you know
That love you with all ny heart"
She looked as though she WAS speaking
tru,hfully. and yet Il something that gave
force to the words and looks of the other
was lacking in what she said, and pretty
Lita Mcdowell, though far from knowing
1t, YVES not ut all desperately in love with
staunch, splendid hearted John Standon.
He sighed, but said no more, for we'll he
knew the state of her heart; but as she had
willingly promised to marry him, he deter
mined to win her love, if not before, then
after thcy were we'd. so, STOPPING over,
he imprinted a kiss on the fair forehead,
and tuning around they strollcd slowly
homeward, never dreaming the near future
held in store for ono Of them misery and
sorrow enough to make him almost doubt
the existence Of punishment hereafter.
Tia; was the last night that John Stan
don ever passed on this earth that con-
tanned the least particle Of happiness,
though Why it was SO he could never de-
terniue: but stern fate had decreed, "Thou
shalt love to thy SORROW" and it was So
he next night party was given by one
Of their neighbours. Lita and john were
there, and SO was stranger. A new
family had moved into the village, and one
OF that family was a son, tall, handsome.
and as much Of a natures nobleman as
even John Standon himself. This person
WAS among those present, aud in the course
of the evening he and Lita met, and that
meeting decided the fate of both; after
half an hour together Lita only too fully
realized that she was untrue TO John the
night before when she told him she loved
him.
The stranger had awakened Son
sations in her heart that had never
been aroused before. 1t did not take Lita
long TO surmise what those sensations
meant. and also perceived that the stranger
was affected in the same manner.
Long before the party had come to a
close, John Standon's keen eye had de-
tected the only too apparent change which
the lew acquaintance had wrought in Lita.
He knew what the result would be, and
he would much rather have heard his
death knell; yet he bore it like q hero, no
one noticing his agony, and going home
ac mentioned the stranger simply by ask
ing: How did you like Mr.. Earnest, Lita?"
and was answered, ooh, he is just splen-
did, john"
A few days passed and matters became
only worse for poor John. He and Lita
became gradually separated, while she and
the stranger became more and more at
tachea. and each day found them oftener
i'll each others company At last news
came that the rebellion had broken out,
and the two young men prepared to serve
ment started each went to bid farewell to
his love, but ah, how differently!
Richard Earnest went to the dwelling of
his future bride to bid her farewell, per-
haps forever. While John Standon know
ing the relations of the two had hidden the
future Mrs. Earnest formal goodbye
during the afternoon and was now on the
sea shore to bid the shadow Of his old love
farewell on the same spot where they had
last stood ere he lost he: forever.
"Lits, on this spot swore to love and
be true to you forever; on this spot prom
Used to suffer ten thousand deaths rather
than cause you one hours sorrow.
"Ah! how little thought that SO soon I
would be put to the test, that SO soon my
love would be proven either tickle, I'M
steady, and unworthy man, or true and
ever ready for the crises.
81 have been true SO far, Lita, and, God
helping me, will continue SO to the end.
My agony shall not cause you one moments