Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-12-23

| By the lantern on the snow, she saw hin
smile, forbidding, sneerng, vindictive.
Don't leave me here" she cried. 'Yot
| dare not" But the heavy door wa:
| closed and locked while she was speaking
| She flew to the windows, shrieking
| '+Help! heipr' but no one heard her. Then
! it occurred to her that it was only joke
Hiram had locked her in, not unwilling that
she should have fright, but he would
soon come back and release her-that he
could dare to leave her there for the night
| was too horrible. Why, the fright of il
| would kill her by morning!
Then she sat down 10 one of the pews and
tried to think what she should do.
They would not miss her, because each
would think she was with the other. HeI
mother would worry a little, but as the
night wore on, she would believe her safe
at home with Kate Blossom or Alice Baker.
And Maurice-once he would not have slept
till he had said ''good night to her. Now
he would not miss her-no, even though
this was to have been their bridal eve.
1t was not cold. A great fire had been
made in the furnace in the basement, and
the heat was almost intense, but it was
drearily lonely. May would have given
much for the company of that church
mouse the girls had been laughing about
From time to time there were threatening
noises, as some STRAIGHTFORWARD pew
groaned in fiber, or the floors gave back
some echo that had fingered in them. But
surely that was the organ! And that was
Maurice playing! soft, sweet and steady
the tones rolled in subdued grandeur
through the silent church. Spell bound,
May sat and listened.
1t was Maurice Dawson who was play
ing, not the mad musician, but the former
Maurice, clothed and in his right mind,
who, in finding the last chord of Christ
mas music, had also found himself. He
had hurried to May as soon as church was
over that evening, but, somehow, had
missed her, and, when he went to her
home, was told that she must have gone to
spend the night with Kate.
Then, restless, impelled by some urging
spirit that was not one of the capricious
fancies that had lately held him in thrall,
but a sane and earnest desire to once more
test the wonderful production he had given
to the world, he went to the church, and,
entering by way he knew of, sought his
beloved instrument, to find that it was. in
deed, a reality he had found, and, inn
pTisoned in its letters of sweet sound, the
lost chord. He played with the rapture of
gratitude, and, when he had finished lifted
his eyes and saw May standing beside him.
When Hiram Wright heard the bells
peallnS IOrtn the christmas cnlneS ne
covered his head and trembled like a guilty
thing. Would the old sexton hear her and
let her out from that ghostly imprison-
ment? No, for he had the key. He did not
need that to climb to the bell-tower Sleep
he could not, and he tossed till morning,
and then went forth to hear-what? That
Maurice Dawson had been married in the
church before the midnight hour rang!
That the whole village had been present,
so quickly had the news of his dastardly
conduct spread, and the rector himself had
suggested the happy finale to a year of mis-
cry. And Kate Blossom had cried, and in
the excitement proffered her gold thimble
for the weddingring. And, as a climax,
every one held out the hand of peace on
earth and goodwill to Hiram Wright Like
the traitorous Roman maiden who gave up
the gates of the city for the bracelets of the
soldiers, he was killed by the kindness of
those who deSDiSed him.