Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-08-14

4 fancy was, and why Mr.. Whittlestafi
Il shouldn't have it.
81 tell you fairly, Miss, there is
nothing hate so much as vagaries in
young women"
Il hope there are no yagaries in me,
Mrs. Baggett. ~
..Weil, I'm not quite so sure. You do
oo as straightforward as most on 'em
but I amt quite sure but that there are
a few twists and twirls. What do you
!. suppose he wants to be atP''
.sHow am to say" Then she be-
thought herself that were she to tell the
. truth she could say very we'll
..Do you mean as you don't knowp"
said the old woman.
..Am 1 bound to tell you if I do
know?"
IF YOU wish to do the best for HIM,
you are. What's the good of beating
about the bush? Why don't you have
him?'
Mary did not know whether to be
angry with the old servant, and if so,
how she was to show her anger. .You
shouldn't talk such nonsense, Mrs. Bag
gett.''
That's all very we'll. It is all nom
sense: but nonsense has to be talked
sometimes. Here's gentleman as you
owe everything to. If he wanted your
head from your shoulders you shouldn't
make any scruple What are you, that
YOU shouldn't let gentleman like him
have his own way? Asking your par
don, but don't mean it any way out
of disrespect. OF course it would be
all agin me. An old woman doesn't
want to have young mistress over her
head. and if she's my sperrit she
wouldn't bear it. l won't, any way
'.Then why do you ask me to do this
thing?'
because gentleman like him should
have his own way. And an old bag
like me shouldn't stand for anything
No more shouldn't a young woman
like you who has had SO much done for
her. Now, Miss Mary, you see I've
told you my mind freely"
..But he has never asked me"
'You just sit close up to him and
he'll ask you free enough. l shouldn't
speak as 1 have done if there had been
a morsel of doubt about it. Do you
doubt it yourself, Miss?" To this Miss
Lawre did not find it necessary to re-
turn any answer.
When Mrs Baggett had gone Mary
could but think over what the woman
be angry with the woman, and to ex-
press her anger? Was it not imperti-
nent, nav, almost indecent, that the
woman should come to her and interro-
gate her on such sub ;ect? The most
secret feelings OF her heart had been
ruthlessly inquired into by mental
servant, who had asked questions and
made suggestions as though her part in
the affair had been of no consequence.
''What are you. that you shouldn't
let gentleman like him have his own
way?'' Why was it not as much to her
as to Mr.. Whittlestaff? Was it not the
making or unmaking of her Joy or of
her happiness? Could it be right that
she should marry any man, merely be-
cause the man wanted her? Were there
to be no questions raised as to her own
ideas of what was proper? 1t was true
that this woman knew nothing of John
Gordon. But she must have known
that there might be a John Gordon
whom she, Mary Lawrie, was required
to set one side, merely because Mr..
Whittlestaff 'wanted her." Mrs. Bag
gett had been grossly impertinent in
daring to talk to her of Mr.. Whittle-
staff wants.
But, as she walked slowly round the
garden, she found herself bound to in
quire of herself whether what the
woman said had not been true. Did
she not eat his bread; did she not wear
his clothes; were not the very boots on
her feet his property? And she was
there in his house, without the slightest
tie of blood or family connection. He
had taken her from sheer charity, and
had saved her from the terrible depen-
dency of becoming a friendless gov
erness. And he had brought her to his
own house, and had made her the mis-
tress of everything. She knew that she
had been undemonstrative in her man
ner, and that such was her nature. But
her heart welled over with gratitude as
she thought of the sweetness of the life
which he had prepared for her. Was
not the question true? "What am /,
that should stand in the way and pre-
vent such man as that from having
what he wants?"
And then she told herself that he was
full of good gifts. How much was there
in this man that she knew that she
could learn to love? And he was one
of whom she need in no wise be
ashamed. He was a gentleman, pleas
ant to look at, sweet in manner, come
iy and clean in appearance. Would not
the world say of her how lucky she had
been should it come to pass that she
should become Mrs. Whittlestafl? Then
there were thoughts of John Gordon.
and she told herself that it was mere
dream. John Gordon had gone, and
! she knew not where he was; and John
! Gordon had never spoken a word to her
of his love. After an hours delihera-
ton. she thought that she would marry
Mr.. Whittlestatf if he asked her, though
she could not bring herself to say that
she would sit close up to him. in or
der that he might do so.
! CHAPTER ".
MARY LAwRIE ACCEPTS MIR. wBIrHLEsrAEF
By the end of the week Mary Lawrie
had changed her mind. She had thought
it over, and had cndeavored to persuade
herself that MIR. Whittlestaff did not
care about it very much. indeed there
were moments during the week in which
sic fattered herself that if she would
abstain from "sitting close up to him.
he would say nothing aboutit But she
resolved that she would not display her
anger to Mrs. Baggett. Mrs. Eaggett.
after all, had done it for the best. And
| there was something in Mrs. Baggett'
mode of argument on the subject which
was not altogether unilattering to Mary.
1t was not as though Mrs. Baggett had
| told her that Mr.. Whiltlestai could
make himself quite happy with Mrs.
Baggett herself, if Mary Lawrie would
"a ,rnOd to