Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-08-26
Mr.. Bronson returned almost imme.

those last bills. shall be in early in
the morning. and finding the little
gray dressed woman sitting at his desk
in the shadow of the deep green cur
tains in detected attitude, looking so
like a crushed, wilted flower that he
could but wonder what had so quickly
| changed the bright, pleasant face that
had just smiled back at him from the
doorway.
"This hot wave is something fearful, -
said Mr.. Sturtevant, as his companion
regained his side. 81 don't see how
| you can stand it here week after week. -
ooh, l run up the Hudson, where my
mother and sisters are, whenever the
| whim seizes me, knowing the books will
not get behindhand in my ABSENCE
I" So you are not married manp'
No. have never had time nor in
| clination to think of matrimony; and I
am very well off in my present home. -
"Yet it is all wrong" replied the
Western man, in fatherly way he was
apt to fall into toward any one to
whom he took fancy. ga man of
your age ought to be settled in home
Heaven some day, and the sisters will
take unto themselves husbands, and
then, my man, you will be left adrift. -
Mr.. Sturtevant fitted in and out of
"No. 6, third door, every day for a
week, assiduously cultivating the &C
quaintance of Mr.. Bronson and "Per
c." as he persisted in calling the fragile
little accountant, in the intervals of bust
ness, of sightseeing and of writing to
his wife-this last being his favorite way
of filling in odd moments.
While driving with Mr.. Bronson late
one sultry July afternoon in Central
Park, he broke out abruptly, yet with a
tone of peculiar carnestness, which the
younger man had learned to understand
covered some deep feeling.
"Your eyes need opening, friend
Bronson. Oh, not at all in regard to
your horsemanship; you hold the reins
L want to speak to you about your
confidential clerk. You look surprised.
l suppose l shall surprise you still more,
is dying by inches there in that sitting
office, before your very eyes, and you
are so accustomed to her clear, white
rose of face and her gentle ways that
you can't understand that any thing is
wrong with her. Why, man! even I,
with my broad chest and perfect health,
almost lose my breath every time run
up those stairs. She has faded and
wilted and lost vitality perceptibly in
the week that have been here. Her
lovely face grows more and more trans
parent every day. Now, Oliver Walker,
my confidential clerk, is wild to come to
New York. He's a cute, sharp fellow,
conscientious and industrious, and be-
ing SO well acquainted with my business
he would work into yours with little
difficulty. Now I want to propose to
you that we change confidential clerks.
The fresh Western air will brace that
little woman right up. I know enough
of woman-kind to know that it is a mat
ter of life and death with her. The
change, the journey, the meeting with
new people will renew her personality;
she won't know herself in months
time. This great city broadens the
lives of those who are in constant attri-
ton with their kind, but is more con-
tracing than the most isolated country
life can be to a soul moving in daily
rut. / know she is valuable to you, but
when the flower willis utterly and falls
to the ground you will be obliged to
take some one to fill her place"
II can't dispute your argument" re-
piled the young man, thoughtfully,
bringing his housekeeping horses down
rest and change. The place is a re-
put upon her, as there is apt to be upon
person so efficient and obliging. 1
never saw her out of temper and never
heard her complain of WEAKNESS.
She has no relatives, and never seems
could never be persuaded to leave u.s."
he continued, presently, with confident
smile curling his tawny mustache. "We
will, however, for the sake of justice,
submit the proposition to her. l have
no right to dismiss the subject until she
has been consulted. l think you are
needlessly alarmed in regard to her
health, however. She has wonderful
powers of endurance, although, it is true,
she has looked as fragile as that day
lily yonder all the ten years she has been
with u.s.
"Ten years?"
"Ten years last autumn
Mr.. Sturtevant went back to his airy
room at the St. Nicholas, and. wrote
long letter to his wife, although he had
already sent her postal card and
telegram that day. He used to say that
his pent-up enthusiasm would explode,
had he not the safety valve of writing to
Eliza always at hand.
The next morning Mr.. Sturtevant ap
peared at the Bronson Office just as the
old black porter was taking down the
shutters. He had not long to wait, how
ever, and disclosed his plan to Miss
Clark while she was removing her sim
pie wrap and plain straw hat.
:" You say Mr.. Bronson is willing to
make the exchange?' she queried, with
a faltering voice, seating herself at her
desk and mechanically breaking the seal
of the topmost letter of that mornings
mail.
:" Yes, for your good, remember
:" l will co.
That was all. Mr.. Sturtevant with a
rare knowledge of woman gained from
his long and felicitous union with Eliza,
went over to window and sat down to
look at the morning papers, while she