Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-02-15

! Otil dlttL Il liLlic IL wore away SO tIstI lie
could observe his new friends.
Miss Althea Montford was light
haired Young lady-not particularly
: ion ana very pale blue eyes. She had a
hose, of the Roman style ofs.architect.
IRE, which.was, without exaggerations
| the most prominent thing about her.
Without knowing anything about her.
Zone would be pretty apt to think her re-
served and naughty, and perhaps lit
tle unscrupuloUs. I don't think Won
would be inclined to change your mind
much after YOU did know her.
Miss Fannie Montford was not much
like her sister in any way She was
slight and sallow, with pleasant. hazel
eyes, and heavy dark brown hair that
dropped low over her forehead, which
was low, but broad and full. She
talked some, when her sister. who ala
! ways took the lead in everything. was
not talking; when she was, she busted
herself very contentedly over some sort
of worsted embroidery. ga, ...,.--z
If Miss Blanche Arnold had searched
the country through She could not have
found 3. better foil to her clear. rare
beauty, than either of the Miss Mont
fords furnished. Something of this
thought crept into Ralph's mind, but he
RATHER fancied Miss Fannie, despite her
plainness. Her thin, sallow face light
ed up when she talked, but more espec-
tally when she smiled, and contrary to
the general Judgment, he called her
much better looking than her sist er, and
he dldn' t feel SO much in awe of her,,
and while Miss Althea and his cousin
Were examining Cape Jessamine,
whose snowy blossoms filled the room
with its heavy perfume, he venturel to
ask her the name of the young lady who
showed them III. FFs
Young ladye Dyes she said with
q faint smile. "a pretty. bright-eyed
little girl, wasn't it9 1t is new maid
servant my father hired Yesterday. We
don usually take a servant without q
recommendation .ssa,s az
Nor would we now, if I had nay
way.' interrupted Miss A lthea, ina Sc
we're tone. : = u
But she wished so much. to stay.
you Know interrupted Fannie, depre-
catingly. - 49, ~
90, it's the young person who an
swered the bell that you are asking of,
is it?'' said Blanche. ..Do you knows?
Cousin Ralph. here, was quite struck
with her; if you will believe me, girls,''
and she laughed little soft, musical
laugh.
':She looked very much like one
used to love, who is dead now Ralph
said. gra ely, his eyes darkening Just
little, and faint wave OF color sweep
inc to his temples.
"Forgive me, dear cousin Ralph"
Blanche said, laying her hand on his
with pretty, penitent gesture. ST shall
be so unhappy if you are, vexed with
me! was only in jest" and the gray
eyes looked up into his with such a
grieved, troubled look, that he forgave,
her instantly, and was more fascinated
than before. 80
alt is something rather strange
about this girl, l mean,'' said Miss
Montford. s.She came to the office and
asked for my father. so the postmaster
told Victor this morning. She asked to
see him when she came, and Dale, think
it was, showed her into the library
where papa was. alone. The first I
knew he came into the dining-room with
her, and said he had engaged Miss
Blake-her name is Stella Blake-as
waiting-ma:d, and general j assistant
about the house. / demonstrated, and
told him we needed no more servants:
but | think the girl must have bewitched
him with those uncanny ewes OF hers;
he declared that we dill need her, and
she should stay. And SO, if he chooses
to pay her, l suppose he can, and she
will stay" -....-...
s.She is very quick and handy, and
has exquisite taste in arranging table,
Fannie said, quietly. ISL
Almost unconsciously to himself
Ralph gave her pleased, grateful
glance. She smiled slightly, and the
thin, sallow face flushed just a little.
Just then the door opened, and Mr..
Alfred DeVries walked leisurely and
quietly into the room.
Ralph had never seen him since that
September morning, eight years before.
when standing on the dripping, wreck
strcwn beach, he had watched him
kneeling by the little ledgy mound of
sand and kelp. And yet he should have
known him anywhere, he said to him
SELF The tall. elegant form was as
1.-the and graceful, the step as assured,
the hair as dark and abundant, and the
full. jetty beard as glossy and hand
some. 1t seemed so strange, when he had
changed so much. that this man looked
as if time had stood still with him. But
there were faint lines here and there
about the eyes and mouth which had
not been there eight years before, but
with the casual glance he had then had
of him, he did not notice about that.
The general contour and expression of
face and form were the same. I
When Ralph shook hands with Mr..
DeVries and looked in his eyes-those
curious, metallic, yellow-brown eyes-it
flashed into his mind instantly what
Viola had said concerning their being
Just the ''color of her bronze slippers.
Il will ask him about her sometime" !
he thought to himself. i
Some one outside broke out whistling
''God save the Queen" and a moment
more light foot-step ran up the long
marble steps, passed through the en- !
trance and hall in gay, breezy way. !
and opened the door. He stopped |
short, and colored to the roots of his
curly auhurn hair IlpOn seeing that