Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-03-02

money duu CuOuSn6 uhU Dccu eAp6uU6O
in shielding it from the bleak side of
nature, in adjoining it, and coaxing it to
a lengthy bloom. Flowers and foun-
| tains, Conservatives, artificial ponds
| and grottoes, statues, and Heaven knows
| what, lined every side of it.
"Isn't it paradise?'' Florence would
say alf-dozen times day, and al
ways managed to bring in some nice lit
tie thing about Eve, having Milton and
many of the poets at my tongues end.
1t is no idle vanity to say that 1 be-
came welcome guest at the May man.
sion. at least by the one I yearned to
salty and serve. There were only the
| two of them-the old man and his lovely
| daughter. Florence had always smile
for me, and what was far better, a blush.
When her eyelashes dropped, and that
sudden bloom dyed her cheek, and she
| turned her face aside, leaving her hand
perhaps in mine, was always on the
point of falling at her feet and begging
her to finish this agony of suspense, and
make our lives heaven meet for the
paradise in which we strayed. And 1
was a fair and fitting match for her
young, handsome, rich; yes, l could
match the old man Mays fortune, dollar
for dollar. But q vague fear restrained
me, held me back, haunted, tortured me
to delay. Mr.. May was always polite,
sometimes even ELUSIVE, and frequently
invited me by hints and innuendoes to
reveal my passion to him; but a wretched
distrust sealed my lips, chilled my man
ner. 1 thought of Cousin Jack, and re-
Trained. He was the Mentor to my Te-
Tenacious, and always stood ready to
quench the fount of joy.
"Better not risk it, Mort" he would
say; s'he'll never let you have her in the
world. She wouldn't do it herself. l
tell you I've probed the thing for you,
and it's beginning to be dangerous. The
old man May wants to talk business. He
said to me the other day, your cousin
seems to know good deal about your
fancy trimmings; is it in his ine?' 'Ah,
that way Then again: your cousin
has sort of general knowledge of
horses and ground; he knows sandy
soil from a dry bottom Him, yes,' I
stammered out, Mort knows considera-
your cousin seems to be up in the cab
met business-;furniture, perhaps. He
knows q good piece of mahogany or
looC-"oou WhCh LAG CCOo ACs 10y oAAAo
time L groan out something, and get
away. The old man begins to tread too
closely. tell you, Mort, it won't do to
pursue this thing any further. You'd
better skip back to the East and marry
Sue''
"I'll cut my throat first!" I shouted.
"Never! I'll never give Florence up.
Good Heaven! does the old fool think
he can always shun the vital principle
of humanity? Does he suppose he can
shut his eyes to the inevitable? Pah! It
stares him in the face, and he'll have to
see it,
"Not while he can shove it aside,
Mort. You must remember there's ev-
erything in custom and habit. Even
woman like Sarah Bernhard has to
confess she hobnobs with these things to
get used to them. The old man May
prefers the other plan.'
"See here, jack 1 said, "I'll give it
up. I'll sell out there, and come out
here, and 90 to farming, stock-raising
anything the old idiot requires. Hang
it! 1 won't do any business, if that will
satisfy him. I've got money enough to
live on
Jack began to stroke his beard medi-
tatively. GAS for money! he said,
ssbetween the two of you. you could buy
a mine; and don't see how the old
gentleman can object, if you agree to
sell out and have nothing more to do
with the old business. There's the old
connection, to be sure. What is it
somebody says?
"'You may break. you may shatter the vase if
But the scent of the roses will hang round it
The old man is so peculiar about these
things. He never allows them to be
mentioned in his presence; he'll ride
twenty miles out of his way to avoid
anything appertaining to them, and a
stranger is always warned of this weak
ness before friend dares to introduce
him. Then he was prejudiced against
you in the beginning. Miss May invest
ed you at once with, a romantic interest.
Your deep voice, your solemn manners,
your sad and sympathetic smile, re-
minded her of her poetic idol, Lara
but the old man was troubled with re-
alistic doubts. 'Why the dickens does
your cousin speak so hollow and lowp
What makes him look so glum? What
does he 90 about like cat in walnuts
forP He makes me creep and crawl
he sends SILVER down my back.'''
81 don't care a cent for the old
man." l exclaimed. "Florence loves
me. She'd marry me if 1 was high
wayman."
"Oh, wouldn't she? Quicker than
lightning. And perhaps if you give up
the old businss-'
can honest, comfortable, steady,
profitable business" l groaned, for l
was fond of it.
eyes," said Jack, 81 always regret
ted leaving it. If you sell out, think
III buy your share. I've been home
sick for some time; but I never could
fit in, like you do, Mort. You'll be a
loss to the profession. Some men ac-
quire it, others have it thrust upon
them, but as for you, you were born to
it,
I can never accuse Jack of neglecting