Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-05

Ny husband went off early in the
morning and when at nightfall there
came a note from him. that he should
not return that Mig. [ would have
cried, if l had dared. But dinner was
waiting, and the serl ants We're arp,ls-
eyed. Oh, l though. if 1 could live
where l am not watched by a hundred
eyes! l have never been used to serv-
ants. I hate servants.
After dinner, which l forced myself to
eat, L took my husbands letters and
carried them up to his table. Looking over
the different superscriptions idly, one
held my attention. 1t was written in a
singularly clear lady's hand. and was
postmarked in the city. I noticed that
the sealing had not been secure, and the
envelope had opened. Without stopping
to consider if l was doing an indelicate
act, l drew out the folded sheet and
something wrapped in tissue paper fell
ont.
The photograph of a child-a singu-
larly handsome boy. While 1 looked
there flashed out at me such a resem-
blance to my husband that l sank down
trembling like a leaf. With this was a
note in the lady's writing. must have
held this an hour before Icould summon
courage to read it. This is what | read
at last:
.BALLAGTlNE's DAY IN THE MoRN1Na.-Mv
Pairing a,,a parpes: / send you my picture for .
Paliansine' How DO you like It, mon pere?
says. 100; that shs l, Rkp the 'p pio:
me lots-and says I'm, her own darling child.
! had IT taken With the money you gave me
s ssss J jan aCy the. ths fifteenth: when I was so
DIR. made me take that bitter stuff that made
me well. Josie Is going to have her picture
both cry II you don't come every day, and /
want a new jack knife and some jack
Josie sends love and 80 do I. with fortv
kisses. DONALD M'INTYRR.
! read this-every word-over and
over till | could repeat it by heart. Then
l rang the bell for Vinette. 1 think she
thought l had had a shock, she looked
SO frightened.
you are sick, madam; can I do any,
thing for you?"
mo, l am not sick-will you call
George?"
The man appeared.
George, Mr.. Mcintyre is not ex-
pected home tonight"
mo, madam"
"What time does the night express
leave for Boston?:"
4 Eat midnight, madam"
"You will take ME to the station for
that train"
"Madam?"
Il wish to take that midnight train"
"It is raining hard since night-fall,
madam"
Never mind what it is doing. I must
leave the city on that train. What time
is itp"
ION the stroke of eleven, madam"
$50. I will be ready"
The man bowed and withdrew. /
took the "ballantine" and put it with
the letter in q sealed envelope and left it
on top'of the pile of letters without
writing one word. l only prayed for
strength to get out of that house before
l died. I only hoped I should never look
on Mr.. Mclntyre's face again. 1 put
together a few things-nothing that my
husband had given me. I took Off the
rich dress that I wore, and wrapped my.
sell in q plain wool dress. 1t wanted g
quarter to twelve when I went down
stairs. Ny wedding ring hit on the bal,
ustrade. Hastily re-entering my cham.
Der, 1 removed the ring with its keeper
and laid them on the directed letter.
lstumbled along in the dimly-lighted,
badly ventilated compartments of the
car TO a seat. That was it-stumbled.
l could not see one inch before my face
yet there were no tears in my eyes. ]
could not put two connected thoughts
together-y I knew I was not crazy,
not vet. l raised the window and
stretched out my hand with my hand.
kerchief. In q minute it was soaking
wet and 1 bound it over my forehead.
left the window up a little and put my
face close to it. The very storm that
came tearing down the hill-sides and
sweeping along the track where the red
lights went flashing along through the
darkness, was a comfort. Through all
the hours of that midnight ride I saw
pictures-pictures of all the outcast and
'hedged i'm of every cline since the
world was made. I felt myself one Of
them-l dared not look back-I could
not look forward, beyond the getting to
Aunt Polly.
1t was black, with the blackness that
precedes the morn, when we stopped at
the little station. I got down on the
side nearest Aunt Polly's and plunged
into the night. 1 knew every step
of the way, and straight as an arrow
1 went to Aunt Polly's door. I raped
on the low window-sill, holding with
both hands and thinking 1 should die
before 1 got in. A minute after,
hoped I should die, right there in Aunt
Polly's arms.
1t was six weeks before 1 opened my
eyes to know anything or anybody.
A soft light was flooding the room,
and 1 lay very still wondering if !
was dead. 1 tried to listen to a trill
over my head, asking myself if they
mufled canaries in Heaven. Then
some one laid a hand softly on my
head and told me to 90 to sleep. 1t
was Aunt Polly's hand and Aunt Polly's