Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-12

her. Kitten was waiting for Tevis in
the strip of beech wood that bordered
the road. 1t was a charming spot, very
green and fresh; but she neither saw nor
felt its charm. Her face, turned intent
~ toward the bend of the road around
which he should appear, was very pale,
and had lost all its prettiness Of color
ing; the characterlcss features looking
almost refined, thus sharpened by anx-
iety. Ina moment, Tevis, on his strong
bay horse, dashed into sight. The whole
thing was characteristic of the man: the
sweeping gallop-thc abrupt halt-~the
easy spring to the ground-and he stood
before her in his triumphant strength and
beauty: He approached her quite jaunt-
lily. Yesterday it had seemed that he
was to be turned out in the world to
pick up a living as best he could; per-
haps, ven to work. That fear was re-
moved. To marry a woman he did not
like was not pleasant; but what was it
compared with the terrible altcrnativeo of
honest toll?
"Tevis, Tcvis," cried Kitten, spring.
ing up. els it true:?"
"Is what true?"
THAT you're going to marry Miranda
that old maid-oh!'
Eyes, Kitten, it's true, I'm sorry to
say. l have to. There's nothing else
to be done. But you needn't mind-she
hates me-"
II don't believe it'll never believe
it. She loves yon-she's always wanted
to get you away from me-"
Tevis gave a deep-chested laugh at
this absurdity.
"Ttmt's a good joke-Miranda loving
me! Why, she hates the sight Of me.
She used to be a good enough sort of
girl, in old times; but now Il gives me
the crecps when she fixes those queer
eyes of hers on me. She could marry
DR.. Stacy if she chose, and that is why I
say she is acting handsomely"
Kitten replied nothing; but sat with
her plump little hands wrung together
"a picture of despair. Her vacation
was ended. For the past year or so,
Tevis had been holding out g%littering
prospects to her. She was to marry the
rich Mr.. Carmichacl's %favorite nephew
to be whirled away into enchanted re-
gions like a fairy princess. How the
other girls had envicd her-even her
sister, Chickcn-and she had given her
self airs of superiority. They would
envy her no more. They would exult
over her. Oh blistering thought! The
! vision had fadcd-the dream had van
ished. She longed for pleasure, for
change, for excitement, with that pas
sion of which only a country girl, who
has been smothered all her life among
green boughs and silent fields, is ca
pable. 1t was all over. She had moth
ing to put in the place of what she had
lost. She lifted her face to him, tragic
in its terror of the future. In truth, ma
ture had formed these two for each 9TH
cr-to live together a life of selfish ease
and luxury, ustroubled by any thought
of any other human beings pain or suf-
fering.
s'Look here, Kitten" said Tevis,
drawing her toward him. don't fret
about it. 1t isn't as if l loved her, and
it isn't as if l was going somewhere far
off. We a always see each other" y
She tore herself p%assionately from his
grasp. "Oh! it's easy for you to talk
that way" she cried, in a hoarse voice.
He was thinking Of the qualification
of the moment, while she regretting the
carriage in which she should never ride,
| the Jewels that should never adorn her
pretty person. Tevis frowned heavily.
Now she was beginning'to make herself
unpleasant, and that was a thing he
could not forgive.
"'Well, I must be going" he said,
with q feint of moving; but Kitten did
not speak nor look up. ''Kitten. l say!!'
She made no answer. "Oh, all right!
if you're in the suhks," and he started
away in good earnest, with a muttered
oath at the unrcasonablencss of women.
Having had time to reflect, Henry
said to his sister. with an attempt at an
air of good-fellowship: '.About your
marriage. Miranda?:"
She turned her coolest glance upon
him.
81 am no younger than yesterday"
she said.
"You need not be uneasy. Twill pro-
vide for you"
She could not listen to his muttercd
thanks. 1t seemed that if any one gave
! her fair words it was because he expect
ed to be repaid for them.
Tevis and Miranda were me-,ied as
quietly as possible. The whole neigh
borho I'd was surprised. The air was full
of feminine murmurs-':Thei idea Of that
lovely Miranda sacrificing herself to such
a man, just that she may give him back
the property!' or, ''She is the noblest
woman"
1t was the beginning of October. Sum-
mcr was dying in an agony of fever.
The dry air, which quivered as if rest
less with pain, was full of the pungent
odor of burning pine brush, that strng
the nostrils and made the eyclids smart.
The smoke chung slugggishly to the
parched fields: the pond shrank between
its borders. Volumes of dust rolled up
from beneath the hoofs of Tcvis' horse,
rs he climbed the hill. The sky was OF
a burning blue, with masses of bright,
white cloud piled in the east. Tevis was
going in to New Egypt. Helooked older
than the few months that had passed
since his marriage seemed to warrant.
There was a tagged, lusterless look about
his eyes, and heavy lines showed around
His mouth. The quiet, respectable life
be had been leading had acted upon his
nature like Il slow poison. 1t was the
new railroad that had causnd the Growth