Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-26

W lulltr Tn Whnv.a
neither of us was known. and mnelg
MI because whatever he likes I
like' and should have hated the f,ss
aII ceremony OF addresses and triumnhal
arches and that sort of thing. All
that, l suppose, will take place later
NJ l shall be horribly shy and nIryous'
Inc most extraordinary thing has
happened! George has just been in. look
ing quite pale and upset, to tell mo that
nc has had 4 telegram from one Of he
most intimate friends, who has had an
accident, and implores him to 90 to him
ut once. Poor George seems distroctei
l hardly know how I felt when he told
me, but after a moment I said that Of
course. under the circumstances. he
ought to'go. Then he caught me in his
arms, but he looked so strange that 7
felt almost frightened and was rather
glad when he went.
IL shall be back by twelve O'Clock to-
morrow morning at latest. my own dar-
ling he said, and kissed me again:
then rushed away. I sat a long time
looking out of the window after he had
driven OH: l can not in the least describe
how | feel. The expression Of his face
haunts me. l suppose he is dreadfully
grleved about his poor friend; but he
looked almost as if it was his fault-as
If he had some sort of remorse about it.
OF course that is all nonsense. 1 am
rather given to fancying things. [ wish
now | had asked him something more
about his friend-he did not even tell
me where he was; but 1 was so taken by
on YNV.IS fInf1 ~ ND S,D< L.
inquire. The last words he said were:
81 shall be back tomorrow, darling,
and then we shall be so awfully happy.s'
l have been wandering about the gar
den. and sitting under the trees, feeling
very disconsclate and oppressed. 1
could almost fancy that I am a widow,
and have lost him forever. l don't
think l ever realized before how i'm
mcnsely [ love him, and how blank and
awful the world would seem without
him. Why of all days should his friend
have an accident to-day? Inever read
of such a thing happening in any novel.
To think that /. who have led such a
quiet, uneventful life (until l met him),
should be the victim of such a strange
accident! 1t will make this diary very
interesting to read later; but, oh, I feel
so wrctched and miserable now There
is a tear which has made a great blot.
What a bad beginning!
My head swims; l hardly know if I
am in my right senses. l am staring at
the paper now,a and 1 cannot understand
it one whit, and yet l know that some
awful inconceivable calamity has hap
pened to me. What shall l do? Where
can l go? To whom can 1 turn?
l had just finished dinncr-a dull
enough meal. heaven knows!-the first
I ever sat down to alone. All the time
l wa thinking Georges handsome face
ought to be opposite me, and that 1t
should have been the p~leasantest dinner
1 ever had in my life, and a lump rose
in my throat and nearly choked me, and
prevented me from eating.
l was looking out of the window,
when the neat waiting-maid came in
with a telegram. l had never had one
in my life. 1t set my heart beating vio-
lentlv. l felt it contained some dread
full news. My fingers trembled SO that
l could not open it. Some instint made
me put it down and wait until the wom-
an had left the room; then tore it
open and read: 'Your husband is
Spending his wedding evening with me.
He always promised that he would" I
read it over half a dozen times; I did
not seem to grasp the sense or meaning
of it. Then I looked at the top to see
from whom it came-"Minna Vane,
Chapel street. London, to Lady Chal-
ford, Rose Inn, R."
Minna Vane! Minna Vane! A woman!
There had been no accident. He had
gone voluntarily of his own free will to
spend this day of all others with another
woman! I remembered his face in the
train. l remembered it when he babe
goodbye. This was why ne had pro-
posed coming to a place where we were
not known!
A sensation came across me as though
I had been struck a violent blow on the
head, and for a time-I know not how
long-I felt nothing but Il strange dead
ness and apathy. Then slowly there
came a quickening in my heart, grow
ing and growing until it reached an in
tolerable agony, and smote me with a
sense of overwhelming burning dis
grace. Where should l go? Where
hide my misery, my shameo l must re-
turn home-to the home which | left in
triumphal state seven hours ago; stink
back disgraccd, to be a shaft for pity,
wonder, scorn. 1 have never been any
where alone in my life. l can not face
strangers, above all under these terrible
circumstances; but. oh, let me fly from
him who has treated me so cruelty; let
me never, never set eyes on him again!
Why, o! my God, has he used me thus?.
What Have l done to him? If Il man
wanted a terrible revenge on a woman,
he might think Of some devilish way OF
wreaking it; but what have l ever been
but loving and humble, and glad to do
all he wished or babe?
NV maid has just been in under pre-
tense of asking if l wanted] anything.
She looked curiously at me, as if she
longed to question me. | dare say
every one in the house knows or sur
misses that there is something wrong
and strange. | hardly dare q meet
their ewes. Oh, if l could but
hide myself! I was never used
to be revongeful, I could always for,
give any one who vexed or offended
o. cf iniDrv can1nS