Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-08-27
CHAPTER Kill
VISITING THE MINES.

Jennie and Lucy, and John Parsons was
thus left without means of obtaining
frequent or reliable information of the
progress of work at the mines.
He was at the landing every day or
two with produce for shipment, and
always inquired of such as he met if
they had any news from Gravel Hill,
but received no information of pos
tive character such as he had been ac-
customed to obtain from Mr.. Annelsey.
he had, in fact, questioned that young
gentleman so often and so infinitely.
that he felt as if he knew the mines,
and all the deta Is of the work of prep
aration for working them, as perfectly
as if he had located them and superin-
tended the labor of the men himself;
but now he only heard rumors, those of
to-day being contradicted by those of
tomorrow. OF late, too. he had frequent
ly been answered impatiently, almost
rudely, by those whom he was in the
habit of questioning about the mine
fairs of the mining company them
selves, and could see no reason for his
solicitude, and were growing weary of
his constant and persistent inquiries.
1t was known. of course, that the son
been somewhat intimate with his
daughter, and there were found gossips
who intimated that the old mans de-
sire for Information from the mines was
really desire Tor information of GER
tain young man who had made his
headquarters there during the time he
was not roaming over the country.
/ flirting with such young girls as were
foolish enOurh to permit it. -
And then the moral vultures, from
which even country neighborhoods
are not always free, futtered their
wings and INDUCED in another little
flight of fancy.
The pretense of a return to school
was only blind" they said '.Lucy's
parents had found it necessary to send
her from home for a time, and her
elder sister accompanied her as a nurse
and to prevent any suspicion of the true
cause of her going"
No one who knew the family well
gave any heed to these tales but there
were those who did believe them, and
who looked upon the changed appear
/ ance of John Parsons as confirmation
of them: for there was no denying that
there was change in'him. Among his
neighborS and at the landing he had
been noted for the hearty manner with
! which he greeted everybody. whether
, bov or man, and for a jOvial expression
of countenance that gave an instant
! impression of prosperous and con-
| tented man, as well as the poSseSsor of
/ q kindly heart But now his whole eX-
/ preston and manner was changed.
| Often at the landing he passed men
whom he knew, without appearing to
! see them. and looked at strangers with
! out speaking, but in a manner which
| seemed to question them of their pur-
pose of coming to the locality. All the
| jollity had left him. and his greetings,
/ even to his best friends. had lost their
/ hearty cordiality. and he inquired less
| frequent after their health and more
and more often if they had any news
from the mines, until even they began
+ to wonder if there might not be some
F thing in the rumors which had reached
/ their ears, and one day when he had
/ seemed particularly dowucast. neigh
! Dor in reply to his usual inquiries for
news from Gravel Hill, said:
See here, Parsons, know it isn't
any of my business, but if l were YOU
and see Mr. Annelsey. Young men are
g
really bad at heart, and NAV be if you
see him yourself and talk to him with
out showing temper he'll do the square
| thing
| The square thing" that John Par
sons wanted done was to leave him aud
/ his in undisturbed possession of their
home, with its whey ards and orchards,
/ its plot of ground where the turkeys
/ and chickens and ducks wandered and
/ nested and raised their young; the rose
| bush over the cottage porch; the vege-
/ table garden at the side; the fields for
! pas urage and grain stretching away
on every side
| He thought of Mr.. Annelsey only in
connection with the mine whose wash
! ings might flood his ranch and destroy
! all that Martha and he had labored so
hard to accumulate and leave them in
! their old age to begin all over again.
And what use To begin again if this
place, too. should be wrested from
them? He would have no heart, no
! faith to go farther or do more. He
| should feel that God was ont of the uni
verse; that the sun had set in eternal
night, if forced again to take his loved
ones and flee into the wilderness.
! Not the faintest intimation of the
meaning of the neighbor's words
reached his mind. Had it done so. had
he known that the kindly words of his
/ friend implied stain upon the charac-
! ter of lis daughter, he would have re-
/ scented it in a manner to prevent its
repetition, at least in his presence; but
he saw only a suggestion that he should
90 personally to the mines, see with his
own eyes how great the cause for alarm
really was. take advantage of his ac-
quaintance with Mr.. Annelsey in the
work of securing information, and in
case he found the danger imminent. to
induce the young man to use his int1u-
ence to avert it
| The neighbours allusion to Annelsey
as wild he did not notice; or. if he
/ did. supposed that the speaker intended
to convey the thought that the COM
/ pany might not be inclined to give
much weight, in matters of business, to
j the advice of so young man; regard
/ ing him as inexperienced, and conse-
! quently wild in his Judgment. But the
suggestion of visiting the mines and
seeing for himself he whole situation
struck him as good one, and he re-
solved at once to 60.
The next morning at breakfast he an
nounced his intention of gong to Gravel
Hill. He made no mention of his pur-
pose in going, AID neither his wife nor
Erastus had any need to ask; they
understood without asking, and raised
no objections. Possibly they hoped he
might learn something which would re-
lieve his anxiety and bring back his old
time cheerfulness. Martha Parsons