Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-03-14

secluded nook. Aeep 'helr
: hate TO see you go home unattended
'nfotgh the storm, but your father bas
an intense dislike for me. r .m aa..
Miss Maude has turned against mo-. ~
used to be sweet enough to me, Int :
always preferred your blue eyes to her
bold black ones. Is your friend in
cllned to be jealous ?" asked Mr.. Iath,os,
with a shrug and a grimace that int,
mated much that he did not saw.
oh, no! Maude is too noble fo,
that%' said Celeste, eagerly.
Perhaps" replied Walter. with an
o1her shrug. But remember, Celeste.
we must be married tomorrow NIGHT
Your father will not cast off his smitber.
less BARN for marrying the man she
loVes' whose only crime was poverty.
Tomorrow night at eight come here. do
not tell any one, and beware of Miss
Maude Leigh"
celeste ran home, stumbling at the
threshold over her father.
"Oh, papa, 1 did not know"
You did not know what, daughter?
sand Mr.. LIE Clere, eying her keenly.
Celeste, the carriage is at your serv-
Ice; use it hereafter; do not walk in sucb
a snow Storm"
Celeste ran to her room and bathed
IN ice water the crimson cheeks. Int
flame they would.
How can [ meet papa's eye? But
he does not understand Walter as 7 do
my handsome %lover!!" said she, as she
kissed the picture before putting it in
the cabinet.
The next morning a servant brought
her a message from Mrs. Walton; she
asked to see her on urgent business, be.
ing too ill to come to her work.
Celeste ordered the carriage and
drove to the mean, dirty street Mrs.
Walton called home. Bidding the
driver wait. she toiled up the broken
stairs leading to her room.
Mrs. Walton lay upon a couch of
faded damask. Two children. with
beautiful eyes and hair, hung over her
caressingly.
L sent for you, Miss LeClere, to save
you from much sorrow; I know 1 shall
pain you by my story, but you must
know. / heard what Miss Leigh said
to you about Mr.. Lathrop. 1
wanted to speak then and there, but
did not dare. I am the deserted wife,
but not divorced one, of Walter La
throp; these are his children; here is
the marriage certificate; yonder is his
Photograph and the weak, wronged
wife burst into tears.
Celeste went to look at the picture.
Yes, it was the same, only younger and
handsomer, and inscribed: "To my
dear wife, Lulu Walton"
"Yes," said Mrs. Walton, as 0 as
she could speak, walton is his rea
name. We were playmates in youth.
He married me when 1 was a happy
girl, and was aver kind until papa lost
his money. His love seemed to wane
then; when papa died he left me poor
and alone. Only last week did L
learn where he was. Do not despise
me; but I could not rest until I knew
the truth, and l fear my days are num-
bered here"
Celeste stood white and trembling.
"Despise you? No, I bless you, and
you shall never want while I live!"
She left the poor abode and drove
home.
CA fine bonfire these will make"
said the angry little lady, as she
threw into the CRATE the cream tinted
love notes, photograph Of Mr.. Lathrop,
alias Walton, also the withered flowers
Of numerous bouquets. "And now
papa must never know how near I came
to bringing reproach upon his name. \
doubly dutiful daughter / mean to be
after this"
Walter Lathrop sat and waited hours
for his bride. At last he dismissed the
coachman and clergyman, and feeling
that he could remain in the city no
longer, shook the dust of the place from
his feet. leaving numerous tailors to
mourn his departure.
He wonders what happened. eff
Maude Leigh interfered; or could it be
that the girl was deep enough to pur-
posely mislead him." And he gnaws
his handsome mustache savagely,
and wishs'he could know the truth.
Celeste is as happy as the day is long,
and tenderly cares for her friend Lulu
Walton and the little daughter OF the
heartless father who left them in their
helplessness and poverty to the tender
mercies of a pitiless world.
Celeste dreams no more of handsome,
dark eyed, stately lovers whom she
knows nothing about, but there is q
stalwart, hazel eyed young man who
has loved her from the time she pulled