Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-10-01
was it to a poor. weak,

great, Wlll Wis IL " i
tender girl! ,.
t~.,rmerly when May walked through
annadale, every cap was raiseu "
her: many eyes sparRied Ut nel az.
nroacb. the men left their work 10
sneak. If only hut n single woru, Win
her: the women gathered ronhu NJ.
So it had been yesterday VOW,
faces were turned from hef' spltelui
tongues whispered cruel sianders,
often loud enough for her TO ~oVerheir,
mothers cautioned thir daughters no.
To mix with her; fathers cautiohcu
their sons to beware OF her Dlaiiolsll-
ments, and ever those who came ior-
ward 10 meet her as usual. spoke as
If they were doing a merltorious action
in addressing her, sacrlilcing their
own feelings to do her n Kindness.
The evil reports spread far and VIA
as they rolled on, gathering fresh ma
terial and increasing in the way ina.
n few inches of snow, dislodged upon
an Alpine peak, may become an ava
lanche huge enough to sweep Il pine
forest to the ground.
1t was not long before tie oppressed
opinion was that John Gridiey had hai
a very lucky escape. The accusations
brought against him Were forgotten
or. rather, the rumors which he had
caused TO be circulated respecting May
were so much more interesting To the
g~ossips, that his crimes were obliterat-
ed by the imaginary one attributed 10
her whom he had hoped 10 call his
wife.
Where John Gridley went. no one
knew. That day he left Annadale he
turned upon the brow OF the hill 10
shake his fist menacingly II VOW
vengeance, but whittier he went was a
mystery.
He had not been seen in Alvcrton-
he had not been seen in Annadala
since.
Mrs. Rivers suffered severely from
the trials and unpleasantness to which
her husband and daughter Were con-
/ tinually exposed. She said but little:
but she grew more feeble, scarcely ever
leaving the house but sitting for hours
ut Il time watching May NJ her spin
ming wheel. with an expression of deep
compassion, not unmiXed with anxiety,
ON her Ouce-handsome face.
1t seemed as if a deep, black shadow
had settled permanently OF the cottage
in Annadale which the Rivers inhabit-
e d.and that the sun never more would
Tighten ii.
All its inmates went about with a
heavy care weighing down their hearts,
n "a smile on any of their faces was
as rare an occurrence now rs IL had
formerly been frequent.
The months passed slowly by. and
Matthew Rivers still struggled against
misfortune; but the business which had
formerly been so profitable now barely
paid its expenses; and though the
WORTH man fought bravely to main
tain his credit, it was a hard fight. and
every day became more and more
doubtful in its results.
1t was hardly six months since Mat
thew Rivers word had been as good ms
gold-since, At the weekly market days
ut Alverton he had been one Of the
most respected attendants: but now
now, many OF his former friends turned
their backs upon him, and his dealings,
which had formerly been so large, grew
weekly less and less.
Insolvency stared him In the face,
but through no fault of his own. A
large debtor had ~absconded. and the
'A'' 80 bhACAS dblN w AlECI Ills
liabilities.
At home he was forced to practice
economy in a way which he had never
before been accustomed to; and. inally.
he had TO sell the cob which for SO
many years had carried him SO well.
1t was a pitiful sight to see that old
man, bowed down by misfortune. set
ting out 10 walk to Alverton, passed,
without recognition, on the road by
many whose fortunes he had helped TO
make.
The crushed. wliite-haired man plod-
ded YEARLY on his way, While mis- Jun
lors ana his interiors dashed BY him
IN their market carts or trotted mer-
lily past him on their horses.
he Was down, and no one lent him
a helping hand.
On bis return he would sink into his
armchair. exhausted alike in body and
spirit. and hardly speak a word dur
ing the entire evening. How different
was this from the iovial man who for
merry would come back to his home
with a light heart and n merry lest.
10 retail the new: he brought from AL
verton. and perhaps produce from his
capacious pockets some little thinker
Tor MS pretty sailing daughter, some
Useful present for his staid but happy
WIFE
lhlngs were, indeed, strangely al
tered since then; but even vet Mat.
thew l:iyes' cup OF bitterness WAS moi
filled l., the brim.
AS winter gave place to spring. and
lhe tt'es. before a genial sun. ppt
forth their first brilliant buds. Mrs.
lilvers grew weake- and weaker. and
the doctor who was called i'm pro
hohnccd her suffering from heart dis
ease, which sudden excitement might
end fatally at any moment.
IL was another bloy to the maltster
VINO loved his wife fondly and well,
TURN which way he would. nothing
out misfortune stared him i'm the face:
ana though he still struggled on, II
was as a bowed down, crushed and
hopeless man.
he had returned one afternoon from
aivertor more disturbed even than
usual-for events had occurred that
DAY connected with'his business which
threatened to bring down upon him
that ruin which for many months had
Deen suspended over his head.