Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1882-03-30

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sounded to her mistress ears as welcome
as the voice of hope.
"Come int"
How strangely calm were her words!
She marveled at her own self-control as
she spoke; but she had not passed that
frighful ordeal in vain. Her plan was
formed, her mind made up, and, under
cover of Zoe's noise on entering, she
thrust the immense bronze-handled
poker deep into the red-hot Goals.
"Zoe,'' she said, aloud, speaking to
her as if she could hear, "please light
the gas and tell them to bring my tea -
And at the same time she signed to
her to make the light and come near
her, where the concealed man could not
see her face. The mute instantly obeyed
like all those unfortunates who are
deprived of one sense, the remaining
ones seemed all the keener and more
sensitive, as if to supply the bss-and
her intense devotion to Blanche made
her able almost to anticipate her wishes
before they were uttered.
"Do you know where young Mr..
Irving's rooms are?' was Blanche s
first question.
She had weighed the matter well.
Her guardian was too old and ailing to
help in this case; none but the young
master of the house, her future husband,
should be her deliverer, land him she must
summon to her aid. Zoe smiled, and
signed :. Yes, yes!n with cheerful alac.
rity.
ssThen 60 and bring him here, with a
pair of loaded pistols. Do not be fright
ened; remember, l rely on your cour-
age. and expect you to make him I'M
derstand what 1 say. Stop to COM
municate with no one else. Lose not an
instant, and bring him here armed, at
once" Then, speaking aloud, she re-
peated: sect my tea, Zoe; l want to
90 to bed early, you know
While she talked, Blanche kept her
eyes on the mirror opposite the curtain.
She saw it move, and knew that the mu-
latto was watching; but he saw nothing,
and was evidently satisfied that no COM
munication had passed between them.
His findish face appeared at the opening
but for moment, then retired.
Blanche counted the seconds, with
her eyes alternating from the mirror to
the fire, where the poker glowed red
hot. Suddenly the door was flung open
without sound, and there stood-not
him for whom she had called in her ex-
tremity, but Norman Guy, her teacher,
and behind him peeped the radiant, the
anxious face of Zoe, her pretty mute.
An impulse to fling herself into his
arms for safety for moment almost
overcame Blanche; but, meeting his
grandly courageous eyes, she felt her
fear and weakness vanish, as with nim-
BILE fingers she told him, in the mute
language, the story of the concealed
ruflian. While she was speaking, Nor
man espied the poker, and as she con-
cluded he seized it in his right hand,
while with his left he drew Blanche
from the scene of danger, and called,
in a firm, clear voice, tor the wretch to
come out of hiding and throw down his
weapon.
The mulatto was muscular, heavily
built man, with arms like iron in their
hardness and strength; but Hercules
himself might have quailed before an
immense red hot poker in such hands as
now welded it, and the wretch was slow
to risk an encounter.
While he dallied, Norman tore down
the curtain, and, watching his opportu.
nifty, struck the knife from the startled
fellows hands, then knocked him down
with a stunning blow that stretched him
full length.
"Please give me the curtain cord,
Blanche" he said. cit will do for the
present to secure this miserable scoun-
drel, until Ralph is fortunate enough to
find a policeman"
But, as he spoke, the old servant APP
peared with two officers, between whom
the bold assassin-suddenly trans
formed to sneaking thief-was led
away to the nearest station-house.
"I suppose you owe this terrible
fright to Mrs. Percy Waltham's interest
in your diamonds. She has talked OF
them in her own circle till the echo
reached a much lower one, it seems"
the tutor said.
But how changed the tutors manner!
how much at home he seemed! how the
servants obeyed him, and Zoe smiled,
though the poor little soul was pale and
trembling over the late danger of her
darling mistress!
Blanche pressed her hand over her
beating heart, and looked from one to
the other.
"Forgive me, Blanche, if I have en-
loved your society in the roll of q tutor,
wife as I never could have done in my
own character Norman said, hurried
ly. 81 will explain how it happened
more fully by and by. But now let me
implore your forgiveness for the plan
that grew out of your evident aversion
to me in person, since you never named
me to my father. Your desire for a
teacher, your readiness to absorb your
mind in study to distract it from our ap-
preaching union-in fact, all that proved
your horror of marrying a man you did
not love. l confess shared your feel
ing, and, with my fathers permission, l
have wooed you in another character;
but, thanks to his taste in long names,
not under false title. My full name is
Donald Norman Guy Irving.''
s'And shall always call you Nor
mani" cried happy Blanche, in tone
so replete with joyous content as to tell
her whole hearts story.
Zoe clapped her hands; she, little
hypocrite, had known the secret all
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