Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-02-17

long ago? Can you say to me, Ar
thur, that this sudden remuneration
has not been the result, wholly, Of
you recently-acquired inheritance?
Would you have taken this step if you
were to-day poor instead Of rich ?"
"You could not use such words to me
if you loved me-" said Arthur.
"Perhaps do not" replied Kate.
"You know have often said had my
doubts, for you never appeared real to
me. At our last meeting I told you
that you never seemed to be your real
self. Was I not correct?"
And so they parted, still engaged,
but with VOWS so nearly broken that
they hung together by but thread.
Dana's life for several months follow
ing was scandal to the quiet little vii
lage, and he soon acquired the name of
the "apostate" and the "dissolute' par
son. His uncle's old-fashioned mansion
was the scene of many carousal
which shocked the good people of
Grove City. Mr.. Worthington was
with him the greater part of the time,
and the Tredennis home was filled
with visitors from Columbus. At the
end of six months it was pretty we'll
known throughout the neighborhood,
that "the apostate parson" had gam
bled away the greater part ofhis fortune.
One night he and Worthington sat at
the card table until morning, and when
he arose Dana had lost the last dollar
OF his Inheritance. The winner went to
bed and the loser saddled his horse for
ride. He rode away, up the turnpike
toward the city, and that was the last
that was ever seen in the village Of
Arthur Dana, the wicked parson.
About mile from the village the
road passed through dense forest. and
as Dana approached this place he saw,
coming to meet him, man who was
his exact counterpart in every respect
save clothing. AS the two men ap-
preached each other, each was struck
with the resemblance the other bore to
him, and in mutual establishment they
stopped.
eve look enough alike to be twin
brothers" said the stranger, "and I
would like to know who you are. AS
for myself, my name is Arthur Treden-
MIS-"
arthur Tredennis," Dana repeated.
II think I was once acquainted with
your father. If you are not in great
hurry, suppose we stop in the woods
awhile, where we will be free from in.
terruption. have something to say to
you"
The two then alighted, and, leading
their horses, entered the woods.
Three hours afterward one of the
men returned, mounted his horse, and
rode towar,l the city. Arriving there,
he stopped at a small town in the SUI
burbs and put up for the night. In
the morning he paid mis- bill, called fo1
his horse, and took the road towards
London, town about twenty miles dis
tant.
During that day the little village OF
Grove City was in fever of excite.
ment. When MIR. Worthington awoke
in the middle Of the afternoon, the day
before, he was surprised not to fine
Dana, but gave his absence nc
second thought. But when he did MOI
appear the next morning, quick to sus
pect foul play after his recent heav,
winnings, Worthington caused searcl
to be instituted. BY noon it was ev
ident that something had happened tt
the dissolute preacher. BY nigh
every one knew that Mr.. Worthingtor
had, within the last week, won from
him, not only his money, but the en-
tire property which he had inherited
from his uncle, John Trelennis. Ane
as such debt-of honor-was not col
lectable by law, Mr.. Worthington wa
probably worried over the parson'
mysterious disappearance. The gooi
people of the village did not care mucl
about what had become of their wicked
minister, nor whether Worthington go
his property or not, but how the Who'll
matter would end was theme til,
equal to which, for gossip, was not to b.
expected in lifetime.
\ While the whole village was in al
uproar, who should come calmly ridin!
up to the tavern, but Arthur Dan
himself. Now the inn-keeper La,
sat under the Rev. Arthur
n1inistrations while the latter was dis
pensing the Gospel, and had ministere1
unto him many times thereafter, whe,
the services of a publican were require,
at the mansion, SO if any one shout,
know the ex-reyerend gentleman, h
should. But when addressed by name
the wicked parson stared at the inn
keeper in establishment, and replied tina
} his name was not Dana, but Tredennis
that he was not minister but the Sol
} of the late John Tredennis, and tina
} he had just arrived in the village TO
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