Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-07-30
A A SHEEP.
Curly Schwartz, the Little Mailer,
and His Happy Marriage.

1t was seven o'clock on a cool Sep
TENDER evening. The sun had setupon
Smoketon. but a dull red glow still
fingered in the heavens. above the heavy
bar of smoke chat lay upon the horizon.
Above the cool, gray river, in which the
red evening glow and the twinkling
lights of the city lay clearly reflected,
the clustering spires of Smoketon
Island stood out against the darkening
sky; the long arch of the bridge, with
its lights cleaning in red and gold,
gave a touch to the picture that was al
most Venetian; the evening star hung
dow in the west, and from aloftierheight
the young moo looked calmly upon the
peaceful Gene.
That the horizon bar of smoke was
much less heavy than usual gave no
Of satisfaction to Thisbe Bar
ton as she paced hurriedly back and
forth by the riverside, with her masses
of tawny hair unprotected from the
cNCllIl0 DiGCLt. IOl dDSCIlCC VI SlIlOhC
in Smoketon meant idle factories, and
what that meant Thisbc and many
others had had an excellent chance to
learn during the four months strike,
which as yet showed no sign Of drawing
to q close.
a step behind her made her turn to
meet the gaze of a rather small and
narrow-chestcd individual whose pale,
dark face and STOPPING shoulders were
at oncc reduced to insigni1icance by con-
trast with the girls vigorous person.
ality.
is that you. Curly schwartzen she
asked rather roughly. I've just heard
something Of you. and if it's true. You'll
say goodbye to Thisbe Barton"
The man heaved q long sigh as he
took Off his hat and ran his fingers
through the crisp, dark locks that had
been the origin of his nickname.
Il guess I'll have to do that, anyway,
Thisbe," he answered meekly. Tic
girl drew herself up haughtily while
her brown eyes gave an angry flash.
''What are you talkin' about?' she
asked wrathful1y.
Elm talkin' about how I've been
.goin' around with you for bettcr'n two
years" he answered, .'not to speak of
havin' loved you all my life-and you
was real good to me when we was chill
dren. Thisbc. Not another girl in
Smoketon have l evcr looked at, and
you lnow it; yet you won't say neither
yes nor no, prompt and decided; and l
can't stand it no longer"
''And So the girl answered with
-1-,- kk>, s T l>l ~.x
self enough by goin' around with a mere
feeder you have gone and turned
black Sheep to make me ashamed t.
hold up my head before my brothers."
''And if / have turned BLACK sheep
where's the harm?" he demanded sui
lcnly.
''Wherc'st the harm in bein' at~raitor?n
she demanded, yet more enraged by his
ignoring her connection with the mat
ter. "Where' the harm in givin' in to
lower wages, like a coward?"
81 amt. I'm goin' on as a mailer, at
better wages than ever l got in my
life"
Eyes; bctrayin' your class, and takin'
the place of a better man than your
self"
..Tm dom nothin' OF the kind. NY
class is the feeder %nailcrs, andIm bene-
fittin' II Of them givin' him a rise in
life. 0, Thisbe, tailoring suddenly in
his defiant %sullenness and looking into
her face with appealing pathos. go,
Thisbe, don't be SO hard on a fellow! l
amt a coward, 0 a traitor, neither.
If twas only me, l could starve or beg
as well as any one; but there my poor
old mothcr-what is she TODD while I'm
waitin' for the nailers to get the wages
that suits 'em? I've done everything a
man could do since this strike began.
I've even sweep the streets and been
glad enough to get the job; but there's
plenty more as bad off as me, and jobs
Is hard to get. More than that, Thisbe,
I've been drove half mad by you,
blowin' hot one minute and cold the
next; one day smilin' on me, and the
next on that Geotf. Walton, the big
fool. He's one of the nailers I'm to be
KEEP starvin' to please, amt he? No!
/ want work, hard work, to keep me
from thinkin', Thisbe. I've the chance
of a better place an higher wages than
/ ever had, an I'm a-goin' to take EN-;
you'll eve sheer at me for bein' 'only
a feeder again, anyway"
"Have you tinished?' asked Thisbe,
white with passion, ''bccause ! don't
wish TO interrupt you; but if you are
quite sure you are entirely through |
have something to tell you. Geoff. Wal
ton asked me again last night to marry
him, and l promised to give him an
answer this cvenin'. He told me you
was goin' on at the mill, or I'd a said
yes right off. So I came out here to
think it over, and I've made up my
mind. He's a true man. Geoff. is; you
won't catch him goin back on the work