Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-10-29
placed both upon the roam, and mount

ing. resumed his journey.
just before noon he stopped at Q
little town, put up at the hotel, fed
and rubbed down his steed, got his
own dinner; and did not mount again
until the greatest heat of the day was
over. Then he pushed on at a rapid
pace until an hour after sunset, when
he again tethered his horse and slept
upon the ground, as he had done the
night before.
The day following was a repetition
of the one which preceded it, but its
close found him well up in the foot
hills, and he put up st the cottage of
a rancher, with whom he had stayed
over night when on his way to the
Slough the year before.
In the morning he arose with one
thought throbbing in brain and heart,
''to-night 1 shall see her; tonight I
shall know my fate"
He fed and groomed his horse as
usual, but could scarcely wait for
breakfast, which was not yet prepared
when he returned from the stable. He
had eaten cold lunch for supper, but
his Impotence conquered all desire for
food. He was counting the hours now,
and the moments would drag them
selves so until he was in the saddle
again.
Rather than appear discourteous or
strange, he waited for the morning
meal to be prepared, but was off almost
before his host had arisen from the Ia
BILE.
He had ridden seventy-five miles the
day before, and had feared the roam
might feel little stiff and sore at start
ing, but when he saw him come out OF
the stable with head up, apparently as
anxious as himself to be off, this fear
vanished, and he determined to push
through the remaining forty miles with
out hating. But he found the roads
not so good as he had anticipated.
He was now in a part of the foothills
with which he was unacquainted, for
he no longer followed the road over
which he came the year before, but
struck across the country by route
which left the old home off to the left,
and threw him further up towards the
mountains, and when noon came he
was still. from the best information he
could get, fully fifteen miles from John
Parsons shanty, and compassion for
his horse induced him to stop at ranch
er's for feed and rest; so that with this
delay and the trouble which he eXpe-
rienced in learning exactly where the
shanty was, even when within few
miles of it, the afternoon was well nigh
worn away when be reached the point
where the by-road which led to il
turned off from the main track; and
even then he was not certain of this be.
ing the place.
He had stopped his horse and was
debating with himself whether to turn
off or follow the main road yet further,
when he saw coming around the spur
of the mountain, and into the road over
which he had just passed, her for love
of whom he had come, and the sight
sent all the blood in his body surging
to his heart, and for the moment he
could neither have spoken nor moved.
Evidently Lucy had not seen him
pass, and was not now aware of his
presence.
She had gone to find the cows and
drive them home to be MIXED, and was
following along behind them as they
lazily moved homeward.
She was dressed as Erastus had seen
her oftenest in the olden time, in a
light print dress and sun-bonDet In
her hand she carried a little crooked
stick, which she had picked up to drive
the cows with, but was paying very lit
tie attention to them. Instead she was
gazing off upon the hills which
away and away, one above
another, until they became snow
capped peaks that in the light of the
falling sun looked like amethysts sci
into the cerulean blue of the heavens.
Had not the cows paused at sight OF
the man and horse standing in then
path she might have reached his side
before becoming aware of his presence.
but when the COWS stopped and stood
with their great eyes staring with the
least bit of surprise at what was not a
very common sight to them in their
mountain pastures, she raised her stick
and bid them ''go-long:" Then seeing
for the first time gentleman standing
the bride, she blushed little beneath
her sun-bonnet, and dropping her eyes.
followed closely after the cows, which
had again lazily taken up their line Of
march.
The blush which suffused her cheeks
was not, however, owing to her having
recognized the horseman. for she had
not done so. She had only glanced al
him and then dropped her eyes with a
feeling of embarrassment, for she sell |
dom met gentlemen now, and however |
much poets may sing the charms oil
in calico dresses, they will |
never be able to convince any member |
of the sex that thev look their best in |
that role, any more than can be taken |
from them their womanly desire to APP. |
pear well in the eyes of the opposite |
sex, even though he be an entire |
stranger, as she supposed this one to be |
who stood waiting for her approach, |
presumably that he might inquire the
way to some neigboring rancher's !
shanty, or possibly if her parents would |
entertain him for the night.
When within few PAGES she raised |
her eyes and turned her face towards |
him.
AS she did so he spoke her name and
took step towards her.
'.Lucy."
She stopped suddenly and the little
crooked stick fell to the ground while !
both hands went to her face pushing |
back the sun-bonnet.
sIucy, don't you know me? I've come
all the way back to see you; started the |
moment got your fathers let-that is
the moment l learned you were not 90.
ing to marry Mr.. Annelsey. 1 love
you, Lucy--love you better than any.
body or anything in all the world. !
have always loved YOU ever since we
were children together, and l want you
% be my wife"
And she only said: "Oh! 'Ras." and
put her hands to her face and began to
cry.
'Lucy. Lucy, can't you love me?".
pleaded her lover. II know am not !