Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-02-08

furniture, mas pcen realized, ana 5ne
no longer scours, as of old, the floor OF
her kitchen. where a pretty oil carpet
reigns just now in suspicious newness.
J Here and there about the house are odd
| bits OF curious bijOuterie, and rare shells,
and two or three pretty, foreign looking
| paintings in curiously carved frames,
and a pretty little oval stand of brilliant
mosaic; but the dearest and most beau
tiful thing of all in the eyes of Ben An
derson and his wife, is the picture of q
handsome young fellow, in a rosewood
and gilt frame, hanging over the mantel
in the sitting-room. There is broad
sailors collar turned away from the
ly knotted handkerchief falling over the
full chest. The heavy chestnut hair is
thrown carelessly back from broad,
open forehead, as fair and white as a
girls. Taken altogether, there is some
thing both winning and inspiring in the
! fresh. resolute face, and a stranger
would instinctively feel drawn toward
it. Is it any wonder then that Myra
Anderson stopped every few minutes as
she hustled about the pleasant, sunshiny
room, and looked up at the picture, and
wondered for the nine hundred and
ninety-ninth time if he had changed
much in these two years, and how her
| boy-he would always be boy to her
would look with a beard, as he had
written her he wore one now. She
| tried to fancy how he would look, and
smiled softly to herself as she went
about putting little touches here and
there, that it might look pleasant and
attractive to him, for he was to be there
that noOn-that very noon, she said
| over and over, in a little tumult of joy
Gus delight.
Ralph had been home twice since he
went away, for little brief visit, but
now he was coming home to stay all
winter, and it seemed to the fond. hap
Ply mother that there was new heaven
and a new earth-everything was SO
beautiful and full of sweet peace. And
then there was another thing: Ralph
was coming home Captain
Ralph Anderson!
Ben said '.pshawn' when she said
the name over with its new title, but u
faint color crept into his bronZed face,
and sudden light famed in his grave
eyes.
"Do you think we have changed
much, Ben?' she asked, little anx-
iously. "Imean so as to look strange
to him"
You haven't, Myra. You look as
fresh as girl, despite your forty-tive
years." he said, looking earnestly into
the bright, excited face, which flushed
like a girls at the words of praise.
The lovely October air came in at the
open door and lifted the iron-gray hair
of Ben Anderson, and crept with lit
tie SILVER OF delight through the fra
grant geranium leaves in the window,
and just touched, with careful fingers,
the scented petals of the great creamy
and pink roses on the mantel. Blanche
Arnold had sent those over that morn
ing from her fathers conservatory.
Was there ever, [ wonder, such an
October day before?
"Whcre through a sapphire sea the sun
Sailed like golden galleon!"
All the long line of family indulating
hills were Graded in golden mists. Far
away the river glowed like pale opal,
and the city roofs and spires were faint
ly visible against the far-off amber blue
skies.
At just twelve o'clock our old friend
Ned Bradlee drove up to Ben Ander-
sons door with a pretty bran new bug
gy, bought especially for the occasion,
and a lovely little span of chestnut colts
driven tandem.
Il think, perhaps, 1 had better intro
duce you to Ned, for have no idea you
would know him if 1 didn't. The lank,
light hair has been cropped and
brushed up over his ease, Gnstead of
straight behind them, as formerly,) and
neutrality-suspicious. change in eli
mate-has changed the color from a
pale sand color to a very lovely auburn
brown. The face is as fresh and fair as
it was eight years ago, and you look in
vain for a single place where the ''pen-
Gil of Time has made so much as
single comma. He is a little stouter,
and, to tell the truth. little handsomer.
He is dressed, too! doubt if ey er the
sun reflected in glossier beaver, or a
more brilliant pair of boots; and Imost
know there was never such loves of
trousers sported even on Broadway.
Now. please don't guess that there was
''a woman in the CASE" because by
and by, when [ get an opportunity, [
want to tell you about it, and nothing in
the world veXes me so as to find myself
forestalled when am intending to tell
q secret.
Ned Bradlee had begged the oppor-
tunity of driving to the depot to meet
Ralph, and Ben Anderson had con-
sented, partly to please his old friend.
and partly because he didn't care to
have stranger eyes looking on when he
met his boy.
"Well, 1 declare, Mrs. Anderson. You
don't look more'n sixteen, and your
cheeks are like piny's,'' he cried, max
ING an awkward attempt to raise his
beaver. as she came to the door, What |
wiU the Capting sayP"
"You won't stop to talk, will you,
Ned, but drive right home as soon as the !
train gets in?'' she said, eagerly, with
out noticing his salutation save by q
color.
I'm be back by half-past one if the
world stands; have nice lot of dinner, |
cos you may have company; there S no !
KNOWN. Any wants in town."
"No, nor'
He made feint of laughing at her .
eager impotence, but his voice had an