Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-24
school house, remarked Bill, susp,ciously.


didn't warn you" said Bill, angrily,
any interference"
"Wel, as to tibet, mate" returned the
other, 81 reckon it will be as how she says
| herself. I've always been unlucky," he
continued, signing unconsciously, "an' all
ask of We is the chance of telling her my
feelings first. Seems s if sha'n't mind it
SO much then. Ye hewitt any call to mind
how it's you she cares for"
Don't knows care to stop We, Ben, +"
replied the other, complacently-ho agreed
! with the men-"but shall see her to-
morrow night"
Unlucly Ben was absent for an hour
next day. When he returnedh worked as
if the strength of two was in his brawny
arms. He seemed trying to battle down
some invisible foe, and Bill knew that he
had spoken.
Later in the day Bill returned from the
same Grand, flushed with success, and be-
gan to make preparations for the wedding,
which was to take place almost immedi-
ately.
But, always silent and reserved, he grew
gloomy and morose, and to Ben the thought
of that little woman, who was SO soon to
give her happiness into the keeping of this
surly man, made the days one long agony.
Upon the night before the day set for the
wedding, as the two men sat before the
fire, Bill spoke:
"There's something odd about this we'd
ding, pard, an 1 may as well tell you. To
begin at the first, was married eight years
ago, up in the States. I thought I loved
my vito until met this woman an found
out what love is; but she loved me. an
nigh about broke her heart with my cold
ness. She was pale, frail little thing, an'
sometimes she would plead, almost on her
knees, for me to kiss and caress her, TO tell
her loved her, an I would push her away.
The last time she asked me to kiss her I
threw glass of water in her upturned
face. And yet it pleased me an l never
| liked her SO we'll as when she had hidden
herself away somewhere an / knew she
was crying her heart out over some such
rebuff. We'll, she bore it three years, then
one night found the house empty, and
upon the table note addressed to me,
and beside it her wedding ring. l
hated her then. Something seemed
to tell me she was near. and without read
ing it tore the note into an hundred
pieces. Iground the ring to bits beneath
my heel; broke the furniture, the dishes,
owl io
heap upon the floor. The next day l
started for tho West.
My wife is revenged now. Mrs. Wilbur
has taught me what love is. am wretched
away from her, and only less wretched in
her presence. I am mad with love for her,
yet she will not let me kiss her, will not
let me touch even her hand. "Wait until
we are married again." she says, "for Ben,
Mrs. Wilbur is my wife, the woman who
left me III the States"
Ben sprang to his feet, his eyes glaring
and his teeth set. Instinctively his hand
clutched his revolver.
"She loves him." was the thought that
flashed through his mind. His fingers re-
Taxed and he sat down.
$780," went on the other, "she insists
upon a marriage as if we had never met.
Insists, too, that 1 be one of those to es-
cort the preacher back to Fly Gulch.
shall not see her after the ceremony until
| evening. I did not know she was my wife
until week ago; she is changed SO. She
will not need to plead with me now to love
her, he continued, as if to himself, "she
has bewitched me, / cannot live without
her."
The door swung back, and he turned to
see Unlucky Ben going out alone into the
night. They never met again.
The sun was within half an hour of set
ting next day when Ben stumbled back
into the deserted cabin; he threw himself
into seat, and, bowling his head upon the
table, sank into semi-unconscious state.
Was it dream. or did light foot step
across the floor, did soft hands touch his
hair, and voice unspeakably tender muir
muir above his bowed head:
"God bless and keep him always, my
love, my Lowell"
The cool night wind from the open door
aroused him. Upon the table lay folded
paper addressed TO himself. 1t was from
Mrs. WILDER.
"You know my story" she wrote, "but
1 cannot die without telling you that love
you. I am his wife, but when he returns
tonight he will find a wife as cold as he
has been to me. Before you read this I
shall be corpse. This is my revenge"
A red glare lit the darkness, and wild
cry arose in the camp. The house pre-
pared for, and occupied by, the welded
pair, was in flames. The door was open,
and before it, distinctly visible against the
fiery background, with a pistol in his hand,
stood WILDER Graham, the bridegroom.
He placed the pistol to his temple. Even
as its loud report rang out, wild figure
dashed through the motley crowd, and
made for the building.
at is madness, it is DEATH" they
shriekad to him, but he tore away from
their Did, and stumbling over the body of
the man, spralg through the blazing
portals.
In a little room, as yet untouched by the
fire she Law rn0n her conch cold in daoth