Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-01-29

A1 SVooACo4uC pOSCs lu0 Young
man lifted his hat. and whirling his horse,
disappeared in q dust-cloud.
Mine brothers son Antoine," said
Michenay. HE ees a good boy, but he has
o temper; and it ees like re evil spirit he
in thirty feet from a gdllop."
Rawlins resumed the interrupted con.
versation, and within one hour had en-
gagged the school from Michenay, who adj
ylsed him mot to go near Eat ignoramus
Kester." Then the new teacher made a
frank avowal. Kester's consent had
already been obtained.
Michenay was angry; but the thought of
getting a weeks free teaching appealed to
his ideas of political economy, and he
agreed to let Ra>.lins have his way; so
one OF his boys rode over the district that
afternoon to inform every one that the
trustees had hired a teacher.
In spring, toward the close of the term,
Rawlins got up ar old.fashioned spelling.
match. a novelty in the country. 1t took
the public fancy, and people rode or drove
from farm houses and pioneer cabins miles
away when the evening came.
The dark-oyed young lady Of the ferry
boat came under escort of Antoine Miche-
nay, who did not leave her side the entire
evening. He was ~jauntily dressed, and in
high spirits; the girl seemed troubled and
i'll at ease as the evening wore on.
Mary Kester was expected to carry off
the spelling honors, as a matter of course;
but, much to every ones surprise, and her
fathers intense disgust, she missed one Of
the first words, and Adele M%ichenay won
an unwonted victory.
After the entertainment was over, the
girls went outside in the clear moonlight,
and laughed and chatted, while the Boys
carried the benches back into the school.
room, and arranged them as usual. Wagon
after wagon was driven away, and soon
the last OF the merry group had left the
door. Mr.. Rawlins Strengthened the desks,
rubbed off the blackboard, blew out the
candles, locked the school-house and start
ed for Michenay's, along the wood-path,
haunte with an indescribable exhilarating
odors from blossoms, leaves, stems, from
pines overhead and grass blades close to
the joyous earth.
At the foot Of the hill the path widened
into a grassy opening. Over it the full
moon hung, making it so light that one
ing bells of the carnelian -colored wild lilies
the girls had for many days watched and
guarded. Besides the lily stems, all in q
pitiful little heap, with her head on a
messy log, was Mary Kester, crying as if
her heart would break.
Now Mary was the most modest and
generous girl in the world, and no lost
spelling school honors would have made
her cry that way.
1t was impossible to leave the girl alone
at night, crying in the forest a mile from
home. Rawlins went up close to her, and
spoke kindly, leaning over to take her
hand. "Come, Mary, o must not stay
here. I will walk home with YOU"
She started when he spoke, but almost at
once controlled her sobs, rose without a
word and took his arm. They turned back
across the clearing. In q few moments she
said alphabetically: II thought every one
went round by the road, teacher; Thought
no one crossed this way"
They were walking from the moonlit cir
ole into the forest again, as Mary said this;
voices in the path before them-Antoine's
and Flora Wilson's.
The girlish form on Rawlins' arm trem-
bled perccptibly; a little hand urged him
still further back in the shadow. But they
could not escape, for the steep bank of a
'You shall listen to me-" Antoine was
saying excltedly.
aye have had your answer already" she
went on, a touch of her Scotch fathers bor-
derland burr coming into her voice. She
angrily. "Ye've treated Mary i'll, and ye
know it; but twas no doing of mine. I
never wanted ye."
Antoine broke into a passionate n in
coherent appeal.
stake me home. o, take me home. I
vi ~ ~
and angry girl.
Antoine threw himself down in an aban-
donment Of grief on a log. Flora, both in
dignant and troubled, stood beside him.
emily, more kindly. I'll be friends with
you still, but you must take me home now,
and give this all up"
He sprang wildly to his feet. "No! MOI,
he shouted. "Curse your soft words. l
shall die because of you"
Tsksr~ 10th Ia - 70 hic mouth hQ on va
a loud whistle, three times repeated. The
fat-otf neigh of a horse answered him:
Antoine whistled again, stamped his feet
and cried loudly "Roland here! Roland"
Another wild neigh sounded nearer, but
still on. the farther bank Of the deep and
rapid river: then a splash, the sound of
swimming, the rattle of stones, the snap
and dull swish of branches thrust aside,
and into the clearing ran the great yellow
stallion. Antoine seized him by the name
""a home" he said. 81 shall ride to my
death Tonight. You don't know the
mountain BOYS yet. I ought to take you
along" ~ H..
before she could scream ms manner
sudden hereditary French courtl!ness; re
leaned upon Hollands dripping back.
Marv screamed, but neither Antoine nor
Flora heard her voice, for Roland sIPrang
forward like 4 huge stone IRON a Ileu,@ va
c%atapult, crashed through the
They heard him breasting the steep be
sned bands of sheep and droves Of cattle,
While more terrific still, Antoine raised ms
voice in u half insane shout: "1ooo'oye'
A few seconds later there came a yet
louder shout, then n sudden crash, as the
manada Of horses in the farther pasture ests e
ran shrieking against the rail fence e &c tore rev. ~
to pieces and fled, still snr, h;S'si5. Wv While
AMI Antoine rode his unbridled whirlwind on
'" Flora Sue stood terrified beside the tramP psd
mountain lilies over which Kola anar mad mad
wSi nv to Mary: "Wil you do just
what l ask?"
.rhsn sit on this fat rock; lean your