Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-03-15
tCOppriOhted.l
Thrice Lost in a Struggle for a Name
BY MRS. X. b. EDISON.

Z Ralph was an enigma to himself all
e that day. In the first place he was de-
acidedly out of temper. and there was no
reasonable excuse for such feeling.
that he would admit. In the second
place he wasn't particularly enthusiastic
over the prospect of going for Blanche.
The people where she was staying were
strangers he tried to persuade himself
that that was the reason: hut-there was
the long drive home. The thought OF q
tete-a-fete with his pretty cousin usually
stirred his pulses and set his heart to
quicker time. but to-day it sent never so
much as the faintest little thrill through
his veins.
Perhaps / had better state here. the
exact relation that existed between
Blanche and Ralph; that is, as nearly as
it is possible to describe such relations
in that peculiar unsettled, undeclared
state, when no vows have been spoken,
and only the eyes have dared to hint
what is'in the heart.
: 4Ralph was by nature susceptible.
ardent, impulsive. Nearly all his life
he had been almost wholly removed
from feminine society. 1t had the
charm of novelty for him, and when
his cousin Blanche, who understood the
art of fascination by nature, blushed
and dropped her eyes when he looked
at her-those beautiful, changeful,
wonderful eyes, that limited so much
through their silken fringeS-anG
when she put her hand, her soft, flutter-
ing hand, in his with such shy frank
ness, and called him her dear Ralph"
, and when she flattered him in little
delicate ways, which seemed TO escape
her tongue and eyes despite her knowl-
edge, is it any wonder that the I'M
sophisticated young sailor succumbed to
what was very evidently his fate?
He found, too, that it was rather ex-
pected of him to fall in love with his
cousin by both families, and, indeed, it
did not seem ut al a hard thing TO do
with the encouragement he received.
Itseemed, besides, to be a foregone con-
-clusiOn on all sides, and people began to
banter him about being married. some
going - teI =, to inquire OF him if The
vas gong to take his wife with him
when he sailed in the spring
1t half vexed and half pleased him.
1t sent little, exquisite, delightful
thrill along his nerves 10 think OF
Blanche as his wife-she was beautiful
and bewildering enough to stir less
susceptible heart than his-but he rath-
er wished people would not be in such
haste to talk about it before he had VEN
tured to do so himself. As far as his
'.courtship'' If there had been any such
thing-was concerned. it only consisted
so far in certain little, indescribable
chances which everybody with the
least imagination or experience-can
fancy for themselves and of little, lin
gering, caressing touches and. well,
Pm not quite sure but there might have
l., i a. l.
things have happened, even when the
parties weren't cousins, as in the pres
-ent instance. hope no person with a
rigid sense of propriety will accuse me
of winking at so heinOtis an otfense, be-
cause | don't do it. | have very real
izing sense that it isn't at all proper"
and I'm most sure it's actually wicked;
: butxthen, What can L do about it? l
have not the least hope that if Ishould
: devote my life to the reform of this
enormous evil, that l should succeed in
stamping it OUT" people are-well, so
lce,g human.
But to return to my subject. Ralph
was in that uncertain period between
the dawn and daylight of love, when
imagination is most active and eloquent.
But somehow wet blanket seemed sud-
denly thrown over the rosy flame And
s.sven when he came into the enchanting
presence, the spell was powerless.
E Blanche perceived the coolness--
rather the lack of warmth, in a moment.
After they had set out on their home
ward Journey, she set herself to the
task of discovering the cause of Ralph's
very evident abstraction. She came at
it before they had ridden half q mile,
although Ralph had secretly determined
Al. d.
could not tell afterward. when thinking
it over, how he had come to do so.s
Blanche was so shocked to think a
young woman had come near perishing
so nigh them, that her voice faltered
and her eyes filled with tears.
..How terrible it would have been If
she had died-the pretty little creature"
she said. in GU of feeling Life is
Just as dear to poor simple little serv-
ant-girl as it is to you or me. l am 30
glad you found her. dear Ralph the