Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-01-29

be coaxed into the gossip she really en-
joyed. n
" 1t was glorious last night, wasn't il?
Madge, was it only imagination, or did
he really pay me very marked atten-
tion?''
Madge laughed.
"He was very courteous to every
body. Yes, come to think of it, Mabel,
he did dance with you three times, with
Miss Lester twice, and with other less
fortunate creatures only once.''
"Which latter list includes yourself
Evidently he wasted no special admira-
ton on. you." said Mabel.
The cruel, uncalled-for sarcasm cut
Madge to the very heart-that fond true
womanly heart that knew no jealousy,
no envy. EfF
Her answer was very quiet, very
quivered.
"No, Mr.. Ermine wasted no special
admiration on me. Why should he,
when you were there? How could he,
anyhow, when there is nothing about
me to attract any mans noticePe ALT
same,'' and the old, sweet content
thrilled through her tones, "I am very
well satisfied. You shall make the grand
match one of these days, and mamma
and I will live alone and keep each other
company"
Mabel sneered.
"It's very little comfort you'll get
under such an arrangement. Mamma
does demand more waiting on than any
one I ever saw, and you are silly
enough to humor all her whims. Well,
thank Heaven, the prospects are favor
able for my getting out of this stupid
little hole. There, Madge, I've spilled
that greasy chocolate on the table
cover. Run-get a cloth and wash
off,
Madge gathered up the cups and went
into the kitchen, where the man stood
by the door, waiting evidently to thank
her, which he did, in broken patois,
Madge guessed at more by his gestures
than any thing else. r r.
"That's all right, my man. You're
welcome to such as it was''
Ermine, walking to and fro on the
balcony that commanded view of hill
and dale, valley and stream, watched
the wide carriage-road down which
presently came the barouche, its pranc-
ing horses and iveried servants, and
from which he saw Mabel Clarrence's
exquisite pink and fair face, with its
laughing, joyous eyes and floating,
lovely hair-a vision beautiful enough
to have made any mans pulses stir.
Only that it was the sight of another
face beside Mabel's-pure, thoughtful,
almost plain, yet so thoroughly woman
ly, strengthful and happy-Madge
Clarrence's face, the sight of which
thrilled Caryl Ermine to his very soul,
the touch of whose hand as he assisted
his summer-day guests from the carriage
he had sent for them, sent his heart all
| a-thrOb. s
Little Madge had never dreamed Mr..
Ermine cared for her until that day,
when he told her so.
6 If it had been Mabel, Mr.. Ermine,"
she said, in her sweet, unselfish way.
elbow ever could you have passed our
beautiful Mabel to-to-look at me?'
"Does that mean you don't love me;
or that you think that 1 had better trans
fer my allegiance to Mabel, the beauti-
ful?'
She nestled closer to him, looking up
with such tender eyes.
"Oh, no, no! could never give YOU
up-now. Only don't understand it at
ALL"
He smoothed her ripping hair softly.
Z" Let me tell you a little story. Once
upon time there was a-a-well, We'll
call him a beast, who agreed with beau
ty that it would be quite fair to disguise
himself and see if beauty could detect
him, which she was so sure she could do.
Well, this beast did disguise himself, and
instead of beauty discovering him he dis
covered wonderful pearl. That's all.
Kiss me, PEARL
That was all Mr.. Ermine ever told,
and it was all Madge ever knew, while
Mabel, chagrined and disappointed at
her ill luck, at last yielded gracefully
and made very fair sister-in-law, never
dreaming in all her life that the man in
her mothers kitchen had altered all her
life for her.
ACCORDING to the reports of persons
returned lately from the Spanish mar
riage fetes to Vienna, the prevailing dis
position at Madrid is such as to justify
not only serious apprehensions with re-
card to the tranouilitY of the canital