Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-07-09

CHAPTER H.-CoNTINuEp.
They were such little bits o. tots
wnen l left that I really 'spect they
nave forgotten how their own father
looks There's Martha, now, she'd
recognize me in minute, I'll venture;
SIX years is long time. though, and
I've had some awful hard knocks durin'
that time; wonder now if am lookin'
much the wus for wear" and he arose
a little hurriedly and went and hunted
up the bit of looking glass among his
KIT OF things, and took long look at
himself with a queer kind of feeling
about the heart, that some way re-
minded him of the days when he first
knew himself to be in love with Martha
Simmonds, and was little uncertain as
to how his advances would be received.
Every day after that until they came,
lhe had looked in the glass at least once,
and often more than once, and had kept
his hair and beard combed and his
clothes looking as well as possible, con-
sidering the fact that, to a very great
extent, he was forced to rely on strin gs
to do the duty usually performed by
buttons
He had at first thought of meeting
his family at Sacramento, aud had gone
down there in the middle of August
with the intention of remaining until
they arrived; but as the time OF their
coming was quite uncertain, and might
not be for several weeks yet, and as
some things remained to be done to the
cottage, he had made arrangements
with 10 Bronson, who also had friends
IN the expected. company, to see that
they were properly directed after being
supplied with anything of which they
might be in special need, or to at once
notify him in case anything had gone
wrong with them. and had returned to
the ranch to await them there.
For several days after his return he
busted himself about the cottage, put
ting in a shelf here; driving up a nail
there; going out to look at the garden,
the ground for which he had broken
early in the spring the first day
after ne had laid his claim and written
his family to come-and which now,
thanks to his careful tending and the
natural adaptability of the soil and
climate, could easily furnish vegetables
and melons enough for larger family
than the one whose wants they were in
tended to supply; and remembering
that but a few days or weeks interviewed
before their coming, that even now
they might be in sight from the bluffs
at the bend of the creek whose wind
ings the road followed, that they might
be coming around the bend at any mo-
ment, is it any wonder that he slept but
lightly, or that he often raised himself
from his blanket, fancying he heard
familiar voice calling to him through
the darkness?
Only two days before their arrival
neigboring squatter called at the ranch,
and the two men spoke together earn
estly and eXcitedly, and when the neigh
Dor left John Parsons hastily mounted
his pony and dashed away across the
country at break-neck speed, casting
anxious chances back over the track in
the direction from which he expected
any day, any hour, to see the canvas
covered wagon in whose occupants
every hope of his life centered.
After an'absence of few hours he
returned at the same reckless pace, but
only to dash off again, after making GER
thin that no one had been at the cottage
during his absence,
just at nightfa1l he came home,
fastened instead of turning loose his
pony, and cut for him bundle of the
wild oats that grow SO Justify upon the
rich soil of the Suscol Ranch and sur
rounding valley.
Then he began to pace back and
forth before the porch of the cottage.
He did not cook or eat any supper;
he even forgot to light his pipe.
ALI through that night he paced up
and down or stood looking into the sky
or out toward the distant hills.
When morning came he cooked and
tried to eat his breakfast, but could
only swallow with an effort, and when
it was over he set the unwashed dishes
aside and looked in the bit of glass
again.
What he saw there seemed to hurt
him in some way. The face that was
reflected back appeared older and not
so good-looking as he hao fancied it
had when he last saw it; he felt that
even Martha would hardly know
him; and with the thought, tears, the
first he had shed since he kissed wife
and babies goodbye away back in the
States, almost seven years ago, forced
themselves from his closed lids. and he
laid down the piece of loohingg-g glass as
IL ashamed even that the image in it
should look upon his emotion.
After awhile he lay down upon his
blanket, telling himself that he must not
look too care-worn at their coming, but
his eyes refused to remain closed. In
stead. they persisted in wandering
about the rooms; lingering for a mo-
ment upon each object in which their
possessor had felt a special interest as
that would tighten the Ia
bors of his wife; some little thing she
would not be likely to expect and
which would give her the more pleasure
because of 1T.
All the day through he was up and
down, out and in the cottage, unable or
to work, forgetting his din
ner until long past the usual hour. and
then permitting it to burn to crisp
when he did undertake it; but just as
the sun was going down he saw COM
ing around the curve in the road a COW
cred wagon; and although wagons
such wagons-were far from uncom-
mon sights to him, and although it
might well be strangers that APP
preached, yet something told him that
K was his own loved ones, and with the
thought every look of WEAKNESS and
care went out of his face, and a moment
later the woman in q bingham dress
and sun-bonnet had no difficulty in rec
ognizing her husband in the man whose
eager arms were thrown about her even
before she could descend from the
wagon.