Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-12-28
CHAPTER II.

look shplendid!'' --... :
CHAPTER II.
"Tell yer what, honey. we isn't doin' Y
right" said Miss Leclair's old servant, I
Aunt Hetty, as she brought IN the |
waflles for breakfast on New Years
morning. awe isn't doin, right. Tharl!
be folks a comm, ter call on US an we'd
oughter be ready fur to see EN-"
ssOh, Hetty, nobody'll conle:''
ss{,,long, Miss Marian, g'long; yer
knows yer got a heap O. friends sence
ver come North. Put ION yer long black
| frock, honey--do. IL & - (
| Presently Hetty in triumph brought
in a bag full of fresh-cut flowers: When
| Miss Leclair read the card that lay
within she sprang up like a school girl,
pressed her face upon the dewy pillow OF
| blossoms and declared there was never
ANYTHING so lovely. Hetty .chuckled
softly to herself, and set about rubbing
and busting the furniture in the little
front room. 1t was very pretty, this
little front room. A carefully CHOSEN
\ dark wallpaper represented the price
of a good many newspaper columns;
; That was the only outlay Marian had
made. The carved table, curious
couch and chairs, an inlaid cabinet,
priceless family portrait by lie Brun,
some etchings and water-colors, an old
Persian RUG and plenty of soft silk hang
: mos that time had treated kindly were
3 thincs saved out of the family wreck
s When the fire was bright under the
: lmantel-piece. which was cunningly
!. draped. and when the the flowers were
n put in some dainty vases, one migh'
easily forget the cheap, common little
house and the second-rate nelghbor-
l hood. 1t was s'ladye's bower" in good
/. old English. 4 "a
s Marian came in wearing a dress OF
:, black China Grape, which had more OF
a history than should belong to COS
% tune, but which clung to her slender
Is shape lovingly and fell into soft, deep
e folds of drapery over which the guilty
le trail of plating and RULING machines
~ had never passed. She wore no JeWelry
T. (she owned money, but herwhlte throat
at was bare,and piece of curious old Lace
was carried down to her bosom and last
Us ened there with few of the fresh, white
rosebuds. Her bright hair, knotte(
en- loosely, was given a little freedom OF
the forehead. Her face was - Blu
ne how empty words are. Millais woul'
have painted her if he had seen her
In and we would have stared at the plctur
=, and wondered if such lovely woma
:, really lived. y - - =, e
"a, Before long a mountainous arrange
= az ment of flowers was handed in with Col
don's compliments.
d "It's too big for 1.-The room; take
'ne away was Miss Lec1air's remark upo
; lie the offering.
IKE Toward noon there were some Gale
NY NY old Southern friends, ana the Aedit'
! who gave the short checks, for the Tor
Ecolumns. s Z =
~ Later, and just in quiet hour whe
nth Marian was alone, ayoung man who nj
you No carriaoe at the door and whose owe
lot, coat had seen good many New Year
lere cave Hetty a familiar nod in passi
OH, and came into the small parlor with /
face all beaming. s By some strange
and incidence Miss Leclair's face seem
he very happy, too; and when he said Jc
was. fully: ssYou wear my roses!" she
love swered with an infection that any m
: 4 might interpret:
the "Of course I wear them"
Mr.. Ford evidently mistrusted his o.
like judgement on reflection, because
Pc talked in an distracted way about
.om- sorts of remote things. rs -
e in g Are YOU painting anything new
dem Miss 'Leclair asked
like eyes; paint, to tell you the tru
avs: very much more than SELL"
ings Marian laughed merrily. "Oh,
you arts are all alike; they don't pay-t
ami il. in money. But then don't
der for money nor for anything compa
high to ~. =
Compared to what-to 10
1on't "To art, I was going to say" n
~ I.eclair suddenly found the room or
uch: LIMO too warm. Perhaps that made
nice, color so.
e ask Mr.. Ford's voice was low and he cs
shust very near to her to lay down
ueens plain axiom-"You know there's no
mad, without the artist
ID der "WenP"
awful ,"Then by a process OF logic
7ou, tfoyic made his voice tremole; -
TX off don't care for money nor for anytl
g. co,npared to-an artist. Is that e
ill off Marian, is that true?''
Vat How still she was, how pale, and
lovely hight. in her eyes!~ Ar. II
she do lais could have caught that LOOK Il
d, and p't ..Mr Gordon old Heny announ
and that triumph of matter over
boldly whose diamond studs 'prociame'
ticles: balance at the bank, gave Miss lie
apers. New Years greeting and Mr.. fe
~ hart dangerous glance. 80,
: Z Others dropped in, shortly. until
Mrs. were half dozen in the room. MI
ps she was over by the windows when the
sr sew caller entered. He stood againS'
81 dem door, which, with the most careful
manners, he had closed behind
es with and he looked about in the cheerfu
9 said: that always proclaimed->%Ier n