The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-12-03

wv EVEN W genuine country lover
the last days of October, amid dying
Movers, naked hedges, newly stripped
woods and cloudy skies, are depress-
ing and the thought of pavements, shop
windows and dry crossings and fresh
faces possesses a new and decided at
traction.
But If Helen ever sighed as she
trudged I'VE the sodden leaves and
.vaded through the muddy Merton
lanes no one heard her; if the uniyer-
sal decay and death of autumn sadden-
ed her, 10 one suspected that it was
so. How should they? She vas the
life and soul of her hOme-an impris-
oned sunbeam in which they all re-
joiced. If she smiled less easily. her
smile was sweeter and less swift; if
her spirits were no longer rampant,
they did not overpower-they sustain
ed-the humor of her neighbors. If she
was less ready of advice, less quick of
action. mere diffident of the Justice of
her judgment, more l~enient, more SYM
pathetic and more thoughtful, she
was sober" they said, as though age
always wrought its change thus.
One or two of Helen's girl acQuaint-
ances, who belonged to the conven-
tiOnal. egCtistical, man-hunting sect
of whom the members in converse,
m2nncr, appearance and lamentable
mGnutOIy of character resemble each
ether as closely rs do primrOSes-de-
Ciarcd she had grown stupid and did
not care for things C"thingS" meant
their conversation, which, however,
both in purport and intention, far OK
cced"d their dOingS.)
But before long Helen had good
cause TO be pensivc; a j~ustifiaGie cause
for growing more sober and less child
iSh. \ sad event took place, an event
at which remOrsC, sorrow and some
natural excitement were blended.
Mr.. Flight, to whom she had been 40
CnkiHd-Mr. Flight, on whom she had
pr2cticed her foolish wileS with such
unlookcd-for results-Mr. Flight, whose
very name turned her sick and sold
Mr.. Flight. of whom she never thought
without a stab OF sharp pain-Mr.
Flight had atOned for all his offenseS
by death. He was dead!
Poor Mr.. Flight! At last there was
no mention Of broken heart as the
| cause Of his death. He had, like many
4 heart-whOle man, taken fever at
Florence, and, after a long and
| severe illness. had Succumbed to
| the disease. His last words had been
of Helen; his last act had been to
make his will, by which he left her
everything that he possessed. Size
found herself the owner Of fl5,0OO, and
forgot the satisfaction of her riches IN
her anger with herself. She had never
so despised herself. She had been de-
spicably, pitileSSly rpnOrSeleSS. Even
now she could not cast her Warmest
thoughts to him: she could not grieve
| for him; she could not wish him back
again.
She did not want his money ;all she
wanted was to tell him how bitterly
she rcpented, and how we'll she under
stood now that she had laughed where
she had better have wept.
Regrets are vain emotions, rs Helen
knew to her cost: useless encumbererS
Of the soul. Regrets must be strangled
if life is not to be Il waste tanGle Of
rctroSpect; for regrets. like all weeds,
grow apace.
Mrs. Milford was very tender with
| the girl at this time, and would watch
her furtively and unObServed with anX-
ious eyes. She had drawn her w
| co~nclusion--a fresh and false one
from Helen's altered looks and ways
Henry" she said IL day, i'm
pulsively disclosing as women do the
secret which she had intended to keep
inviolate forever, Henry, Helen re-
grcts that poor young man"
"To be sure she does" the rector an
swcred energetacally. 81 should think
very poorly of her if she did not. Why,
we all regret him. His sermons were
above the average, and his kindness of
heart exceptional"
But. Henry, you do not understand
me. | mean more than | said. | mean
thai she mistoOk the nature of her feel
ings. She really and truly loved him.
For a few seconds her husband re-
manned III thought; then he spoke
slowly:
NO. Honora, | do not. Do you not
remember how | scOlded her for sing
ing that ridiculous ballad to the poor
man:
1T is tie most exceeding bore, of all
the bores | know,
TO have n friend who lost his heart n
short time ago.
Had her heart been touched those
words would rot have occurred to
he
Il don't know that" said Mrs. Nit
ford with an indulgent smile. "A girl
will say or do anything from a sheer
love of teasing" Again, with n very
thoughtful brow, her husband review
ed the past, then he spoke with de-
cisiOn:
You are wrong, Honora. You were
always a most imaginative
That poor young man had no attraction
for the child. l found her hiding In
-, 81 ,,n.n than np,n whnn hn