Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-08-24

be In the oven il it was to be done at
noon. This was why she had been so
restless all the forenoon, and was at
that moment noting the time and look
ing down the street to see if the mar
ket wagon was in sight.
The expected guest was Towards
Aunt Hepsey, a Quaker lady of whom
he was very fond, and whose virtues he
had praised so much that Mary, who
had never seen her, was prepared to
love her equally well. Howard was to
meet her at the train at noon, and bring
her home with him; and Mary was anx
ious to fail in nothing that devolved on
her as a good hostess. But now what
could she dop 1t was too late, even if
the meat did come, to cook it for dim
ner, and it was too far for her to 60 to
the market for anything else. She was
sorely troubled, and, what was worse,
she INDUCED in hard thoughts about
him whom only few weeks before she
fully believed she should always love
and trust implicitly.
Very opportunity for Mary, she saw
approaching a butchers cart which &C.
casionally passed the door, and fastened
down the walk to stop it. 1t contained
no choice cuts, for the man had gone his
usual rounds, and what remained had
been culled over by all his customers.
However, Mary selected some indiffer-
ent steak and some lettuce not the fresh
est, with which she contrived to pro-
vide a comfortable repast by the time
Howard and his aunt arrived. 1t cost
her a decided effort to greet her husband
with beaming smile and the accus-
toned kiss, but he was so eager to pre-
sent his aunt and note their meeting
that he did not observe the traces of
tears or the disturbed look she wore;
and not until the three were seated at
the table did he remember his neglected
duty. He was about to frame an apol-
ogy, when a look from his wife caused
him to withhold it, and nothing occurred
to inform Aunt Hepsey that she was not
served as well as her niece had intended.
Nor was the matter alluded to after
ward. But for several days Howard
was quite thoughtful, and that very
evening came home bringing a box of
fresh berries for tea and a nice slice of
salmon for breakfast.
Mary's trouble seemed to vanish with
the arrival of Aunt Hepsey, and she
very easily came to believe, what she
most wished to, that Howard had cor
rected his only fault. Then, too, the
presence of third person in the family,
to whom they both desired to show ev-
cry attention, diverted their thoughts
from each other in a measure, and Kept
Mary from dwelling on the cause of her
unhappiness. A week passed, and she
was beginning to forget the whole af-
fair, or, if it did not entirely pass out of
her mind, to fancy it was only a tempo
rary thing, and not one of Towards bad
habits.
Howard, on his part, soon let the
matter slip from his thoughts. Business
crowded upon his attention, and he
worked with unwonted diligence in Or
der to gain time for another purpose.
MARY said he, as they sat at
breakfast, "wouldn't you like to have
me get a carriage tomorrow and take
you and Aunt Hepsey for long drive?
I think can get away by ten O'clock"
"And be gone all day?"
eyes"
swell, that would be capital! and
We'll carry a lunch with us and have a
nice little picnic in the woods. But to
do that 1 shall have to make some cake
and other things to-day; and you must
order what need this morning, so that
it will be sent home with the dinner"
Howard very readily promised to get
all that was wanted, and Mary made
him write the articles down in his note
book, and charged him, as he was about
to start: Snow, don't forget the sugar
or the eggs for the cake; and one thing
home a tongue, so can
boil it to-day; it will be so nice to take
with u.s."
eyes," answered Howard, as he shut |
the door and walked briskly away, ssI'n !
and he ran back and |
kissed her again.
As soon as the breakfast was cleared |
away, the young housekeeper began |
with light heart to get ready for the |
days cooking. She sifted the flour, |
picked over the raisins, and buttered |
the tins for the cake, so that when the |
things came she might De all ready to
use them. But an hour passed and |
they did not come. Mary, though she |
could not help feeling trife uneasy,
would not allow herself to think for a
that the order had not been
given, when so much depended upon
it. Surely, Howard would not forget
hat day; so she sat down and read to
her aunt awhile to pass away the time
Thus another hour went by, but moth
ing came; and thus Mary, her work
delayed, her plans thwarted, and her
pleasure utterly spoiled, retreated to
he shelter of her own room and gave
vent to the bitterness of her disappoint-
nent in a burst of tears. All the old
1oubt returned, bringing with it the mis-
cradle questionings which, as she was
quite unable to answer them, served
only to magnify her trouble. The same
Mary who two hours before believed
herself the happiest person in the
world, was wrought up to such pitch
If excitement that it seemed to her as if |
40 other woman was ever half so
vretched. How long she might have
lursed her grief in secret it is impossible
20 say, had not Aunt Hepsev, who
missed her, began to call her and wan
Ter about from one room to another in
search of her.
At this summons, Mary, who had tor
yotten her duties in her troubles,
aroused herself, washed away her tear
,xo;,, o,I 20 y,,aof hor