Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-03-12

Patience. Pm going to take your HAND
and [ am going to look into YOU
eyes. just think what feel about yot
and yours. Your father is my bes
friend. He's made man of me; what
ever I'm ever to be for good owe tt
him. I'm his, heart and hand. Anc
| I'm yours-you know how. And We
you won't even tell me when he's il
trouble, SO that I may help him all
| know how"
Patience Blackthorn had been in
many minds since she had first heard
her old playfellow voice at the gate.
At first she had meant to be saucy, just
to punish him for nothing; then she had
meant with her Blackthorn pride) to
braZen out the poverty at Legs Croft
before the young man who had only
seen it rich and tiourishing; then some
thing in his masterful way forbade her
to be anything but angry with herself
for crying. If he had never come she
would not have shed a tear, even had
| she sawn through her wrist instead of
the log; but, he being there with his
strength, she might be girl again, and
| sit down and cry-not so unhappily as
| it might seem.
| oOI SHt uOU u
understand things-they didn't come
into music nor the globes-but they'r re
| gone all wrong ever since-I think
| ever since you went away. We've had
| to sell all the stock for song; and last
harvest was just terrible; and we can
pay the men their wages from week to
week, and so they have to go; Giles,
that might have stuck to us, and all
1t don't SO much matter to me, because
I'm young and strong, and it's dread
full to think of all the time I've lost;
but there's father, he's not strong and
he's not young. You'll be sorry to see
how he's got to look. I'm trying to
keep things going with my own hands;
I'm trying hard; but-there, you see I
can't even get stick of wood in two.
IT'S but poor welcome we can give
you this time, Stephen"
GOOD God! You mean-ruin! But
your brother Dick-where' hep"
Don't ask me that, Stephenr' she
cried. Don't let father hear his name!
We-don't kuoW."
Patience! Why, you loved him
better than your father, and your father
almost better than your
Hes not done anything wrong.
Stephen-you mustn't think that; Dick
couldn't do anything wrong if he
tried-but father fancies so; and that's
been the worst of all. He could have
fought through, if Dick had stayed;
but he's not even let him be named
since he went away. Oh, Stephen, I'd
just die of gladness if you could find
out what's become of Dick, and bring
him home. And for father to think
his own son Dick has been to blame
that's nigh too bad to bear"
Stephen SAID nothing all at once; for
he had reasons of his own, based on old
acquaintance, for feeling no assurance
that Dick Blackthorn's disappearance
was likely to be so altogether blameless
as Patience believed. Dicks farming
had always been pretty much confined
to the sowing of the wild oat, and no
doubt he was reaping the harvest. But
he could not say a word to lessen Dicks
sisters faith in her dear scapegrace; so
he held his tongue.
His left hand was still holding her
right, from which the saw had fallen;
and how could his right arm fail to find
out her waist, while she who was dearer
to him than the whole world was pour
ing into his ear tale of trouble that
made his heart bleed? And then the
tears in her eyes; they made his own
eyes swim. Nor did it seem in the least
wonderful. or even strange, that proud
Patience Blackthorn should let the arm
stay where it had stolen. He was just
conscious of her weakness-she of his
strength; both felt that play-time had
gone by. poor darling!" whispered
he; so low. that she heard it with her
heart rather than with her ears; and
the arm frightened its hold at is time
/ came, indeed!'
''You won't believe anything wrong
of Dick?" asked she.
Il love everything that belongs to
YOU said he, Dick and all. Do you
know why I'm here to-day?'
Because you couldn't find anything
better to do?'
ITO ask your father-who's been
more than father to me, God bless him!
if he'll let me be twice his son; and
he'll want one, now Dicks gone. I'm
but blacksmith's boy, and you're
Miss Blackthorn, of Legs Croft; l know
all that; but I'm Stephen Harlow, too,
that means to be a big man some day,
and is on the high road so to be. was
going to dare to ask him when thought
him as rich as Dives, Patience-there;
so see if l don't dare ask him now! l
didn't mean to see you first; but don't
mind Will you be my wife, Patience,
just to give your father son, and be-
cause love you so dear?'
They stood already as close as if they
were plighted lovers; and Patience had
no excuse for not reading the love that
streamed from his eyes into hers. Her
ioly nd hnr fin
and it must have been minutes that they
thus stood in that broken shed, full of
rubbish, reading one another's eyes, and
without spoken word.
But ''Wil you?'' he asked at
last.
No answer.
''Do you love mep"
If he had wanted spoken Yes" he
would have been fool. Was not her
hand still in his; her waist still held by
his arm; her eyes beginning to shine,
like April, through her tears.
This first kiss had been the ambition
of his life-and it had come.
Patience! Patience! Whatever come
of the lass9'' suddenly broke a we'll
known voice through the lovers dream.
Patience! l want you-come here!'
"It's father!' she whispered, f1ut-
tered. and half afraid.
'All the better. darlingr' said Stephen.
"Tll ask him now. ten times as bold.
Give me your hand, and We'll go to him
He led her so out of the shed into
the sunshine. And thus not only Far
mer Blackthorn, but Farmer Marrish
also, saw Stephen and Patience coming
Pafi