Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-07-03

pucker about his thin lips, took his DEL
parture. leaving the boy standing ex1
tremely red and embarrassed, IN fhd
presenca 1T che. doctor. Nhoms he knea
very well by sighs-f0 for Doctor Snif6
was sometimes called in to 8eee Phfl,a.
kfamily ia sickness. md ho hal Dp53tN
little daughter named Hetty. about
Pills own age, whom the latter senk
valentines, though without his name,
for he was very shy with the girls.
&ssWhy. Philip. cd the doctor. As the
door closed on Mr. 01ger, II am sorry
to hear that any o. b sick. And how
came the old gentleman to call you
Peter Grubbsp Isn't there some mis-
take?"
yves, sir,n answered the boy. feel
ing considerably ashamed. but thinking
it best to confess the truth in order to
get out OF this scraps yes. sir; IL is .
"A mistake. There's nobody sick at
home, and I didn't come after you, sirs
but
And here his courage failed him, and
he stammered and stopped short. and
looked as embarrassed and as sheepish
as boy could well do.
..Oh,' said the doctor. good-hul
moredly, 81 understand! You came ia
pay us friendly visitf Well. walk
into the parlor. Philip. lam sure we arc
all very glad to see you. Here is Mrs
Smith and my daughter, Blanche, and
Hetty and Tom. You know Hetty and
Tom, don't your"
The doctor had opened the parlor
door and led Phil into the room where
the family were all assembled. The
boy was very red and the picture Of
confusion as he took the seat offered
him. How could he explain here. before
them ALP ssFas
So he sat, nervously turning his hat
round and round. and feeling hot and
cold by turns, and almost wishing that
the earth would open and swallow him
up; for he was perfectly convinced that
the family imagined that he had come
to see Hetty. Indeed. he saw Tom
Smith, some years older than himself,
grinning behind the book that he had
been reading, and caught glimpse Of
Hetty herself, blushing. on the opposite
side of the center table.
Mrs. Smith asked after his mother,
and the doctor pleasantly inquired about
his school and his studies; and present.
ly Miss Blanche placed q checker-board
on the table, and asked him il he
wouldn't like to play with Hetty: and
then she brought some cake and fruit,
which nearly choked Phil whe he tried
to swallow them; and the checkers
rolled on to the floor, and when he and
Hetty both stopped to pick them up, he'
butted his head awkwardly against hers
and Tom grinned again. until Phil felt,
as though his face were in Q furnace, il
burned so.
ell think ] must CO." he said, ris-
ing:
Mrs Smith asked him to come again.,
and Miss Blanche sent her love to his,
sister, Helen, and the doctor, as he
shook hands with him, said that they
would all be very glad to see him at
any time; and no sooner did Phil find
himself again outside of the front-doorl
than he started of, and ran across the
street into the very deepest shadows Of
the linens, where the boys had been ALI
this time, watching for his appearance.
for they had overheard what had passed.
between himself and Mr.. Folger, and
greatly enjoyed Pills predicament
..oh, my! you caught it this time"
said one.
"Rather, old Folger caught your
said Will Hart.
And then they all broke into laugh.
which so exaggerated Phil that, in his
excitement, he rushed in among them,
and struck right and left, while they
lodged behind the trees, and laughed,
and seemed to think it all capital
joke.
"rn never ring door-bell again for
to himself, as he walked homeward.
-, And nd il i very probable that he has e
Rnt - this dau wbarouaysN6r EcIco~