Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-01-03
He drags i,er again to the edge OF the

l Tic uEIyS ucl ~ IA'S
c]itfNthe Lovers Leap--and presses q
fierce kiss npon her lips
| A wild Shrek bursts from Laura.
.sOh, Ben, have mercy"
'tGood-by, my lass" he says hoarse-
ly. Well die together!"
And, pressing her face against his
breast, he springs over the Cliff down.
! down to the stream below.
| Godfrey Duston hears that fearful
cry, ansl, looking up, sees the dark
figures as they plunge downward.
With two strokes Of the paddle his
canoe is near to where they went
down.
He knows now that he loves this girl
who has been so innocently happy with
him-loves her with the tYoest sweetest
love Of his lie.
At last Largra's duslzy head appears
above the waves.
Her great startled eyes meet the
white face of &er lover as he bends
toward her, anet directly he lifts her
into the canoe beside him.
She is trembling in every lirmb; but
he keeps his arns about her and watches
for Hertser.
| He does not conae up.
When they find his body later on
down the stream, they see a ragged cut
across the temple, where he must nave:
struck on the rocks at the foot of the
cliff, else that savage clasp about
Laura's form would never have been
Iloosened and she mast have persisted
also.
Duston takes her home to her father,
and receives hishuslly thanks in silence,
then goes away to his tent.
He wishes to. be alone for a little
10 think.
But he comes back to the little.
brown cabin in the afternoon and goes
straight to old Abel Cheney.
i "Do. YOU think that you could spare
Laura so me, Mr.. Cheney?' he asks.
\ The old man looks at him sharply
from under his shaggy brows.
"NNhat d'y mean. young man?"
\ srhat I love her.. and want her fo1
my wife"
Abel Cheney looks thorough aristo-
crat.
Laura don't know nothing about
lvour fine world Mr.. Duston. She's
just little wild fawn-pHetty enough
in the woods, but not fit to be shut up
in a Grand house.
May ask her?n insists the young
man.
oval, I low 1 can't prevent it" an.
swers old Abel, dryly..
So Duston strides away to the woods
and finds Laura walking idly to ano
! fro.
She looks at him with shy, startled
eyes, very like the wild fawn which the
f old man has called her.
Duston takes her hands in his.
'Laura dear. used to think my
self pretty good sort of a fellow un
til knew you; but now, knowing how
:. pure, and sweet, and innocent you
life has been, feel that aan not hal
r good enough for you.
'Yet love you, and want you TO
my wife. / loved another woman
once, Laura, but she deceived me, an
i 1 grew to believe all women like he
$ until l came here, and. now, dear,
i love you better than [ ever loved hel
Will you have me, Laura.
j He is smiling now, lat his face i
j. very pale as he holds out two stron
h white hands to her.
!, Laura thinks she must be in a dream
she can frame no words for her az
, swer.
Timidly she places her hands in his
wishing that they did not look quite 8
e brown.
She is seized with a sudden, will
: longing to be perfect for the sake of he
d princely lover.
j. When Godfrey Duston brings hi
brown-faced wife home with him Their
# is a fine excitement.
!: But she is SO pretty, SO original, ane
q withal takes so readily to her huS
o bands mode of living that she is 500
s very popular.
Old Abel Cheney never visits b
II daughters elegant home.
n He says he would miss the trees an
Il water, and that he is too old to lear
/, new ways.
n But Laura often visits him.
Q He has q housekeeper, and the lit
brown cabin has many Injuries whio
If it never knew before. Family Sto1
|