Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-04-06


been in Australia. Lately he returned,
and to-day met him down at the Cliff
House, he is boarding there for few
weeks while making some studies along
the shore"
For tho second time, that evening,
the delicate color flushed over the girls
face, and her uncle went away deeply
puzzled at such an unusual circum-
stance Helen stood for moment
where he had left her and then walked
across the room and looked at her i'm
age in the long mirror.
"Penelope's WEBB" she said, softly;
II wonder if she kept her beauty all
those twenty years Of waiting! Five
years are not so long, and yet-and yet
Il wonder if my web will ever be done.
Am 1 giving up my life to fancy ?
How aunt would cut me if she knew!
Five years for fancy" Then, as she
turned to leave the room, eff five years,
then it will be life"
That night Judge NIammon gave a
ball Helen had just been dancing
with one OF her twenty suitors and at
her request had been led back to her
aunt's chair Mr.. Alison was just pre-
senting friend to his sister, and then,
turning suddenly, John Warrington
looked into the face.hc had been dream
ing Of for years.
"Mr. Warrington and hardly need
an introduction, said Helen gracefully.
extending her hand as she spoke.
Again Mr.. Alison was nonplussed, and
his faint suspicion vanished. How was
he to know that every nerve in the
girls body was tingGng, and that it re-
CURED all the effort she could exert, in
spite of her years of training in cold
ness, to make the greeting calmly.
! Could it be that five long years had
passed since she had gaZed into those
earnest eyes, or heard the quiet voice
saving, precisely as so often long ago,
care you happy tonight, Miss Win
ters?" Why had he chosen these
words for his greeting? she found her.
self asking over and over. And as she
stood silent for moment, dimly con-
scious that her aunt was making one OF
her quaint speeches to the old friend,
and that Lord Richland was at her side
claiming her hand for the next waltz, a
scene flashed before her eyes which
| <o ;oJ how 1,on1- To obil1b0oI
| There was quiet stretch of beach
and the ocean rolling up at her feet; in
the background tumbled-down house
her home-and she, herself, bare.
footed girl, playing with sand and
waves, happy as the day was long. An
artist, who constituted her world ont
side her home, sketching sea and land.
She stopped to wonder if he remem.
hered certain picture he
} drew once OF a little girl
standing upon the shore and
looking out over the sea. He had
given it to her. and she had preserved
it all these years.
The memory OF happy days upon the
sunny beach suddenly gave way t.
another. A room in the tumbled
down house. and in it {
little girl tossing restlessly upon
bed and moaning in delirious fever,
The village doctor standing helplessly
/, by; her poor old father crying quietly
. to himself. The artist enters the room
and kneels by her bed. She seems a
once to realize his presence. He takes
her hand and speaks to her, lowly bu
{ earnestly. His voice recalls her from
| her wandering, as it had called her tt
: him so many times before when wander
, ing upon the beach. Tonight tn,
, music of the dream-waltz they wer.
: playing seemed fitting accompaniment
4 to those words which were still ringing
. in her ears-"Do not worry any more
> Helen; rest and be happy" In ali he
| life afterward she had never one,
3 thought of the words as being strange
, "Happy!" That seemed to be tn,
> burden of his wishes for her, and she
L GU CuiAus VOC GU t1l0 SdAls duO ICSGcO
: happy, because he was with her.
/ And now she was woman, and
thanks to an uncle she had never seen
the belle of the season. All the bell,
) of the season, thinking her wealth
would be we'll spent could she but bring
l back that happy life!
) 1t was only for moment. Then sh,
r spoke to Warrington.
"Have you finished your picture q
she asked.
| He smiled, as if it were the most com
monplace remark, instead of one brid g
, ing over gulf of five years.
GLOW quickly you go back to our ole
t life, as if we had parted but yesterday
No, have not finished it. As yor
! know, went to Australia soon after
saw you last, and there did not use
1 my brush much. Besides I could no
finish the picture" and he broke off alb