Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-08-20
CHAPTER XI.-CoNrINuED

CHAPTER XI-CoNTINuED.
1t may be. too, that knowledge that
q betrayal of such condolences generally
met punishment as swift as it was Sc
we're had restraining influence upon
those who were by nature bad.
be these things as they may, those
who are themselves free from guile ever
were. and ever will be, slow to suspect
evil OF others, and consequently ready
TO receive and treat as friends all who
have the outward appearance of respect
ability and goodness. And what COM
pany Of young ladies ever failed to look
with favor, more or less skillfuliy con-
cealed, upon the entrance into their cir
Gle OF young gentleman whose appear
ance gave promise that he would at
least be an agreeable partner for their
festivities. And if the gentlemen were
at all disposed to be Jealous of one
whose wealth or knowledge of the world
and the ways of polite society might
give him an advantage over them in the
eyes of their lady-loVes, they still could
not act the part of Doors and thus them
selves prove his superiority over them.
And so Annelsey's way to mingle
freely with all was made easy, and ri ght
well he improved it. He danced not
only with Lucy and Jennie Parsons,
but with a dozen others; but he sought
Lucy for partner oftenest, and when
they went for another sail upon the lake
he was still at her side, and would have
been pleased to have rowed with her
alone, but he was unaccustomed to the
use of the oars, besides which he feared
that she might refuse him, and so con-
tented himself with keeping as near to
her as possible in boat in which We're
half-dozen others.
Erastus noticed Annelsey's evident
preference for Lucy, and was i'll at
ease.
Whether it were true or not. he be-
lieved that the New Yorker had learned
of the picnic and came purposely to re-
new his acquaintance with her; and al
though he did not acknowledge to him
self that he loved Lucy other than as a
sister, he yet did not like this stranger
with his stylish clothes, his gold watch
and chain, and other evidences of
wealth and position, to be crowding in
between them; and when he saw, or
thought he saw, that Lucy was pleased
with the attention shown her by his
rival, as he now began to regard him,
he became actually jealous, and half
wished that the train which had brought
Annelsey from the States had plunged
down one of the precipices he was so
fond of mentioning as among the
dangers he had escaped.
Then realizing the awfulness of the
- L. -
nelsey might fall into the water and
wet the plush hunting suit which made
him so noticeable among his more plain
ly dressed fellows.
las if we had never seen any grand
scenery" h said. mentally. when An
nelsey was describing some of the
scenes on the line of the road which he
had passed over. And then he tried to
make himself believe that Annelsey
would not have known that the scenery
was grand and wonderful if somebody
had not pointed it out to him.
Then again he pictured his rival as
shrinking hack and covering his eyes
lest his head lie turned at sight of this
magnificent scenery-this almost bot
tomless abyss, upon the edge of which
his train wound, by describing which he
fancied the New Yorker was seeking to
draw attention to himself. He tried,
however. not 10 show that he objected
to Annelsey's presence, or attention to
Lucy, by avoiding her and paying court
to Julia Ennis. the daughter of neigh
Dor who had lately come among them.
Neither was Erastus the only one
who was inclined to look upon the
stranger as an interloper, for Lucy
Parsons was favorite with the young
men of the neighborhood. Her fresh
young face and lively mien. as well
as her kindly nature. attracted to her
all with whom she came in contact
And to-day, dressed all in white except
a bit of color at her throat, with her
clear complexion rendered more beau
tiful by the few months of comparative
close confinement at school, showing
yet more plainly in contrast with the
other girls, whose cheeks and arms
were tanned by exposure to the wind
and sun and in the labor of the house
hold, and may be the vineyard, it is mo
wonder that she attracted univeral
homage, and that more than one of the
little company wished that Annelsey
would return to the city whence he
came and leave them to contend among
themselves for the favor of the most
beautiful maiden in all the circle OF
their acquaintance.
When the party broke up and the rev.
elers were about to mount their horses
for the homeward ride Erastus noticed
Annelsey press close to Lucy and speak
to her in a low tone. He also saw Lucy
blush, but could only Judge from An
nelsey's demeanor that Lucy's words,
whatever they were, had not been un-
pleasant to him.
When they were mounted and on the
point of starting, some one remarked
to Mr.. Annelsey that if he was intend
ing to return to the mining camp that
night he would have to ride late; to
which he replied that he should camp
on the spot where they were and spend
another day. possibly several of them,
in fishing and hunting in the vicinity.
The homeward ride of the merry
makers was made at such PAGES as suit
ed the fancy of each. A dozen of the
young people only retained each other
company during the entire distance.
The others Jagged behind, and then
dropped OFT into couples. and so rode
homeward over the dusky hills in the
twil:eht-a twilight which was first
golden and then purple. gradually
changing into darkness not so great as
to make travelling dangerous or diff
cult, but dark enough to set the crick-
cts to chirping; dark enough to hide
the blush of maiden whose lover was
tempted to tell again the story first told
in the Garden of Eden, and retold by
every generation since; too dark to en-
able them to see the night-birds that
called to each other from the roadside
until frightened into taking wing by the