Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-04-09

1.-TWO hundred miles. But letter.
ooh! A letter would take four DAYS
we must be at sea in two. There,
prisoner. That will do"
Stephen was beginning to feel queer.
He had not seen matters in this light at
all when he had given his clothes to the
real Private Blackthorn and transformed
himself into deserter. Still, it was
| monstrous on the face of it. And a
lucky thought came into his mind.
Without putting Farmer Blackthorn
| upon the painful scent he was engaged
in keeping from them, and must not,
without utmost need, reveal, he saw
how he could get out of this queer
| scrape at once and well.
81 have friend, sir, hard by here-a
| responsible man, who will come over
tomorrow and tell you who 1 am; Mr..
Marrish. one of the leading yeomen of
this countryside. Ii may send him a
message"
One of the officers whispered a word
to the Major, who regarded the prison.
er Grossly and doubtfully, with redden-
ing eyes. You're troublesome
rascal" said he, whoever you are;
and if you're lying the Kings got one
bad bargain; and if you're not lying
he's well rid of another. We don t
want lawyers against the French; we
want men. Sergeant, see that this fell
lows message goes tonight. Gentle
men, one more bottle before turning
in"
No Half Moon tonight. Stephen OBJ
tanned split quill and some ink and
water in its native bottle, and, by the
light of stable lantern, on the corn
bin for desk, wrote:
DEAR MARRIsH: A numbering Irish SER
geant has arrested me for deserter. I'm mis-
taken for another man. And the worst of the
blunder is that the regiment is bound for for
eign service. Come over to Manchester pray.
at any trouble, for which you may reckon on
my gratitude-for it is serious thng-and
come yourself, for have reasons which you
shall know hereafter, for keeping this mess
word. All ask you to do is to ask for Major
Squire. at the Bull, Manchester, and to tell
STEPHEN HARLOW"
Having given this to the sergeant
himself, he found nothing better to do
than to lie down in the straw and dream
of his Patience till morning found it's
way through the green bottle-endS that
served to keep out the air. So, as no
body thought of his needing wash, he
looked next morning more than ever
But they gave him a hunk of bread
for breakfast; and he might have had
better, and been better waited upon,
and better believed besides, if he had
not transferred his purse as well as his
pocketbook to Dick Blackthorn. After
weary while, during which he vowed
twenty times never to be good-natured
again, he was about noon, again brought
into the club-room, and confronted with
the formidable tribunal, now as sober
as, according to the proverb, all judges
always are. But there, too, Goodness be
thanked! stood Enoch MarriSh; that
was better than well.
''Mr. what's your-name-"
''Marrish, Major Squire. Enoch Mar
rish," said the farmer.
'.Mr. Enoch Marrish," went on the
aior, with the condescension due from
one whose trade was killing to one
whose trade was feeding, '.we have
made inquiries, and learn that you are
a respectable and responsible man. The
prisoner here says you know him. Is
that sop
Farmer Marrish looked long and slow
ly at Stephen. Then he shook his
head.
No" said he.
Stephen Harlow started as if the first
of the fifty lashes had fallen ON his bare
shoulders.
Good God, Marrishr' he cried out,
''this is no joking matter! What do you
mean?"
The farmer shook his head again; and
that was all.