Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-01-16

! thing. But | can't!"
You might if you chose" said Her
bert, boldly plunging into the subject
nearest his heart.
II shall like to know how said she
incredulously.
"You might be my wife," he spoke
out, "and if you would, oh Ethel. you
should wear woven pearls or rain bows,
if they were to be had!'
"Oh, but that's nonsense" declared
Ethel.
NO, it's not" said NIinton, upon
my soul and honor"
"Do you mean that you like me?" said
straightforward Ethel.
81 love you," declared Herbert.
SO they became engaged, and the
bellies of the Thousand Island House,
who wore the delicious Nile-greens"
and so-forth, looked enviously on and
wondered what was the charm of dark
serge dresses, hair fastened up by a
plain shell-comb, and great blue eyes
with long lashes.
! But before the fishing season on the
st. Lawrence was fairly over, Mr.. Min
ton came to his fair tiance with per.
turbed face.
Ethel" said he. II have bad news
for you.
{, 'Bad news?" She looked up earn
estly in his face. cit can't be very
bad, with you standing there alive and
we'll to tell it, dear Hubert. !"
J 81 have lost my fortune" said he,
hoarsely. "The old lawsuit told you
/ of, which has so long been pending, has
been decided against me. 1 am poor
man to-day, and I have come to give
you up the troth you plighted me, SO
brief while ago."
But ] won't take it," said Miss
/; Langdon, decidedly. Dear me, it
wasn't your money 1 fancied, Hubert
Minton, it was you'll"
"My own darling" said he with
i trimming eyes; but thank Heaven
I'm not positive pauper yet. I have
Is house to live in-not in any very in
viting locality to be sure-and 1 will
write essays and critiques for the maya
zines, and you shall paint pictures and
/ Aunt Miriam shall keep house for us!"
I; ga house, eh?" said Ethel gravely.
''That's great deal better than moth
:: ing. For aunty and know by sad ex-
perience how hard it is to pay rent.-or
! rather not to pay it. We were turned
out of house once, for being behind
with the rent.
"Impossible!" cried Nlinton, indig.
nantly.
/! Eyes, indeed" said Ethel, with
| the utmost solemnity. "It's too
true. It was before 1 found out
that I had any genius for drawing or
painting, and We were trying, vainly
enough, to live on Aunty's poor little
f! pension as soldiers widow. / don't
+: know that blame the landlord so
much. I suppose people like their
money when it's due"
"People needn't be savage!" said
! Herbert. Il should like the chance of
,siclSing chat landlord down stairs"
"lt was the agent" said Ethel, "a little
bandy-legged, snuffy fellow, with per.
retral cold in his head and eyes thu,
didn't look the same way. But l was
revenged on hini!" with peal Of
laughter.
"You? How?"
i "You won't tell anybody, will you?"
coaxed Ethel, because I was a silly,
ra,tle-brained girl, and 1 shouldn't
think of doing such ridiculous thing
now. I fastened an old tin tish-horn
IN the fue of the kitchen chimney and
hung yard OF two Of iron chain be.
hind the parlor CRATE, so that when.
ever there was light wind one heard
the most doleful squeaks aud groans
and sepulchral ratings! And told
old Granny Higgins, the colored
woman, who washed for us. an outra
geous story about ghosts that I hac
read in some old German book-anc
do you know. I've heard that the hous,
has never been rented since! Wasn'
it capital revenge on old Muggins?"
"Capital!" said Hubert. "Was tn,
agents name Abraham Muggins?"
"Exactly!" cried Ethel. How coult
you possibly guess?"
"And the house was situated in Hem
lock Place, No. 1872"
mo. 90 Hemlock Place, of course
was!" nodded the girl with wide epe,
ayes.
What q rare piece of luck" said HUI
, bert. IF it hadn't been for the ghos
that house would have been sold alon,
with the rest. But nobody considered
ghost to rank among the more desirable
modern improvements of the day, an,
SO it comes to pass that we have yet
! roof to cover us, my bonny Ethel"
"What!" cried Miss Ethel. WAS
was it your house, Hubert?'
Il confess to being the ruthless land
lord said be with laugh. "And Mug
gins was my agent. But upon my word
knew nothing Of the circumstances O
| the case"
But you oughtIto have known, Hu
, bert"
Il "Of course ought; and shall kno,
, better next time l own half a doze
blocks of houses"
Which won't be just at present, sal,
Ethel.
mo, I'm afraid not"
, The young couple living now in Nc
20 Hemlock Place, are very poor, YER
contented, and not at all annoyed b
the ghost, which has rested in peac
long ago.
A Storyof Congressman Rogers.
1t is related of John Rodgers. III
In aDSos (Nf,p <l,o% 1,a