Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-02-19

I'm to be married on the 3Istn 10y VIII oe'
Ana! NOW was I master of the sit,,a t;on
I.alght know the fortunate mans nameni
"Richard Grimston, Of Hamer+on
Grange" namerton
"a man of fortune, too, ehm
why, certainly" she reioined. uYou
0ol suppose a pauper would come nro.
posing to me2" e'n7 pfo-
"Your senior, surely-considerablym
a quarter Of a century, YOU know ' a -. II 7
fancy he can look in The glass with how mna . ! !
young as you, and take the shine ont Of
some" Ae y
L WINGED. NY uncle was q remarkably
s namas1me' athletic man, beside whom 1
people say7" observed. ''Ap'''
wei, he's had a bad time, 1 expect,
she replied, with poor relations loiterinp
longing to step into the dead mans shoes
Vu e.T!,r What makes you adget so?'
bursting with secret fury.
~ hate parasites" She resumed. uH;s
little whippersnapper of a nephew is
nightly served. He reckoned on HAVING
the old man to fleece living, and forget
when he'd buried him and grasped his pos
Igrasped hopkins letter in nv pocket.
my revenge, my most precious possession
just then.
you've spoiled his reckoning" I re-
marked, playfully.
SO perish all fortune huntersm she re-
turned, likewise. "Pidcot Junction. Hero
we are. just in time"
The crowded state of the train precluded
further condolences. At Hamerton, as l
saw her of in the only cab, she produced
her card, saying:
he rSo tdlm be looking Yon after your luggage
mine and have it sent up"
l promised compliance and started to
walk to my uncle's.
AS I sighted the gates Of Hamerton
Grange nerved myself for the ordeal Of
pleasing sensations las heir-presumptiye
was regularly subjected to.
There was an odious mongrel cur-the
only creature my uncle loved-.whose bite
was worse than its bark, which was afro
cious. Hearing the distant music, / drew
on the thick gloves l provided expressly,
and prepared for events by anticipation.
shall struggle to the door, Uncle Dick
enjoying my torment behind some blind; 1
stand, warding off the beast with one hand,
pummeling the door with the other-the
bell-wire had been broken these two years.
Presently Mrs. Pike, the housckeeper, put
ting her head out OF door, as if to repel q
thief, admits me by q chink, undnr protest.
Uncle receives me in a chilly sitting-room
and a hideous d~ressing..gown 1detest. Cross
ing the threshold, l trip upon an old estab-
lished hole in the carpet. He compliments
me on my graceful department, inquiries
whom last l was logged, or plucked, and 30
on, with characteristic %amiability. My
mothers existence is ignored. We sit down
mutton. No wine is served. If a cigar is
offered, know it is a pefidious trap to con-
vict me of premature habits of dissipation.
After dinner we play chess. Woe to me il
| win! cheat; if / lose, I'm an idiot, not
worth checkmating. At ten l am ordered
over a novel, his curfew knock soon warns
me TO desist.
That bark camo no nearer. By some
mistake they had forgotten to let Fairy
loose. Fearful lest thcy should recollect, I
hurry to the door, hammer away, and vent
1t reused n peal to wake the dead. Just my
luck! 1t had been mended.
A parlor maiden, with a pretty figure,
opened the doors wide. Inearly tainted.
HAS anything happened to Mrs. Pike"
l Stammered.
20, no; sir" Phyllis replied. 'I'm her
neicc, come to help clean up
"Time you did, sthoughtI I, entering. but
stopping short at the spectacle of Uncle
Dick stalking into the hall to meet me. Is
that a coat l see upon his back, and, gra-
cious powers, what has he got on his face?
A smile?
"Good-day, nephew, glad to see YOU" he
says, and walks me into the dining room.
Am ] mad or dreaming! Actually, he is
asking after "those at home"
answered vacantly hut instead of rating
my stupidity, he inquiries spontaneously
what / am looking at.
~ was admiring your new carpet" I con-
fessed.
'The drugget was getting shabby. Draw
your chair to the fire and tell me what you
mean by arriving on foot, without lug
gage"
He was quite chatty, quite jolly! You
soon get over pleasant surprises, but more
wonder were coming. An excellent Inner
first-champagne, which | declined, mis-
taking it for a snare. He insisted. I mar
with his tiance, extolling her courage and
nerve. He related the history Of his court
ship. Ensilage had made the match. 1t
was his fad, then as Mrs. Pierpont, who had
lately rented Hamerton Court Manor, had
discovered. Business correspondence had
Aother discoursed learnedly of silos, the
daughters eyes shot the dart that disin-
herited David D'Anbigny. The evening
passed rapidly. A cheerful fire was burn
ing in my bedroom. Eleven o'clock found
me loungin? over it, un~admonished. Out
ears. Glory to Miss P. Celia Watson,
who had done it.tamed the tiger, smoothed
the porcupine. What angel aunt l.
Suddenly Hopkins letter cracked in my
pocket, reminding me l was here to break
the engagement. Celia was no angel, but
a precipice. Although this marriage i'm
poverished mo. my feeling was Of unquali-
fed disappointment. What good had my
'expectations'' ever lone me? Fifty thou
sand pounds worth Of worry uncle would
get out of me before I realized q jot.
What was the obstacle? Why was Celia
unworthy to become my aunts' Consumed
with curiosity, 1 took the leave given to
puruse Hopkins letter. Instinctively I
fastened directly on the fatal passage.
"Peter Watson, of the London police,
left the force from in-health and emigrated
to indianapolis. He opened a store and
supplied the barracks y x y He mar
ried the daughter of a baler-Howard,
from Gunter's, L~ondon-and they had one
daughter, Celia. Watson died the next
YEAR, and his widow married Pierpont, a
hair-dresser, since deceased, who deserted
l got no further. Policeman!
Hairdresser! / tore round
the room excitedly. He, the soul Of family
pride, had been gulled by two adventur-
esses, misrepresenting themselves as we'll
born. Hideous conspiracy-opportunely
defeated. He, who scorned a D'Aubigny
as an inferior! Exhausted, I returned to
my armchair.
Yet, as passion subsidized, I felt that
regretful pang again. Uncle, soured by
di~senchantment, would become absolutely
=, t,I,.,Lla r fo,ocaw Naxt time came