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

| caused her more pleasure than embar-
rassment would not have been so EASY
to determine.
Mr.. Annelsey himself had no doubt of
it, however. Had she not told him on
parting at the lake that he might call,
and was she not blushing and embar-
| raised nowp What better proof could
he desire that she was pleased and fiat
tered by his attentions?
None, he thought, and he was CORE
spondingly elated and became really
entertaining in relating his experience
in camping at the lake and at the mine
an experience which to him possessed
all the pleasure of novelty.
Lucy had intended TO tell her mother
| aud Jennie that Mr.. Annelsey had
asked permission to call on her, but had
not found courage to do SO, and, not
knowing at what time to expect his
coming, had deferred speaking of it,
hoping some opportunity would arise
without herself having to introduce the
subject
But although the family did not know
that he had requested permission to
call, it is probable that they were not
| greatly surprised at seeing him. They
knew him to be in the neighborhood,
and perhaps others besides Erastus sus-
pected that his appearance at the picnic
was not purely accidental.
Although the young man had called
especially to see Lucy, Jennie was per-
haps more pleased at his coming than
her sister, or than any other member of
the family. She liked him exactly as
she liked other young men who Were
| pleasant company, and hoped he would
remain in the vicinity and take part in
their occasional pastimes during the
) summer; and she had none of Lucy s
feelings of being made conspicuous by
having been selected as an object of
especial attention by him.
| As for their mother, she saw nothing
Objectionable in the young man. He
was gentlemanly, and appeared to her
to be as moral as other young men; and
what mother was ever offended that a
young man of wealth and standing in
society saw attractions in her daughter
which he did not see in the daughters
of others?
Mr.. Annelsey was given cordial in
vitation to remain to tea; an invitation
which he was not slow in accepting,
and so met Mr.. Parsons and Erastus,
both of whom treated him courteously,
though the greeting of the younger
man was certainly not excessive in its
cordially; and who, as soon as the meal
was over, made an excuse to leave the
house and did not return until Annelsey
had departed.
pleased that he had called, and showed
it. He wanted to see him. He wanted
to learn how the work at the
mine was getting on and how
soon they would probably be
ready to turn on the water and begin
washing down the hills, and his manner
was such as to still further Undue An
nelsey with the idea that he was held
in high favor and that Lucy and her
parents felt honored by his attentions.
In reply to Mr.. Parsons questions he
told him that the work on the flume
which was to conduct the water to the
reservoir was progressing rapidly-a
portion of it over two miles long having
been completed; that the remaining
mile would be finished by the time the
tunnel and the sluice for carrying away
the debris and saving the gold would be
ready, which would probably be in
about three months, and that then they
would be ready for active operations.
Not wishing to wear his welcome out,
he declined an invitation to remain at
the cottage over night and returned to
his camp by the lake, where his guide
awaited him, and on the following day
again took possession of the quarters
assigned him at the mining camp, which
already aspired to be called town, a
number of clapboard shanties and a
lodging house with the usual bar-room
attachment having been erected.
1t was not long before he was again
at the Parsons cottage; and soon it
came to be expected that he would
make one of any company of young
people that assembled for q merry
making in the neighborhood. If he did
not always escort Lucy he spent great
portion of the time at all these gather
ings in her company, and her compan-
ions were constantly reminding her in
a laughing way that she had captured
the young New Yorker, whom rumor
asserted was heir to million or two.
All this was source of great annoy
ance to Erastus. and at times caused
him to appear less gracious, both to-
wards Mr.. Annelsey and others, than
was usual with him. With Lucy his
mood was changeable, depending a
great deal upon the frequency of his
| rivals visits.
If week or more elapsed without a
call from Annelsey, Erastus resumed
his cheerful appearance and was sell
dom from home, spending much of his
spare time in the house, where he
laughed and joked with the girls in the
old time way; but the appearance of
! Annelsey was the signal for return of
silence on his part, and, unless there
was a gathering of the young folks
from which his absence might provoke
comment, he remained as little in the
company of the members of the family
as possible, making an excuse of a press
of work on the ranch, or of an appoint
ment with some of his gentleman friends
to spend the evening out. If he did
not, on such occasions, visit Julia Ennis
at her fathers residence, Lucy fancied
that he did, and she treated Julia. when
they met, with much cordiality and APP
peared anxious to help on the intimacy
which she thought existed between her
and Erastus.
Of Mr.. Ensign the family saw moth
ing. Once or twice some member had
inquired of Annelsey regarding him,
but that gentleman knew. or appeared
to know, little about him. Ensign was
still in the employ of the company, he
thought; perhaps swinging pick in
the tunnel; or may be at work on the
flume. Having nothing to do with the
accounts or directing the labors of the
workmen, Mr.. Annelsey could, he said,
tell nothing further about him.
| Whether Mrs Parsons was pleased at
the frequency of Mr.. Annelsey's visits
or not it would have been hard to tell.