The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-10-25
A SPINSTER.

She became a spinster % years ago.
Thus fate decreed it.
Young men had become afflicted with
a passion for Caroline-wartime gal
lants, three decades back. But before
their mouths had caught courage from
their eyes or their arms had acted out
the convictions of their s~ilences, they had
received her unspoken mo" Her proud
bearing was part of natures gift, and II
in part it was a screen for her timidity,
the mask was too deceptive, had Caro-
line but known it. Her lovers fell away
one by one, from a fortress that only
seemed invulnerable.
When shis troop IL towards had yield
ed, there had stepped forward a man OF
courage, of broad mental compass.
Though young, he had served his u
try-not alone passively, but actively,
= in battle, a private at first. He had
fought bravely, and when graduated
from the school of war had an ugly scar
on his left arm to show for it. He was
almost ashamed of it-so slight. The
same bullet had killed a comrade near
by. He had ambitions noble, strong. He
had a will of iron, energies unfaltering.
He possessed, besides a fine physique, the
sufficient physical backing to uphold
him in his exploits. He was persistent
in love as in elbowing his way forward
among his fellowmen. He loved Caro-
line.
She had often analysed her feelings
toward him. She knew his love was
honest. She approved his perseverance,
and yet, when he demanded an answer,
she had said mo" Later she had re-
peated it-"No." Still he was obstinate.
Then had come that farewell moment
when he was about departing for broader
fields to give his ambitions play.
ANSWER me-! Answer me finally!' he
had demanded.
AT that critical moment she had adj
mired his manner. He had given no in
dication of a lack of hope. She had hes
itated an instant. A denser film had
overspread her eyes. And then, con
trolling her nerves, she had answered:
Forever, Mr.. Hadon, nor
Her eyes had looked into his an in
slant, and then upon the ground. The
agony that they suffered on the porch
there together had been of brief mo.
ment.
81 go now" be had said, and left her.
She had never called him by his given
name, but, as he passed through the
gateway these words had almost es
capped her:
Il do love you, John! Come backr
The words were never spoken. That was
the instant in which Caroline became q
spinster.
When she reflected upon what she had
done, she was half regretful. After all
that which had deferred her from &C
cepting him was only a within of hel
own. He was handsome? Yes. He wa.
manly. Without a doubt? He possess
ed for her a certain fascination, but
with a leap. that to the whole world ex
cept herself was u~naccountable, he
thoughts went back to the ugly nurs,
she had had in her infancy. She shud
dered as she beheld then, as clearly as q
years previous, the aged bag lowering a
her, ogling her through those wary spec
tacles. How she had wondered if sh'
appeared distorted in the distorted eye
of Hannah!
But those were tiny cares, childisl
compared to the worries of the presen
moment to which her mind returned
Undoubtedly another man would Low
her exactly like him, except-Carolin
had rested her elbows upon her knees
her face in her hands and was weeping
Her reverie had presently taken a NOR
practical turn. How could she tell he
Fatta~ an1 ~nn@har +ha% ho hal nnna arop
forever; that neither they nor she shout
see him again? She dared not give til
real reason, the paltry objection tia
had offset his words Of manliness.
Ten years ago Caroline found a whit
hair in the midst of that cascade
black, She drew it over in front of b.
face, looked-upward at it with a sligl
cast of the eyes and petulantly pulled
out. She was not old. Forty is not oil
The following day she discovered a
other. 1t had root near the right tempt
Yesterdays gray hair had been upon Il
left. Ii she must grow old q virgil
Providence at least intended that s
should grow old symlSetrically, In pc
feet form till the esy3f Then, as q
swept the long wisps n B black around
front Of her, SHE discerhed auother. I'll
nettled her. She carefully separated
from the wealth Of surrounding bla
and fingered it to its source at the TOP
just at the very top Of her well shap
head. She pulled it out, exclaiming
she did so, Weeds"
But she was now growing old. s
would not have minded these tokens b
they been ~seasonable gifts from Fatt
finae. But 40 Is not old.
The following day Caroline pennef
letter To q distant apothecary.
Il have q friend whose hair is beco
ing gray" she wrote. PLEASE send n
the pen tilted a moment. She '
writing for what in her younger d
she bad called that horrid STUFF A
yet 1t wal only . dye, and for a frie
She finished the epistle and posted