Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1884-08-14
dowments of the place were more than
Mr.. Whittlestaff desired.
s. MARY I.4yRrr ~ : ~

She was silent and reserved, and some
times startled. even when appealed t.
In household so quiet as that of Mr.
Whittlestaff. Those who had seen hel
former life had known that she hat
lived under the dominion of her step
mother, and had so accounted for he
manner. Added to this was the sens,
of entire dependence on a stranger
which, no doubt, helped to quell hel
spirit But Mr.. Whittlestaff had eve:
with which to see and ears with which
to hear, and was not to be taken il
by the outward appearance of the
young lady. He had perceived tha
under that quiet guise there existed 6
power of fighting battle for herself oil
for friend, if an occasion should arise
which should appear to herself to be-
sufficient. He had known her as one
of her fathers household and of hel
step-mother' and had seen probably
some instance of self-assert;on, such as
had not yet made itself apparent tC
Mrs. Baggett.
A man who had met her once, and
for few minutes only, would certainly
not declare her TO be beautiful. She,
toe, like Mr.. Whittlestaff, was always
contented to pass unobserved. But the
chance man, had he seen her for long,
would surely remark that Miss Lawrie
was an attractive girl; and had he
heard her talk freely on any matter
of interest, would have called her very
attractive. She would blaze into sud-
den eloquence, and then would become
shane-stricken. and abashed, and dunn
founded. so as to show that she had for
a moment forgotten her audience, and
then tie audience, the chance man,
would set his wits to work to reproduce
in her a renewal of that intimacy to
which she had seemed to yield herself
for the moment.
Her hair was dark, and worn very
plain, but with that graceful care which
shows that the owner has not slurrcd
over her toilet with hurried negligence.
OF complexion it can hardly be said
that she had any, so little was the APP
pearance of her countenance diversified
by change of hair. Ii l am bound to
declare her color, 1 must, in truth, say
that she was brown. When she first
came TO Cookers Hall. health produced
no variation. Nor did any such come
quickly; though before she had lived
there a year and half, now and again
a slight tinge of dark ruby would show
itself on her cheek, and then vanish al
most quicker than it had come. Mr..
Whittlestaff, when he would see this.
would be almost beside himself in adj
miration.
Her nose was slight and fine, and lent
to her face. of all her features, its most
special grace. Her lips were too thin
for true female beauty, and lacked that
round and luscious fullness which seems
in many girls face to declare the pur-
pose for which they were made.
Through them her white teeth would
occasionally be seen, and then her face
was at its hest, as, for instance, when
she was smiling; but that was seldom;
and at other moments it seemed as
though she were too careful to keep her
mouth closed.
But if her mouth was defective, the
symmetry of her chin, carrying with it
the oval of her cheek and jaws, was per-
feet. That absolute perfection which
Miss Lawrie owned, we do not, perhaps,
often meet.
An incident must now be told of her
early life, of which she never spoke to
man, woman. or child. Her step
mother had known the circumstance,
but had rarely spoken of it. There had
come across her path in Norwich a
young man who had won her affections.
But the young man had passed on, and
there, as far as the present and past
were concerned, had been an end of it..
The young man had been no favorite
with her step-mother; and her father.
who was almost on his death bed, had
heard what was going on almost with
out remark. He had been told that
the man was penniless, and as his
daughter had been to him the dearest
thing upon earth, he had been glad TO
save himself the pain of expressing dis
approval. John Gordon had, however.
been gentleman, and was fit in all
things to be the husband of such girl
as Mary Lawrie, except that he was
pennilcss, and she, also, had possessed
no hing. He had passed on his way
without speaking. and had gone-even
Mary did not know whittier. She had
accepted her fate, and had never
allowed the name of John Gordon to
pass her lips.
The days passed quickly at Croker S
Hall, but not SO quickly but that Mary
knew well what was going on in Mr..
Whittlestaff's mind. 8 girl may believe
that a man loves her, and may be de-
Ceived; but she will not be deceived rs
to whether he wishes to marry her.
Gradua ,ly came the conviction on Miss
Lawrie's mind of MIR. Whittlestaff' s
purpose. And. as it did so, came the
convi-tion also that she could not do it.
OF this he saw nothing; but he was in
stigated by it to be more eager, and
was at the same time additionally
abashed by something in her manner
which made him feel that the task be-
fore him was not an easy one.
Mrs. Baggett, who knew well all the
symptoms as her master displayed them,
became angry with Mary Lawrie. Who
was Mary Lawrie. that she should take
upon herself to deny Mir. Whittlestatf
anything? No doubt it would, as she
told herself, be better for Mrs. Baggett
that her master should remain unmar-
ried. She assured herself that if mis-
tress were put over her head, she must
retire to Portsmouth, which, of all
places for her, had the dreariest MEM
Dries. She could remain where she was
very well, while Mary Lawrie remained
also where she was. But it provoked
her to think that the Offer should be
,n1ade to the girl and should be refused.
efWhat ON earth it is they sees in 'em,
Is what 1 never can understand. She
amt pretty, not to say, and she looks
as though butter wouldn't melt in her
mouth. But she's got it inside her, and
some of them days it'll come out"
Then Mrs. Baggett determined that she
would have few words ON the subject
with Mary Lawr.e. IS
Mary had now been year and four