Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-02-24

Gnu tlluc, my Oear OOy!
"Come! leave q little piece Of him
for me, mother" cried the girl, kissing
me affectionately. - 80
And then, as though in that kiss she
had found me out, she started, and
looked at me keesly, but said nothing.
As for me. / felt like traitor and q viii
lain. Here was mot willingly, to be
sure, but none the less certainly-int this
house, sailing under false colors, receiv-
ing welcomes and greetings which were
decidedly never intended for me. was
too utterly bewildered to guess even at
what it could mean. No doubt it was
some curious and most unfortunate mis-
take. Ida's lips were the sweetest had
ever touched, and was sorely tempted
to give her kiss for kiss. Perhaps my
emitting to do so caused her to look at
me so strangely. They were all crowd
ing round me with questions and kindly
words, and I felt I could bear it no
longer.
my dear sir" I exclaimed impa-
tiently, "you are placing me in a very
painful position. What can I do to con-
vince you that am st anger to youP"
Ida changed color, from white to red
and from red to white. The elder lady
looked from one of us to the other for
an explanation of my words.
IS Is it not absurd?" said the old gen.
tleman. 81 have brought him home
almost by force, protesting to the last
that he has never seen me before; but
now he is carrying the joke too far"
Ida chow pretty and graceful she
wasD walked quietly up to a reading
lamp, which stood on table at some
distance off, and raised it to my face.
80 papa!" she exclaimed, "this is
not Teddy. What is to be done? Don't
you remember he has scar across his
right eyebrow, which this gentleman has
not?' 1t was difficult to convince him
even then; but the mamma disowned
me at once.
"Only to think that I should for q
moment have been deceived" she
said, apologetically. "But, indeed, the
likeness is marvelous!"
Ida said but little; and whenever our
eyes met she blushed, remembering,
doubtless, how warmly she had en-
| braced me.
soon found out that my host was q
Mr.. Bayley, who almost overpowered
me with apologies for his mistake.
They insisted upon my sleeping there,
and l accepted on condition that they
would let me depart before they were
down in the morning, that might es-
cape the observation my dress-clothes
would call upon me from the very ga
Minis in the London streets; and also l
was really anxious to see my friend Tom
Bruce, and explain to him the curious
events of the evening.
To this they agreed, exacting from
me a promise that would come down
again before they left Richmond for the
sea. "An acquaintance so strangely be-
gum they said, "must not be allowed
to fall through
And Mr.. Bayley even now found it
hard to believe his mistake, and could
scarcely take his eyes off my face, which
SO curiously resembled his own sons.
The next morning an early breakfast
was brought to me in my room, and
was en- route to London before my new
friends were awake. 1 escaped the
jeers of the street arabs by jumping into
a hanson and whirling home as fast as
the morse could carry me.
Tom was still asleep, but reused up
when opened his bedroom door, and
called loudly for me to come in.
/ "Holloa! who is thatp o, George, my
boy, it is you, is itp Come and tell me all
about it. Have you found the silver
spoon, eh?"
81 have found the prettiest girl l ever
saw in all my life," 1 replied with a
smile.
80, it's that sort of spoon, is it2'
cried he, with loud guffaw. swell,
George, didn't expect that of you, and
you SO many years my Junior; but l
forgive you, my boy, and will be best
man. When is it to bep"
"My dear Bruce, what are you driv-
ing at? tell you have met pretty
girl, and you ask when it's to beP You
and my new friend, Mr.. Bayley, might
run in a curricle for two lunatics, l
really think" answered, impatiently.
| :" Whew!" cried Tom; bad as all
that, are youp Well, we'll, it's what we
all come to sooner or later; it's a COM
plant it is better to have young. Now.
George, what's she like?''
"WhoP'' replied, resentfully. ado
you mean Miss Ida Bayleyp"
eyes, to be sure, if that is her name"
"Well, then, Miss Bayley is the pref
test girl ever saw" l answered, en-
Enthusiastically.
"Yes. I know" replied he, calmly
| "yOu IuentlOnSu CnsbG OeLOTe.
/ !" Why, Bruce, old man, you don't
expect me to describe every feature, do
you, like a cheap Jack at fair? and if
I would, 1 couldn't. How do 1 know
the color of her eyes?-but know how
they look. What does it matter to me
whether her mouth is the shape of
Cupid's bow or notp-I know how it
smiles. Ida Bayley is not the girl you
could criticise as you talk to her; you
feel she is there-that if she is not beau
tiful, beauty can not be worth having
1 looked up at my friend, who was
regarding me fairly open mouthed.
.sDo you understandp'' asked.
"Quite," he replied, with an honest
smile, "and 1 congratulate you; and
now, George, tell me-has Miss Ida a
sister? If so, / think will accompany
you to Richmond"
Well, of course, I went down into
Surrey again; and, odd as it may seem,
I became quite favorite with all the
Bayley family. 1t was my strange re-
semblance to the absent Edward, no
Doubt. which endeared me TO them but.