The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-04-16

obtained, for Shad bided his time UNI
til occasion offered to buy one OF his
horse-deaIing neighbours mortgages,
when having done SO Shad persisted
in iOreclosing. Thus patiently Shad
Platt accomplished his purposes.
And there were other occurrences
which, Jerusha, not yet understand
ing her husband, set down as proof Of
his milksop character.
But it was over thehorse that blind
staggered that serious trouble arose,
and again Shad had a trial. For on
the Sunday following she declared she
would not ride to meeting to be NOR
titled to death again. But Shad drove
the staggerer around to the stump Of
an oak that was used for q step
and persisted in his purpose, and
Jerusha was compelled to ride
behind the beast again, and there was
another scene III front of the church,
in which Jerusha having been pitched
from the wagon, ruined her garments
and was deeply wounded in spirit. So
that i'll her pew, instead of regaining
compOsure, she lost the little she pos
sessed, and quilted the church in an-
ger.
Shad saw her making her way to the
house of her mothers brother, but he
did not follow her. He went calmly
to his home and spent the rest of the
Lords day doctoring the unruly beast
that took pride, seemingly, in stagger,
ing on Sunday.
But next day Jerusha came not,n
the next, and yet the patient Shad went
about his avocations without dismay.
and by and by Shad received a notice
duly Weighted with legal verbiage to
the effect that his spouse, Jerusha,
sought to be released from the bonds,
a vinculo, of matrimony. Shad tuck.
ed the paper away between the leaves
OF the great family Bible, where inn
p~ortant papers were kept, so many
that the binding was sadly strained,
and that was all he did about 1t.
Some three months later Shad was
surprised to learn that the court de-
clined to grant the decree. Jeru-
sha had been unable to prove
intolerable cruelty, or drunkenness, or
such other causes for divorce as are
set down in the statutes. But the
Litchtield county lawyers were able
men in those times, and they bade
Jerusha to despair not. So-and this
much common repute sets down to be
q truth-one of them, whose genius
had overcome more difficulties than
one, induced the General Court, or
Legislature. to add to the causes
wherefore divorces may be granted
this clause, Cor such conduct as tends
to defeat the purpose OF the marriage
relation"
And with the blue bound copy of
the new laws this lawyer went into
court and asked whether such con-
duct as the compulsion of a wife to
ride behind a horse, afflicted with the
blind staggers, TO church, to the great
dread, modification, and suffering of
the wife, were not conduct sufficient
to defeat all harmonious marriage re-
lations. And the Court thought de-
cidedly it was, especially as Shad APP
peared not in court to deny it.
Shad pursued his calm and patient
manner OF life in peace, but in course
of a year or two it dawned upon
his neighbors that Shad Platt, despite
his peaceful ways and his humble man.
ner, was a determined man. No
man could be found who in the long
run had worsted him. Thequiet man
ner in which he had evened up with
the wicked horse dealer became known,
and there were hints that Shad was
we'll beforehand with the world, and
had obeyed the Scriptures, so that he
had increased his talent till it had be-
come ten talents. And his neighbours
sent him to represent them in the
legislature, and one day elected him
high sheriff of the county, an honor of
great esteem in those times.
Once a week Shad saw Jerusha. She
sat in the Amen pew in the brick meet
ing house, and he was seated where he
must behold her, and he always spoke
pleasantly to her at the incoming, say
ing: .Pm gladto see you looking SO
well, Jerusha."
One winters night there had been q
donation party at the parsons and
Jerusha was there and Shad, and when
it came time to depart, was it not
Shad that observed that, whereas all
the Others were going away in sleighs,
Jerusha must needs walk? So hetook
her gently by the arm and led her to
his sleigh, which was q fine one, richly
painted, and stuffed with heavy robes,
and, before the woman realized it,
there she was in the sleigh, we'll tucked
in, with Shad by her side, flying over
the snow like the wind, ard she per-
ceived how powerful he was, and how
he mastered the spirited horse, and
how gently. though firmly. he spoketo