Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-07-27

/ l.
Issue The waters. Both knew who
,ney We're, for few minutes before thew
naa seen Ned Tremaine place that pale
pi'ih scarf about the shoulders of Miss
Laura Lovel as he led her across the
terrace too much engrossed in his task
II would seem, to notice Mol]ie or bsr
companion. ~
oh, everybody firts more or less at.
seaside hotel; one has nothing else to
90, you KNOW Mollie answered Lee
with a little ripple of laughter. and he
looked on the pretty face to which the
moonlight was so tender, his voice
SINKING almost to a whisper as he spoke
to her. l0'NN
lit is a cowardly pastime for a man."
ne SAID softly, land for woman it is a
cruel one."
Again she laughed, while arranging
the bracelet on her arm; a touch of
mockery was in the ripping voice.
And you-is it pleasant to know that
you are cruel and cowardly?" she ques-
TONED. "One is tempted to become
personal when such remarks come from
one who is said to count his conquests
with cruel pride, and to whom the
world gives no higher aim than to fas-
clnate-and remain careless. Am I too
plain? Forgive me-"
Il forgive you freely-as I would for
give you all things, Miss Ames; bu
neither you nor the world fully under
stand me. I may seem a triAer; but
We're the woman I love to love me in re-
turn no smile would be to me so sweet
as hers, no presence half so dear"
Mollie had been watching the couple
on the sands going slowly back and
forth, back and forth in the moonlight;
now she lifted her sweet young face and
looked at him with sort of wondering
pity.
"Do we all wrong you, then?" she
asked, gently. "Have you failed in
your wooing? Can you not win where
you love?"
His face flushed little at her words,
and she, watching it, was struck by its
strength and beauty. How did it chance
that she had never noticed it before?
II am not left the chance to WOO r
win her." he said, slowly; "she is
another's promised wife"
"Ah," she said, pityingly; and she
gave him her hand in sweet, womanly
sympathy, never for an instant connect
ing his words with herself. He lifted
the small hand reverently to his lips,
and drawing it through his arm turned
towards the beach. As he did so he
found himself facing Ned Tremaine and
Laura Lovel, who were coming in from
the moonlight, and he noticed that the
young mans face was quite white,
while there was half scornful smile on
the lips of the fair belle of the seaside.
But the two couples passed each other
in silence, the one going down to the
stretch of the glittering sand, the other
|
A week later, and Mollie had lust
come in from long hour, peaceful and
calm, spent with Lee in quiet nook
among the rocks that overhung the
ocean. He had been reading to hel
there some of the sweetest poems given
to the world b MUS. Her heart had
filled as he read, and new, strange
feelings had stirred it, When he closed
the book he had looked up and found
her eyes filled with tears. And now in
her own room she was asking herself
how it was that what she had COM
menced but for the purpose of annoying
Ned had in one brief week slain all hel
old resentment against Miss Loyel, and
made her thoughts turn constantly,
not to Ned Tremaine, who
was her affianced husband, but
to Lee Stone, who was termed
the greatest firt at the beach. What
was changing in her life? When she
now met Ned and Laura, it did not pain
her as IL lSGu 10. w DIS IL DcChtoei i1iI11St-
somer face, stronger and a nobler face
than Ned's was constantly near,
ready to turn to her with devotion,
ready to light if she smiled?
A servant broke her ponderings by
bringing two messages-one, bouquet
of white flowers, with few feathery
sprays of fern among their whiteness
and one crimson rose cleaning red from
their center, and in it was q note from
Lee, asking her to go for a drive with
him by moonlight; the other was few
angry lines from Ned, asking if she re-
membered that she was betrothed tc
him, while she allowed every gossip at
the hotel to chatter of her Irritation
with Lee Stone.
Il have been patient, waiting an OPP.
portunity Of speaking to you," he wrote,
"but YOU will not give me one; SO
write to ask you if you wish our engage
ment broken; to all it would seem so. >
Il l. 4 Il