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

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THRASHING WELL PLACED
Old Dave Huntlcy would have starved
to death had it not been for his daugh-
ter Lena.
When he fell from the scaffolding he
hurt his back so that he was not able to
walk, and of course could not work at
his trade.
He was a painter, and very good
one-the best in Stockton.
He had not been there very long, but
he had saved some money and had
bought his house There was mort
gage on it, owing to Henry Greenfield,
one of the leading lawyers in the place,
and also one OF the most fashionable
men there.
When David was hurt his daughter
Lena left the normal school at once and
set to work to earn her fathers living
as we'll as her own
She managed to get some pupils,
young children, also some sewing,
which helped out, although the ex-
penses seemed to eat up her earnings
faster than they csme in.
And the worst of it all was that Jack
Bolton was away.
Jack was Lena's lover, and they were
engaged to be married, but Jack had
gone away to look for fortune in the
mines
1t is rather pretty story, the meet
ing between these two.
Stockton is sometimes flooded in the
spring, and the year before the water
rose so high it washed away several
houses, and among them was that in
which Lena was living.
Jack Bolton had just come to the
city, and he joined the rescuing parties
at once. They had been working hard
all day, and toward evening he went
into his room to go to bed Looking
out Of the window he saw, far down the
river, something white waving in the
all.
Jack was so tired that he turned away
and threw himself down on the bed;
but he could not sleep, thinking of that
signal.
At last he got up, got boat, and
rowed down the river toward the cot
tonwood trees, where after half an
hours rearch he found one with girl
perched in the branches.
She was almost insensible from cold
and exposure, but Jack got her down
and brought her back to town.
She told him the house had stuck in
the mud, next to the cottonwood, and
that she had got out just in time, for
soon afterward a fresh wave had turned
the house over and it had gone down.
OF course after this Jack saw great
deal Of Lena, and it wasn't long before
the two were engaged.
Now, Lena Huntley was the prettiest
girl in the town. That every one agreed
to.
II occurred to Mr.. Henry Greenfield
Chat such girl was far too handsome to
be Jack Bottoms wife, and when old
David hurt himself Mr.. Greenfield
though his chance had come.
!. For time he was very kind; but
when Lena told him that she cared for
Jack Bottoms little finger more than she
did for the lawyers whole body, with
the money thrown in, Mr.. Greenfield
left, yowing vengeance.
He made up his mind that he would
break her spirit down, feeling sure that
if he succeeded she would yield
The first trouble came over the mort
gage, which could not be paid. He
forced the sale Of the house, and Lena
and her father had to look for lodgings.
Then suddenly everyone who knew
Lena was astounded at hearing she had
been arrested and charged with theft.
The story told by Mr.. Greenfield was
that she had rome to his Office to re-
ceive small balance of $40 or SIS due
her father on the sale of tho house. He
had left her in his private Office, while
on his desk was some $500 which had
just been paid in. He came back, paid
her the money due, and she left. When
he came to count the money on the desk
there was $50 missing No one had been
in the room but her, and he had the
numbers of the bills.
He got a search warrant and went to
the rooms where the Huntleys were liv-
ing, and the policeman found the bills
in the drawer of Lena's bureau