Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-08-31
LOST in THE STORM.

L
When I was young / loved Marci
Ellwood and she loved me. 1t was
night in September when | told her Sc
We were coming home from a huskin,
at Deacon PeabOdy's. and it was ius
the kind of a night for ~love-making.
There was a moon almost full, ant
1t was as warm as summer almost
and the smell Of the dead leaves ano
ferns was very sweet when mingled
together.
/ told her my hopes in a very awk,
ward way-I think every man is awk.
ward when he really loves-but il
served my purpose, and Marcie let me
kiss her. and then when / urged her,
she promised to be my wife.
The wedding would not take place
for some time yet, but / wanted to be
in season with Marcie. While a fellow
is shilly-shallying and trying to make
up his mind, some other fellow with
more decision is liable to come along
and carry off the bird, you know.
l wa TO live at home with father
and mother, and have the farm after
they had done with il. 1t was q good
farm, as good as any in Grautham,
with considerable intervale and a large
patch of woodland.
had only IL fear. and that was
that mother and Marcie might not get
on we'll together. Mother was a very
thrifty, saving kind of "A m and a
little domineering, but n good soul,
nevertheless.
/ spoke of it to Marcie and she
laughed at me. She was not a bit
afraid but she could manage with my
mother, she said.
There was one thing hopeful. and
that was my mother liked Marcie, and
always spoke well of her. She had
braided a rug out of red and blue
rags, and worked the name Marcie, in
the center, with scarlet yarn, but she
did not know that any one knew it. 1
found it IN the garrett, one dav, while I
was setting the trap for mice. 1t was
urdor a pile of quilts, and l reckon
that mother intended it for a little
surprise present to my dear girl.
l haven't toldyou how Marcie looked
and don't know as | had best try. 1t
won't be easy to make you understand
how pretty she was. Her hair was
yellowish brown when the sun shone
on it, and it curled and crinkled all
over her head; and her eyes were blue,
and there was a color on her cheeks
just the shade of the blush on IA sweet
briar rose. She was a little thing-I
always liked little wonderland she
could stand under my arm, while /
guess by placing my two hands SO, l
could have spahned her waist.
The winter after she promised TO be
mine Iwent into the lodgings to work,
for | foolishly thought, as many au-
other lover has thought before me.
thai the more money had the happier
| could make Marcie.
When | came home in the spring I
had quite a little pile of money.
| went 10 see Marcie before | did
nv mother. Most girls are particular
and sensitive about these things, andI
did not want Marcie to think that
there was any one | wanted TO see so
much as | did her.
She met me kindly enough, but she
was changed. How | could not tell;
but | felt il distinctly enough. Mother
let it all out to me that night as we sat
together before the lire after the rest
had gone TO bed.
..It's that Deland fellow" she said.
''IIe's q low sort of a creature, and so
were his father and mother before
him. His father was enough 10
steal tho coins froma dead mans eyes;
and if I'd been n chicken, and had
known Jake Deland was anywhere
around. / should have roasted high.
Asa is just like him. only more so.
Since you've been goneh he has wormed
himself into the good graces OF Marcie
Ellwood, and there's been dreadful
carvings or. He has took her to
ride in his new red wagon. and he's
bought her pins, and ribbons, and
other gimcracks that turn silly girls
heads, and now she thinks he's every
thing!'
1t was just as mother had said. L
found it SO before / had been home n
week. Asa Deland had won MARCHES
heart from me. and there was the end
of it. / went and told her that | gave
her up, and l suppose | acted very
foolish some way, for Marcie looked
sad, and / am sure that she cried
when | kissed her and bid her good
bye.
Well, after that, of course l expect
ed Deland to marry her. But he did
no such thing. He went of early in
the summer, nobody knows where,
and by-and-by people began to say
hard things of Marcie. Young girls
avoided her, and old ladies were very
severe upon her; and if ever you have
noticed. these folks that is always the
readiest to condemn anybody is al
WAYS the ones that has been deepest
into the mire themselves.
was off to Jersey, working as q
farm-hand, and trying hard to drown
| my disappointment, all that summe
| an fall, and knew nothing of all this
| till afterwards. II l had | should have
| come home and married her in spite OF
everything if she would have had me.
In October her child was born-a
poor little sickly thing. that only lived
n week, and before it had been buried
Q fortnight its mother slept beside 1t.
I do not think that / am naturally
of a revengeful disposition. but did
| thirst for vengeance on Asa Deland.
| When l thought Of that poor. basely-
wronged girl in her grave, and saw
| her decrepit old father bowed down
with the disgrace. l longed TO have
my hand at Deland's throat, and my
q I.--