Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-08-16

of them, but admitted she had come
home for minute after leaving Mr..
Greenfield before going to one of the
houses where she taught.
The poor girl, crimson with shame at
the disgrace, was taken to the police
court and held for trial.
If it had not been for Mr.. Castle
one of the gentlemen who employed her
to teach his children-she would have
gone to Jail.
Mr.. Castle went on her bond, secured
q lawyer to defend her, and did what he
could for her. But with this accusation
hanging over her head Lena almost
broke down.
She wrote to Jack that their engage
ment was at an end, for she determined
she would not disgrace him. But the
day after her letter went one came from
him saying that he was going up to
Idaho prospecting.
The landlady of the house in which
the Huntleys lived was fat, bad-tem-
pered old woman, whom no one cared
for.
The one thing she loved was money.
One day Lena went into her room and
found Mrs. Brown in high fever.
She got her sewing and sat by her,
and, when the doctor came, took him in.
He prescribed and went away.
Lena nursed the patient. dividing her
time between her father and Mrs.
Brown, and working away at her sewing
in every spare minute.
The woman was cross and very exact
ing, but Lena went on with the nursing
uncomplainingly and did her best.
1t was no use. Mrs. Brown got worse
and worse, and finally the doctor said
that she must die.
Lena broke the news to her gently
and tenderly, and then had an awful
time, for Mrs. Brown was terribly
frightened
At last she wanted to see clergy
man, and when one came she told him
q story, and when he heard it Mr. Eos
ter sent for magistrate and got the dy-
ing woman to tell it once more It was
properly signed and witnessed, and not
long afterward Mrs. Brown died.
1t was while Lena was out of the
room, when the story was being written
down, that young man rang the bell
and asked to see her.
She came downstairs, and when she
stepped into the hall the first thing she
knew Jack had her in his arms and had
kissed her again and again.
For moment she lay still, it was so
sweet to feel that some one who loved
her was with her once more. Then,
drawing back, she asked him to come
with her, and led the way to the little
sitting-room upstairs.
Here, standing against the wall, with
her cheeks flaming red with shame,
Lena told bewildered Jack that she
would not and could not marry him
that she was disgraced and would have
to stand her trial as thief.
Jack protested that he did not believe
the story-that it was foul leland
that he would marry her if she had
stolen the Bank of California.
In the midst Of this-she crying and
begging him to go away, and he swear
ing he would not until she consented to
be his wife-Mr. Foster opened the
the door, and with Mrs. Browns con-
fession in his hands sprung over to
Lena and shook hands.
Then he told them, in few hurried
words, what Mrs. Brown had sworn to,
and Lena, for the first and only time in
her life, fell to the floor in faint.
Mrs. Browns story can be told in a
sentence. Mr.. Greenfield had paid he,
800 to put the money where it was
found in Lena's bureau. The confes.
sion was complete in every respect.
When Lena came to herself she did
not repulse Jack any more. She went
to her fathers room and told him, and
then went down to take her place once
more with the dying woman.
Jack, with curiously white face, went
out into the street, and walking along
till he came to saddler's shop, went in
and bought the heaviest cowhide whip
in the place. The strips of rawhide
had great edges that stood up as hard
as 'front.' was heavy in the hand and ii
bent from tip to butt with an even
spring.
Jack asked for piece of stout cord,
with which he carefully wound the han.
die. Then, with the same curiously
white face, he walked to the bank build.
ing, went up one fight of stairs, turned
into Mr.. Greenfeld's office, passed into
the private Office, closed the door be.
hind him, and locked it.
Mr.. Greenfield sprung to his feet,
and, with very pale face and CULVER
ing mouth, asked what his visitor
wanted