Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-05-13


private interview, and to the poor fellows as
constituent and dismay forbade him 70 pay any
further attentions to his daughter In vain
John begged to know the reason Mr.. Deane
grew poinpOus and dogmatic as fast as he grew
angry. He did not chDose to give reasons for
unwelcome devotion he should take his daugh-
ter ahreadx& s5g-szssg II q
John was SO astounded by all this that it
never occurred to him to inquire if Miss Deane
disapproyed of him as well as her father; he
only sat down when that gentleman disap-
peared, put his head in his hands, and felt
stunned. y ~ = *
When his senses returned, it occurred to
him that he had engaged to drive Miss Deane
over to Snipsic Falls the next afternoon, and
this must be given up. He was not yet him
self enough to see that If the daughter agreed
with her father, it was very odd she should &C
cept all his invitations and appear to enjoy his
society. He wrote a-short note, accordingly,
to Miss Edna; told her that he deeply re-
GREETED he was obliged to give up the drive he
had looked forward to with such pleasure he
must refer her to her father for his excuse and
explanation; and signed himself hers with
"deep admiration and respect, John Hackett."
a Now Mr.. Deane in this matter showed him
self an old fool; but there have been SO many
Hike him since the world began that the char
acterizatiOn is not peculiar or outrageous. II
he waited Edna to give up John, he should
have sung his praises day and night, had him
in their parlor constantly, advised Edna to go
everywhere he asked her, and deferred to his
opinions even when they were most crude or
pretentious. Other things being equal, this
would have Disguised the girl thoroughly; the
world is not changed since the Athenians
stoned Aristides because they were tired OF
hearing him called the just. As it was, when
Edna came back at night from hartford, and
found that note on her bureau-I am afraid
John bribed the chambermaid to put it
there-she was, to begin WITH furiously
angry. She did not go at once to her father
and inquire the matter out, because she did
not want him to commit himself to her, and
make distinct issue between them. She had
enough of that tact which serves women in
lieu OF strength to know that she had better
discover the facts from John than from Mr..
Deane; so she in her turn wrote a little note
to Mr.. Hackett, and dropped it in the post
office; it was brief but satisfactory, running
thus:
poented of my drive. I shall console myself by
walking mp to the lake. forgive you. for am
sure you are not to blame.
Yours, very truly, EDNA DEANE."
No sooner was the Hyssop Bank closed that
August afternoon than John Hackett went off
toward the lake at pace that would have done
credit to a professional pedestrian; nor did he
wait very long before, by strange coincidence,
Miss Deane appeared having chosen the hour
of her fathers daily nap to take little air.
There were pie nty of boats about, and it cost
but one or two suggestive remarks from the
lady to induce John to propose sail, and soon
their oars, and might have listened to the high
silver carol of the wOOd-thrush if they had not
preferred each others voices for then and there
John Haeketttold Edna Deane that same old
story everybody tells somebody sooner or later
stale alone to the old and world-weary, sweet
beyond its intrinsic sweetness when its telling
defies authority and laughs at obstacles.
Yes, while Papa Deane slumbered on his bed
that warm afternoon, with a silk handkerchief |
decorOusly spread upon his face to warn off |
and forbidden was making love to his daugh- |
ter, out of sight and reach, and his own folly |
had precipitated the crisis, perhaps created it.
But blessed as the two lovers were when they |
glided softly back in the sunset to the tiny |
pier, and parted with that lingering hand-clasp |
SO dear to people absorbed in each other, their |
troubles had begun.
In a town like Hyssop perpetual little day |
of Judgment dawns with every sun; there is |
nothing hidden from eyes that make business |
of seeing, or ears that have nothing to do but |
hear. While John and Edna planned their |
meetings, and took drives and walks together |
that they fondly fancied no one discovered, |
since each left the street in different direc
ton, wherever they met afterward, they never
met or drove or walked that somebody knew it,
and somebody told everybody else Of it; had |
they conducted their affair on the house-top it
would have been less patent. Now the young
men who had called John a miksop, stung |
with envy to think he had succeeded in monop-
olizing this pretty girl, got hold of Mrs. /
legs; it ran all abroad, till Edna's friends in
hartford heard it, and wrote her letters of |
and remonstrance which she angrily
burned and more angrily answered; at last her
uncle in hartford heard the story, and wrote
long and solemn letter to her father full of
reproach and remOnstrance.
This woke Mr.. Deane to a full sense of the
situation: he bestirred himself to examine the
facts; charged Edna with being in love with
g that fellow Hackett," and felt his scant hair
rise up on his head as she said, very coolly.
eyes, do love him, and mean to marry him,
father"
The man was damb with ra &c: he recognized
a new light in Fdna's eye, and ring in her
voice. 1t seemed she too could dogmatize.
1t is an unfortunate thing for US sometimes
that our children do resemble their parents in
and people hardly make enough ac-
count of it. 1t seems prepOsterous to an OBJ
stinate man that his son or his daughter should
De obstinate; yet what could be more natural!
Indeed, the trait becomes deeper offense
10 the progenitor from his own possession of
t. Mr.. Deane was outraged when he found
Edna had a will of her own when he chose to
have her follow his will. As soon as his voice
'eturned he said, with sort of cold fury:
i Pack up your trunk, miss. We return to
hartford tomorrow morning"
Edna was not daunted.
First. want to know, sir, what is your
objection to John Racket" v-
GIVE got plenty of objections. / hear bad
'hinSs about him. hear he is avery immoral
foung man."
81 don't believe it." said Edna, Indignantly
"Of course you don't. But intend to act
On my own convictions, not yours. You will
get ready to go,to hartford at once"
Edna was furious; every feminine instinct
old her that John Hackettwas not a bad man.
she felt sure of his delicacy and self-respect
ong before she had loved him, and these are
1ot the traits of an immoral person. She
urned as she left the room, and said: every
veil. / shall go to hartford, of course, if you
'ay so; but l shall not give up John Hackett
because he is lied about"
No, indeed! If John had asked her to stay
n Hyssop as his wife, and let her father go to
hartford alone. it is the present chronicler's
belief she would have consented, but he was
not SO selfish. He did not want to destroy Mr..
Deanes comfort and happiness to build up his
)wn In its place, or to separate Edna from her
ather; he preferred to try Cancellation, pa
fence, time; and as he sensbly said, there is
10 real separation now for lovers, since
wen paternal rage scan not do away with
always, kilograms, and the postal service,
10 he and Edna parted sadly enough, and
he Deanes established themselves in hartford
I'LL needfn business arrangements could be
made before going to Europe. Daily letters
to receive which cost Edna some ingenuity,