Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-02-08
"Efrd thought YOU would feel so

! L Ill be darneQ Ell i u brought the Captlng
i here at all!'' Ned exclaimed. blowing
his nose vigorously.
| 'The same silly old dog" Ralph
said, laughing. Mother, what has
come over Ned? He looks as if he had
| been made over new. I'll bet he's got
o girl"
To Ralph's surprise the rudy face
grew several shades deeper. ''What,"
| he cried. :. did that shot hitP'
| Never you mind, Capting," Ned re-
| piled. trying to look at ease, but still
blushing like an Indian summer sum
| set.
| Then the dinner was served-and
such dinner as it was! There was the
incest of salmon trout, which Ben An
| derson had rode to the city before
sunrise to get; and chicken in pies, and
| stews, and roasts; and just the loveliest
little pig, roasted whole, lying ON his
! side in a great white platter with a
| bright blue edge, and looking ready to
! burst with happiness and pride that he,
| of all his mothers little snow-white,
pink-nosed children, should have the
| honor to be eaten on this great oc-
| casion.s And then the gravies and
sauces and vegetables! And then,
again, the pies and puddings-why! if [
were to tell them all it would take me
half day. Only this will say: don't
believe there was ever before such q
wonderful dinner, or ever quite such u
happy, happy party as sat before it.
And am quite as sure, by the admir-
ing look in her eyes, that Myra Ander-
son thought there was not another
mother in the wide world that had such
a boy as hers!
feel as if l ought to beg the readers
pardon for not before introducing him
to the Montfords, of Montford House.
The more SO because they are the
only equality" par excellence, which
the region round about could boast.
Let me make haste to atone for my
neglect, without a moment S delay.
First, then, there was Gilbert Mont
ford, an English gentleman of great
wealth, and the very bluest of blood.
There was, next in order of importance,
his agent, and confidential friend Mr.
Alfred De Nries, who had been born
and educated IN Paris. Then there
were three children-or rather, they
were children once. Just at this time
they were respectively twenty-siX,
twenty-four and twenty. Miss Althea
Montford being the eldest. her sister
Fannie next, and Victor, the brother,
who was, as just said, twenty.
Mr.. Montford had been in the State
something like nine years. He had one
of the finest establishments in the coun-
try. Montford House was sort of
marvel to the simple republicans of the
surrounding country. There were mass
i've pieces of silver, which had been
handed down for generations, some of it
bearing heraldic devices which showed
the greatness of its possessors The
MOn,ford servants wore livery, and the
MOntfOrd crest-a rampant lion with an
upllfted arm above twas emblaZOned
on the panels of the family carriages.
Altogether they were very high-born,
aristocratic family, with plenty of mon
ey, apparently, and, as a consequence,
plenty of admirers.
If they were little select in their as
sociates no one thought of it with the
feeling of Indignation or annoyance
with which they regarded the aristo-
cratic pretensionS OF jenkins Stubs,
ESQ.,, whose father used to saw wood
for rather scanty living. Mr.. Mont
ford was to the manor born, and the de-
scendant of lords and nobemen had
something to be proud of; for. say what
we will, family and position are some
thing, and americans have due respect
for ''the mob ility."
Among the privileged visitors at the
Montford House was Blanche Arnold.
She had been intimate with the Mont
ford young ladies ever since they came
to the neighborhood They We're some
what older than her, but Blanche was
always mature and womanly, even
when small child, and so the differ
ence in ages was not noticeable. Some
people prophesied that she would marry
Victor some day. She was nearly a
year the Oldest, but that was nothing
and accomplishments that Miss Arnold
possessed. It was very evident, also,
that young Montford was very much in
terested in the young lady, and certain
ly it would be a good thing for her, who
was, after all only the daughter of a SIM
pie American citizen.
If Blanche Arnold had been beautiful
as a child, she was regal, as 4 woman.
Despite his added years and experience,
Ralph was still little afraid of her. |
She could still make him stammer and |
blush by one of her wonderful chances, |
anu inc lOucll Oh ueT Wnile, NelfeG sou |
fingers, made him catch his breath with |
a sensation of being smothered in rose
leaves.
Ralph was not a vain fellow, by any |
means, but he could not be quite blind
to the admiration expressed in his |
cousins shy, soft glances, half hidden
by the dropping lashes which yelled
their soft fire.
Perhaps it showed Miss Blanche Ar
nold's good taste-I think it did. Ralph |
Anderson was worthy of any woman's
admiration, either mentally or physical
ly. He had the resolute integrity and
the answering loyalty to principle
which characterized his Puritan ances-
tors. to which was added a broader
faith and more generous spirit. He
was besides brave, reso!ute, ambitious
and fearless; and yet withal tender and
gentle of heart as a woman, sometimes.
He was just the sort of fellow to win a
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