Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-12-18

tor the school down in the village"
'tOh, Agnesm and mammals small,
white hands made a gesture of horror
and protestation.
Agnes was the beauty of the family
a slender, graceful girl, with face
like flower; all soft curves and deli
cate tints, lighted by a pair of iustrous
eyes, purple as pansies. She seemed
born to commandment, however, in
naughty, imperious way, but with
gentle graciousness that was charming
to see, because it was so unaffected.
She was the only one of us girls who
had a romance. / was too homely,
Ruth, too void of sentiment and jamie
too young. But ever since the early
age of eight, Agnes had had her devot-
ed loyer-Guy Hunt, only child of one
of the richest men in town. The infan-
tile affection of these two had been
something interesting to witness.
They had been solemnly welded with
an old brass curtain-ring, and were ever
afterward inseparable companions. On
reaching maturity the feelings of neither
had changed, but the old saying, 1.-The
course of true love never runs smooth"
had been verified in this instance.
Unfortunately, the old squire was the
man with whom my father had had the
lawsuit, and, not satisfied with having
his enemy under foot, was disposed to
crush him. He sternly forbade his son
to speak to Agnes, but 1 am glad to
say that Guy was too noble to heed so
unjust a command, and had Agnes
given her consent, the two young folks
might have been married Immediately.
But our pretty sister held beneath her
gentle exterior a most indomitable
pride. She would enter no family I'M
welcomed, and-well, 1 can't exactly
say how it happened, but any way, she
and Guy had a dreadful quarrel. But
when we timidly asked her about it,
she looked at us in way that made US
tremble in our shoes. and said: ''If you
love me, girls, never mention his name
to me again.
And with this we were forced to be
content. Despite mothers protest, Ag-
mes took up her drudging life of school
teaching with a patience that made US
wonder. How she, with her fastidious-
ness and love of beauty, could endure
mingling with the dirty-faced, tangle-
haired, quarreling urchins who daily
gathered together in the little red
school-house at the foot of the hill, l
Ruth, cheery-faced and strong-armed,
was the .'man of the family" The
vegetables she raised were marvels of
perfections and went along way toward
Iessening our table expenses. We kept
butter.
We all tried to help along. I, being
lame. was of little use, though occa-
sionally my scribblings brought back
check, and that, of course, made great
rejoicing.
jamie waited on mamma, and that
kept her busy; for poor mamma had
never been used to doing anything for
herself, and now it was too late for her
to try.
Aunt Betsey, strong, rugged and sem
sible, was the handspring of the house
hold machinery. And so we managed
to struggle along through one year, at
the end of which we found ourselves
well in body and considerably better off
in purse.
Zone hundred and thirty-three dol
lars, girlsr" said Ruth, one May morn
ing. 81 think that is pretty good, con-
sidering that we have the cow paid for
and dozen hens in the hen-house.
We're getting along famously! BY
next fall we'll be able to paint the
house and buy new stove for the par
lor."
Here's letter." said jamie, who at
that moment came in from a walk to
the village Post-office.
Its for me, isn't it?'' Agnes asked,
holding out her hand. 81 wrote to
New York for the price of new pri-
mary geography.
''It isn't for you, Aggie, it is adj
dressed to mamma"
..For me?' and mamma raised her
pale face with look of languid Curl
osity. "Dear me, girls 1t looks
Just like your uncle Johns handwrit-
ingr'
For the past year poor mamma had
been fiattering herself that the heart of
misery old uncle would be touched,
and that he would lift us all out of the
slough of poverty into which we had
fallen. Her white fingers trembled
with eagerness as she tore open the
coarse, yellow envelope and proceeded
to read the scrawling, black, spidery
lines At first her face was full of per-
plexity; then, as realization of some
awful truth dawned on her mind, her
expression instantly changed to wild
est CONSERVATION. At last she sobbed
out:
ssOh, girls! what shall we dop l
never. never dreamed of thisr'
Ruth seized the paper as it fell flut-
tering from mammals hand, and read
it aloud
"NEw YORK, May Is, 49,.
aMiDAMNI write this to notify you that the
mortgage of $500 on the small cottage and
five acres of land about three miles from the
next December. / shall need the money at
that time, and unless it is paid, will be un-
"JosHUa GRUMBLEDoN."
1.-THE man is either an impostor or a
lunatic ~ Ruth exclaimed, throwing
down the paper contemptuously.
..He' neither, my DEAR" said man.
ma, plaintively. .rd forgotten all |
about the mortgage until now. In
deed, surely thought your poor, dear
papa had settled it long ago. |
never dreamed that the place wasn't |
clear and free! Now, 1 remember, it |
was just five years ago that Mr.. |
was at our house. You |
girls were away at boarding-school. |
Your papa needed little ready |
money, and thought he would get it |
off this out-of-the-way property. So |
he asked me to sign away my third, |
and did it. never did know much |
about business you see, and I'm sure /
never supposed that putting down my
name to that bit of paper would make |
any difference Mr.. Grumbledon dined |
with us. / remember him very we'll |