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

gaayest and coolest of wraps. He hand
"a me the change, after [ had attended
TO his order and was off without a word
or a look. 1 laughed to myself, as I
brushed and re-arranged the table.
III VIII come again, it may be in five
years, 1t may be in ten, but he will come,
and he will one day know me. 1 am in
no hurry, l can wait"
The very next day he returned and
Went through the same performance,
but l scored one point this time for I
learned his name and something more.
lie had formerly lived in Denver. but
had established a branch at Albany and
would be back and forth. Thought so!
l 1elt as II l was Witnessing a play, to
nave acted or to have tried in any wav
to attract his attention would have
spoiled it all.
lie came, perhaps, during the rest of
the summer, once in two Weeks-some-
times oftener. Sometimes a friend
would accompany him and I could hear
snatches of talk, from which 1 gathered
that he liked the East and should remain
here for several years.
Lest this should prove an unaccepta-
ply long story, | will plunge at once ..in
medals res" On the Twentieth Oct.'
my diary witnessed this confession:
"He looked at me to-day for the first
tme, and ne looked again; the curtain is
fairly up" F"
The next day he returned at noon.
"Ihought you were coming back on the
Owl," said an acquaintance.
II preferred to wait till daylight
herein lay q secret, to which I alone
had the key. I never waited on the
Owl.
The next page of my diary reads like
this:
October 21: 1.-The tips of his fingers
touched the palm of my hand to-day in
making change"
The next time after that l had the
courage to look him full in the face,
He leaned over the counter and said to
me a few low-spoken words with az
much Difference as he would have ad.
dressed the Queen. 1 wouldn't have
spoken of this for the world, to have
whispered it to the bird in my chamber
would have seemed like proclamation.
In the days that followed, Aunt Polly
became my greatest trial, because in the
depths Of her honest heart she distrusted
the man. But from the first it was
given to me to have perfect confidence
in him. Never for one moment did
doubt. just even years t o a day after
l took the refreshment table l gave il
up to Jane Briggs. My friend wanted
me to go before, but l begged to stay
"Let me serve this old b. & A" m,
full seven years." 1 said to him. ii
has given you to me, and if I served i
until seventy times seven I could never
pay the debt" And then I went of
for one year of study. had saved m,
money wisely, and I was determined tt
use it well.
| was dreadful proud;" 1 think poo
folks usually are. And so 1 had my owl
way, and on my twenty-fourth birthda,
we were married in Aunt Polly's parlor
and Jack Briggs and David and iona
than, with their wives and children
We're about all there were to shak'
hands with us, except the minister, ant
then we took that six o'clock expires
from Albany.
We spent six months abroad, thel
came home. During all my %journeyin;
the coming home hung on me like
nightmare. l dreaded meeting my hus
bands friends. / wished l could kee]
him away from them forever. | was a
proud as ever | was, and foolish in m,
new position, because I knew how i'll
was adapted to it. [ had never sivea
much attention to my looks, only to re
spect Aunt Polly's demand for perfec
n%eatness, but comparing myself will
the ladies l met in my husbands circle
it began to grow upon me that l wa
handsomer than all. My chief ambition
had been to appear SO that my HUSBAND
would not be ashamed of me-to realiz
that he was very proud of me was
revelation of delight. But l soon tire.
of much that / saw in society. Th,
magnificence of my new home over
whelmed me. 1 fitted up the smalles
rooms in a simple way, and there l mos
delighted to spend my evenings alon'
with my husband.
After a year of married life my faitl
in him was stronger than the day l wa
married. There was no fault that
could find in him. l had Rugged to m,
heart the idea Of spending my birthda,
and first anniversary with Aunt Polly
ouC Wouluu y ~ WlClOut NY uuoDdI1u
and he told me that he had "good rea
sons why he ought not to leave the cit,
that day"
Such was my confidence in him that
never questioned or demurred. AS
kind of compensation for my disappoint
ment there came a remembrance from
my little friend Tot. which was of itsel
enough to glorify the day, and when m,
husband came home to dinner in thu
best of spirits and told me that I SHOULD
''have the evening where and how
wished,' | told him gayly that l woult
have it there with him, and nowhere
else.
Now I will jump over a month. 1 hat
not yet paid my visit to Aunt Polly
when n morning my husband told m,
he .'would go down with me the mex
day" "Why," I said. tomorrow il
St. Valentines Day. We will 20 on tn,
early train and l will carry her the hes
present she aver had for a valentine"
I don't know when anything had evel
made me happier than the thought O
that visit. l trilled and sang aroune
the house all day like a schoolgirl goine
home for her first vacation. l went on:
and selected my present and laughed