Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-02-15

s.ons 'hat We're SO cruel, though probably
eo aosurd. 1t would cost but little, he
.teasoned, and though foolish it was wiser
t tnsai 70 continue to be torn by doubts. So
b beieie gong to bed he gave the operator a
90 ". fa ,a.e message, for morning delivery,
10 Manning, Morgan d Co., Chicago, ILL.,:
Gilaey. ' VI oauentef SICK? = AnMsw never, care
He felt easier having done 't this, and
passed better night than the previous
one although there was in all his sleeping
and waking thoughts an under current Of
so !19., over impending danger to Mary.
With an attempt not to be anxious. vet
terribly apprehensive at heart, he tore
open the telegram that reached him about
8 o'clock:
10 o G; Morgan, care Gilsey g. Co.. Decatur:
Come homo first train. MANN1SG
Good God, what was this! Were his
ti,orebodings indeed true? If SO he was all
the more totally unprepared for the truth.
His constant comfort had been that his
fears had not the slightest foundation to
rest upon, and the more they crowded
upon him the surer he had been that thew
were t1imsier than dreams. But here
staring him in the face were those four
ominous words:
Come home first train"
Why had they not given him the whole
story? He started for the telegraph Office
to send for further particulars, but stopped.
suppose Mary was dead! Did he want to
learn it here, SO for from his wife? No;
he would wait. Such story would un-
fold soon enough. There were several
hours before train went his way; the
discipline OF twenty years asserted itself,
and he attended to his business.
The ride home was one TINT can be un
OerEtOOd in ifs 6opfhc on1v b,,& boco ,,,1,,
have been similarly circumstanced. The
train seemed to creep. The minutes were
like hours. The stops seemed to be in
terminable, and every mile nearer home
seemed to be proportionately longer than
the previous one. He reached the city at
dark. The store was closed. He had ex-
pected to find Manning there, but he sud
denly remembered that he had not tele.
graphed to him the time of his arrival.
AS he neared his home the first glance
showed him there was change The
lower part of the house was in darkness,
and only dim light shone in the front
chamber, which was but rarely occupied.
They have laid her there, he said to
himself, and all his soul cried within him
in anguish. His poor wife! How she
must have suffered, to have gone through
all this alone! What brute he was to
go away Monday, when he ought to have
known, and did know, that something
dreadful was upon them! He reached the
door; it was fastened; he would go to the
other side and enter quietly. But some
one heard his step, and, opening the door,
called him back.
rs it Mr.. Morgan?" The voice was that
of neighbor.
"Yes." He passed in, expecting to see
or hear his wife. The friend closed the
door and turned to him.
Have you heard" she began.
Il have heard nothing; is Mary" he
broke down. The door beside him opened.
Give him air! What mystery was this?
MARY is it you? Are you alive? Why,
thought Feared Oh, darling, is
it you?"
Yes, it was Mary. Oh, thank God!
Thank God
Tell me again, dear, are you well?"
"Oh, yes, papa, but poor mammal"
Mamma! What of her? Is she sick?
What is it? Tell me quick!" And again
he was pushed from the heaven of happi-
ness to the bottomless pit of doubt. lis
mamma sick? Where is she?"
"oh, papa, the doctor says she is going
Hush" said the neighbor. "step in
side, sir; the doctor is with her now; he
will soon be down. Prepare yourself, Mr..
Morgan; your wife is very low. The SER
wants carelessness caused an explosion
in the kitchen, setting herself ON fire; your
wife ran to her assistance and saved her
life, but, fear, at the expense of her
own"
II must see her."
mo, sir, not now; be guided by me for
He took Mary in his arms and they
wept together. Oh, if his wife, his dar-
ling wife, were to be taken from him! It
was the cruelest blow God ever struck!
And she saving another's life, too! He
cursed and raved, but it was in his own
heart; and Mary, crying on his breast, only
knew what comfort it was to have papa
once more with her.
The physician came down with manner
so grave that it told it's own story. There
is scarcely chance" be said; you can
go to her; she will not know you. I"
When did this happen?"-
Monday evening.
Have you consulted others? Can
nothing more be done?"
Nothing except to help her to die easy"
But she did not die. She knew her
uuoUduu. Ito UeSReu ue4 W 1ANo, 40 oniJ
a man can plead whose soul is bound up
in woman's life, and whether love, or
whether medicine, or whether care saved
her, do not know. But she lived. But
Morgan informed Manning that his travel
ing days were over; that q new man must
be engaged for that route. They found
him, after diligept search, and much to
the surprise of everyone connected with
the house, he sold more goods for the
firm than Morgan had ever done: The
one who rejoices most at this is Morgan,
who says he has made his last trip.-From
"A Man of Samples, +" By Wan. II. Maher.
=--------
Movement Of Shot When Fired.
If a man could only stand thirty or
forty yards away from the muzzle OF
the gun and watch the charges of shot
fly past him, he would be astonished at
what he saw. The shot not only