The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-02-27
A POSSIBLE LOSS.

I met her on the shores of the lake.
There were real tears in her eyes.
"Oh, Mr.. Vausittart, " she cried, "what
shall l do? My husbands out in q boat,
ever so far away, and the winds rising,
and the b0atman says that it's awfully
dangerous when there's a storm, and''-
i tilted my hat forward and scratched
my head.
II don't see what you can dc" said
compassionately. I had sat next her
three nights at table d'hote and liked
her~2xtremely.
Look at those treesl Oh, how it
blows! And see! Great wavesl''
"The wind is certainly getting up, " I
admitted, sitting down on a garden seat.
"Oh, Mr.. Vansittart, suppose he
should be drowned!"
Suppose hep / paused. The idea
was a new n to me. 1 turned it over
in my mind. well, suppose he should?"
/ said at last in an inquiring tone.
"And we've only been married q
yearl"
"Yes, yes" said I thoughtfully.
Your love is still fresh?"
"As fresh as the day when''-
Your romance has not worn off; the
day OF disillusion has not come. Your
husbands memory would be the sweet
est of consultations to you"
"But, Mr.. Vansit''-
There would be no alloy in your rec
objections. You are young, your life
would not be spoiled, but it would be.
as it were, hallowed by sweet and not
too poignant regrets. In the course of
time the violence of grief would wear
off,"
She sat down on the bench beside me
and dug the end of her parasol into the
path.
"You would feel, / pursued, that,
sacred as these memories were, precious
as they were, you would not be iusti-
fed in giving your whole life to them.
And at last it may be that another
would come who''-
"Oh, / can hardly imagine that, Mr..
Vansittart.
"Try," said | e~ncouragingIy. Zone
who, though not perhaps the equal in
all respects OF him you had lost, could
yet shelter you from the world
Il should want some one, shouldn't
I?''
And give You an honest, enduring,
unwavering affection"
1T wouldn't be the same thing
said she. ..
Depend upon it, " Returned earnest
~ 1T would be in some ways better,
for he-your second husband-might
we'll be n who could appreciate the
depths OF your nature, who would be
serious when you were
Instead Of always making jokes:
Ye-es, Mr.. Vansittart."
Serious and yet able to enter into
your lighter moods, always good tenn.
pered''-
He would be a wonderful husband,
thenl"
"Generous-nay, lavish-in giving
You whatever
Fancy" b.,
"You wished for, unsparing in his
efforts to please YOU
What, after marriage?"
Devoted absolutely to Won. Whr
it's q lovely picture"
yes, 1t does sound nice" she con
oeded. digging with the parasol.
Could not such a one, " I continued.
leaning toward her, ''by his afrectionate
and constant efforts, in the course o.
time heal the wound caused by your
cruel calamity"
II don't know. Yes-I ppos 60
well, perhaps in time, Mr.. VansittaTt.
he might"
He would" said 1 positively. az
a imagine myself
Il beg your4pardon, Mr.. vansittart:',
say, ! can imagine myself making
IT the work. he whole preoccupation.
the worthy task, OF my life thus 10 "a.
store happiness TO one from whom il
seemed to have departed forever"
1T would be a splendid thing for a
man to do, wouldn't it,"
There was d pause. Then she said:
But, MIR. Vansittart, would Won.
who are SO young and so-and ~o-and
SOL mean, who are so young, be con.
tent with q heart that has spent it's FIRST
love On another. In which the freshness
OF yuuthfuI'
sometimes think. I interrupted.
In low but urgent tones, that affection
Of that kind II nobler, higher, better
than the rash inapulsiveness OF an igno-
rant girl. It would be . sympathetic
communion Of minds, Of souls, Mrs..
1aWxenca. "a
YsA I Zee. Yes. ii wouid. Mr.. van
Hzttark
NY sympathy for yoay pursued,