Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-03-12
SALOON.
SAM BIGGINs, ESQ,
J. p. and Commissioner of Deeds

ASCSShio'Ol VI Ills JUulClal NlJnlCV, was
engaged in serving Ashleigh Cabell and
Randolph Forster in that one of his dual
capacities which, if it brought less honor,
certainly brought more profit to his es-
Enlistment. These two were typical
young men of the neighborhood. They
were boon companions of Tevis, and
welcomed him with boisterous hearth
ness and an invitation to stake some
thing" To their surprise and evident
chagrin he declined the proffered hospi-
tality, and handed the squire q written
memorandum.
After glancing at it higgins said:
'I'l draw up the papers right off and
bring them out to your place in an hour
or So"
"Be sure you do" Tevis replied, and
passed out.
When he had ridden beyond earshot
Cabell, who was now backed against
the counter, leaning on the elbow of
of his arms and the hand of the
other. in that slouching attitude of SLOW
emily ease 50 much affected by the loafer
around country stores, remarked
Holmes is gettin' mighty unsociable
since he married Miranda Carmichael;
amt he? What's he up to, anyhow,
squire? I'll bet a bale O. cotton it, some
devilment."
II don't know exactly what it is; but
[ reckon l could make a pretty close
guess, if 1 was to try right hard" re-
piled the squire, with a knowing look
under his spectacles.
wants a power of attorney from Mi
randa to sell old man Carmichael's New
Orleans stocks; don't hep" suggested
| Cabell.
"Well, that's about the size of it, Cab;
and what's more, this looks nightly
like he was goin' to get it too,'' the
Squire said, tapping the memorandum
Tevis had given him.
Cabell and Ashleigh exchanged glances
full of intimations Of special and private
knowledge of the matter, and went out,
leaving the Squire to ''draw up the pa
pers'' out of a form book
When Tevis returned home, he found
Miranda lying in the hammock on the
gallery. His footstep did not arouse
her. The hammock hung motionless,
neither moving nor swaying, and one
of her arms thathad dropped over the side
hung nerveless and inert. Her face
looked colorless and gray beneath the
~infantile HAIR. How still she lay! al
most as if-his heart gave a terrible leap
in his breast. At this moment she
opened her solemn and childlike eyes
and gazed at him with a smile. 1t
seemed as if she must be coming back
from some pleasant dream. But this
was only for an instant. The old rigidity
returned to her features and she arose
from the hammock. whats the mat
ter?" Tevis demanded, huskily, '.tou
look old"
She stcadied herself by the rope with
a feebleness of movement that might
have appealed to his strength. 81 feel
old" She said. She was aboutto leave
him, when she glanced back and saw
him still standing there, looking at her.
'.Do you wish to speak to me, Tevis?"
she asked.
''Biggins says he'll be out here in an
hour or So, and then you'll have to sign
those papers, you know"
every well. / shall be ready"
higgins kept his word. He was on
the spot within an hour. and proposed
reading the power of attorney to Miriam
da; but she declined to hear it. Tevis
put the document in his pocket, and he
and higgins rode away together. Mi
randa was alone that day; but to this
she was accustomed, for she had always
led a solitary life. The light seemed to
wane slowly, and sunset was followed
by that breathless pause and stupor so
well known to dwellers in the South.
The dull dusk crept on by degrees. Out
lines of familiar objects became blurred
and fantastic in the uncertain light. The
chorus of forest voices had arisen, and
now and then a bat swooped past with
that sound like the vibration of a tense
bow-string. At length the leaves began
to stir a little-the waters Of the pond
trembled in the darkness-and the night
wind sprung up, bearing the cool, damp
odors of the woods and streams.
Presently, from her seat on the gall
lcry, Miranda heard the roll of wheels,
the slamming of the gate, and saw a car
rage approaching the house. Some
heavy, unconscious burden was being
lifted out. ".What is it?" she cried, in
q sharpencd, trembling tone. Several
voices began to speak at once. The
news was exciting and they thought OF
Miranda rather as an audience than as a
wife.
The cold, unsympathctic voice of Ran
dolph Forster rose above the rest:
'.Tcvis was in the front passenger coach.
At Nelson, the engine and tender took
the switch, an this threw the baggage
car across the main line, an the front
passenger dashed up OF it, an c'reened
over. Tevis pitched right out o. the
window under the wheels, an was used
up like you see him. He hasn'tspoken;
but | don't believe he's quite dead yet"
1.-The only one badly hurt" added
Cabell. ''There was Kitten Jones sit
ting right beside him, an not a hair Of
her head was touched"
''Shut up-his wife," growled an
other.
But Miranda neither shrickcd o
tainted. When the physician lad done
all that could DC done for y lyir-