Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1881-09-15
FRANT.


at first, drifted hither and yon at the
sport of the light wind. Then they grew
thicker and thicker, till the revolving
lights at Brimmertown were almost lost
to view, and even the great Fresnel
burner on the headland shone dimly. A
man and woman who were sitting on
the edge of the cliff talking earnestly
began, at last, to observe the threaten
ing aspect of the sky and sea, and rose
slowly and unwillingly to depart.
cts been like the old times, Frant,"
said the man, tenderly.
cay, like the old times,'' responded
the woman, in a voice at once sweet yet
full of power. 'sNow that we are fairly
settled in the new cabin, Philly, we'll
have many an evening out here to-
gether.''
ssIt's easier coming when we're SO
near" said Philip Darrow, affectionate-
~. sTo think we've spent the last day
in the old shanty, Frant! But it's hap
py time we've had there, after all.''
"Happy enough" said Frances Oar
row, whose speech like her husbands,
bore the broad but not unpleasant accent
of the Cape. 'sIt's five years since you
married me, Philly. I wish wasn't so
much older! But you've been happy,
haven't you, PhillyP''
tsWhat talk, Frantie!'' said the young
fellow, his handsome, sunburnt face
darkening. s'I'm twenty-five, and grow
ing older every day. There isn't girl
on the Cape could wean me away from
you. Haven't been true to you for five
years, Frant? And why shouldn't it be
SO always?''
81 don't know" The woman's grave
face grew even graver. ''It's ten years
since was twenty-five, Philly, land seems
like. I grow old faster; but likely" and
her lips parted in smile which trans
formed her plain face into actual beauty,
s'likely it's just because I'm tired that
feel so-we've worked so hard getting
the new house to rights"
"And you like it, don't you?" asked
Phil Darrow, for the hundredth time.
cay, lad" brightly. s'Maybe, in
spite of my being so sad-like tonight,
well have happy times there, too. But
look! how'll we ever get back to the
cabin, Philly ?''-for the storm had gath
cred faster than they knew. She stood
erect, resuming the strong, quiet manner
that was habitual to her. ssThe storm s
right near.'' AS she spoke, she put out
her hand to him and swept the western
horizon with her keen, dark eyes. The
pallor of her steady face, the pallor of
an intense vitality and not that of weak
ness, showed strikingly under the angry
light. A gust of wind and rain blew in
their faces.
He took her hand, and they hurried
on together, till, just as they entered the
broad, low doorway of their new home,
the storm broke full over the headland.
As they entered, Philip barrow laugh
ed joyously; man, you would have said,
without any of the finer qualities, affec-
Tomato and playful, like handsome
young Newfoundland, but coarser and
weaker than the woman who walked be-
side him. It was her more aspiring
soul, one could see plainly, that bound
and held him to something higher than
his own ideals. Yet she was evidently
not cultured woman, though bearing
the marks of native refinement and of
latent force. Her print dress was coarse
and faded, but spotlessly neat, and her
rich, red-brown hair, which matched
her beautiful eyes, was gathered smooth
ly back into knot behind. Her fore
head was low, broad and picturesqe !;
but there her beauty ended. Her nose
was irregular, her mouth large, though
kind and decided, and her cheek-bones
high and prominent. When she smiled,
however, her white teeth shone and a
new and charming look overspread her
whole face. But she smiled seldom, and
the harder and deeper lines of middle
life had driven away from the features
the roundness of youth. Yet she had an
influence over her docile husband which
the vulgar fish-wives of the Point wonder.
ed at and emulated, but could never at
tain; for, added to her strong and noble
character, she loved him with an aban-
donment of devotion that only women
of her stamp can know-with a strange
blending of wife-love and mother-love-
as all kind, warm hearted, large-brained
creatures1ove whatever is young and
clinging and comely.
Their new home was, after all, only
an old and weather-beaten cabin, which,
by careful saving and continuing, they
had at last succeeded in buying and fit.
ting up in style far superior to any.
thing that they had ever enjoyed before.
E.oo+ cfood in the doorway LOOKING