The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-08-07
A Ruined Life
WILLIAM c~ARRINGroN-

/, Mfgnonette grew In the little garden
where Rose Edwards sat at work.
She had plucked some of 1t and a $
tened It to her smooth black hair. It's
very fragrance seemed q part OF her.
At least 50 Will Harrington thought as
,he stood looking at her.
'Mignonette," he said STOPPING to-
ward her. ''mignonette."
He"wou1d not have spoken SO to one
who would have quite understood him.:
but she. who had gathered all She
knew at the humble school Of the small
Vermont town, had never heard that
mignonette little darling" It
was no new thing for him to speak
she looked up neither surprised no
startled. She said. Yes, MI. Harring-
ton. I love mignonette-"
Just then he was inclined to forget
everything but that she was pretty.
He was more OF less a man Of the
world, prided himself on his family
and spent q generous income in a gem
erous way. To his great surprise he
found amusement nj interest this
summer in a home that was very dear
to his mother in. years gone by. 1t
was true he had fallen in o with a
country girl, humble even among sim
pie people in her position, for h was
poor and the granchild Of two old peo-
pie who could leave her nothing.
Will Harrington drew Rose toward
him and looked down into her eyes
and said: Rose, be my m~ignonette.'
What he meant dawned upon her.
She blushed and tfembled. e he
will you be my wife?3 She answered
Afterward they sat just so, his arm
about her waist, her work dropped In
her lap under her small brown hands.
Then a voice broke the charm, a harsh
It said, "yew come in tew tea and
p'raps MT. Harrington, yew better
come tew.""E
But the gentleman addressed de-
cnned and took his way homeward.
Walking over the country road to the
sine house on the hill he thought of
emany things. Els thoughts were moi
altogether satisfying.
\ 81 shall take Rose away" he NUT
tered. The people will be nothing
Ito us. We will travel a year or two
she will acquire the necessary
manners"
When they parted he put a ring upon
! her finger and promised to come for
her In the autumn. They were to cor
+ reSpond, Of course-and that was q
pleasant thing to Rose. And he left
ssher with moist eyes and a little bunch
tof mignonette.
< The summer holidays had ended and
1the fashionable world had come to the
city again to keep Its winter holiday,
and Harrington found everything as
Of yore, and as many a
ready to unite upon him.. There was
an old Irritation, too, which, could not
! well be ended while the lady was SO
~ nH11f1~ a. clopy11 rfr1rp fnf0 coroafhjno
more, between Miss Hastings, the heir
ess, and himself. AT first he did not
mention Rose to his friends, because
there was time enough. At last, be-
cause It wal an awkward business, be-
ing put of SO long. And Rose wrote
too many letters and put them into
r yellow envelopes. Her grammar
was non too careful n she spoke
fartetoo much Of her grandparents,
who Jared upon Harrington's sensi-
!! bilities.
Amidst balls. parties and dinners
Miss Hastings began to reassert her
old supremacy. Reproaches for neg
Elected nswer came from Rose and
vexed her lover. Still he smoothed this
over int would have gone to the Ver-
+ mont town to keep his troth in the aut-
unn had not Rose written him in the
fullness OF her reconciliation a loving
letter In which h spoke OF the trials
~ 49, - 0AAN ~! 80
looking forward to the time when she
\. would hav a home to which to well
come them. That letter was never an
swered. He burned It with q savage
OATH and that night proposed to Miss
Hastings.
In q month they were married. and
there was q wedding ana q reception
In q fashionable graystone house over
looking the Hudson. Then came the
honeymoon, spent in Florida, for the
chill was already in the cir. Before
the honeymoon was owe Harrington
had discovered that he had never loved
his wife. He was always thinking Of 9
little black-haired girl in the mountains
OF Vermont.
His wife, who had, been a belle in so
oiety. discovered the truth in a brief space
Of time. She intended to be a true wife
but she now took evenge in kind-tt
make her husband Jealous was the tasl
OF her life. She firted as she had neve,
done in her g1riish days. And as there Il
no danger OF going too far with one VIII
cannot be angling for a husband, a mar
red woman can firt when she pleases
The husband watched her with mad, jeal
Gus eyer. and the unhappy match endet
In q quarrel, then a separation
He went abroad and his wife led q ga,
life apart from him and was the subjec
OF much talk. One day news came to hin
that she had died. He eturned to hi
NOV 4o1 sASau0t Wd6 -6S0A 6L LIZ C1OD
occasionally and took more interest II
the worlds doings. Rose and her mig
nonette were slowly re-entering his mind
It had been his fault that she had bee1
wretched and had mad him so, but h
never thought Of that. He only felt tina
he was free. Rose had not married AM
he would win her again. The world wa
nothing to him. Rose shoul do as sh
chose. There should be nothing which h
would not give her leave to do. And 81
he left the city behind him for the swee
purity of the country and one of nature
children.
He knew she would be proud at first
either cold or ~angry-but he would wo'
30 humbly that h should forgive him II
he end. As one condemned to dealt
might pray for pity and mercy he woul.
beseech Rose for pity and pardon. An,
then. yes, she would let him draw her t
his heart and touch her brow with hi
lips, and call her Mignonette. his littl