Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-01-22

and deadly peril. We fly to close win
dows and make all fast, and, as we fin
ish ouE task Lou saws; s-..-.s-s-.z=..~-r..-s
"Poor Aunt Con! This storm has
struck the city before it. reached us.
She must be thoroughly drenched." III,
We discuss Aunt Cons probable fate
in the pauses Of the tempest, which has
swept down upon US in full force, draw
ing upon our fancy for pictures, alter
nately fearful and ludicrous, between
the roar Of the thunder and the vivid
flashes of the lightning. Now that the
storm has fairly come, the vague horror
which had weighed us down before it
began has vanished. and we can laugh
and chat gayly amidst the tumult of the
elements. m m s,.8 III
The o'clock train comes in, but we
watch in vain for Aunt Cons
figure toiling up the street from the
station. The 5 o'clock train, too, fails
to bring her, and we begin to grow a
little uneasy. - az -. 40
eff she does not come by the 6
o'clock train l shall telegraph says
Lou. 1ad t0 7mat- a3
A telegram representing to Louis
mind the deepest depth of horror, it is
naturally the first thing to which her
thoughts turn vaguely in emergencies;
but my simple question, a'1'o whomp""
seals her lips, and turns her eyes again
to the window, and her thoughts to
Aunt Con. szrf
At 10 minutes past o'clock precise
ly we see drenched, disheveled figure
toiling slowly up the street, and fly to
the door to meet and greet Aunt Con.
The storm is over by this time; its
skirts are rolling away in tender tangled
feeces of silvery white from the pure
blue of the sky. The foliage glitters in
its diamond -gemmed freshness, the
birds twitter their delight that
" the rain is over . and gomez
Across the eastern sky rain
bow has flung its brilliant arch,
softly reflected in fainter, fairer tints on
the pale clouds above. In the midst of
the radiance and the glory stands Aunt
Con, limp, draggled, detected: Inky
drops follow each other in sad process
sion from the brim of her weather-beat-
en- bonnet. Streams of moisture flow
from every fold of her garments, which
cling to her figure like wet bathing
clothes. Every step she takes sounds
as if she were treading in pool of slush,
and from her parasol a dark stream diff
fuses itself slowly over the spotless floor
of our little piazza. Lou catches the
parasol and carries it off to safer re-
gions, while I stay to question and con-
dole with Aunt Con. ,.
"Why didn't you take a hack,
aunty?" l cry, forgetful for the moment
of her principles. go"
81 would dyes, l think would, - says
Aunt Con, "only, you see, I was as wet
as l could be, anyhow; and then-I had
no money"
= "spendthrift aunty!" cry, in de-
light. "Why, Aunt Con, have hopes
of you yet, if you can spend all your for
tune in one day in this reckless manner.
What have you bought? A white ele-
plant, az
81 wish had," interrupts Aunt Con,
so dolefully that my POPULARITY receives
q sudden check.
Lou comes back, and hurries Aunt
Con up stairs to change her dripping
clothes then comes down again to brew
sundry wonderful decoctions, warranted
to prevent i'll effects from the worst
to which humanity is liable.
With beautiful Though, alas! i'll found |
ed) faith in their efficacy, Aunt Cen
makes her appearance at the tea table,
fully primed with the tale of her day in
the city.
All her operations had, as usual, been
conducted on scale of the strictest
From the ferry she had, in
deed, INDUCED in the extravaganza of a
horse-car to her first shopping-place;
but with that her superfuities ceased.
Wonderful bargains she had made, but
The particulars of them she was some !
what shy of disclosing. With luncheon
Or dinner she had dispensed, as q need
less waste of money. When the rain
began she was in a side street, and
started to walk to the Sixth Avenue
cars. "For,'' she explained, 81 had
about finished my shopping, and thought
[ might as well come home. My boots
we're rather thin, and
"Why didn't you stop and buy pair
IF India rubbers and an umbrellaP"
asked Lou. g7T .I&YIH
4'sMy dear Lou! and waste two or
.hree dollars on what should need
,nly an hour or two, for have both at
lome. But I wish had-oh yes, / wish
had!'' q9 a aa
There is such mournful tone in her
asst words that Lou and I exchange
ooks of wonder. Then Lou says, /" You