Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-04-15

as long as no price was aJtacneu-Dut
never check greeted his expectant
eyes.
IF were only a rag-picker." he had
repeated over and over, ''they would
make me a hero"
Stern necessity had forced him to 90
into some business, and friend had
| offered him the city agency of his dairy
products. So it came about that des-
tiny had made him s'the butter-man of
our square" When well settled in the
new place, he smiled grave, amused
little smile, and said to himself:
well, this will do for present needs.
but the publishers will have to come to
terms some day, for shall write, write
until l am called back to heaven, and ii
they have paper and pen there, l have
no doubt but that l shall still continue
| through all time"
Not long after he opened mis- dairy
depot, he wrote a story that seemed to
him to be of stirring interest. 1t was
graphic romance, founded upon GER
tain Indian massacre which devastated
an island in Humboldt Bay, California,
some fifty years before. A few weeks
| after it was sent away, it was returned
| to him with note which said
eve would advise you to stick to
butter-making. 1t may pay you far
| better than literature.
| Whether the message was meant to
be offensive or not, he could scarcely
tell. 1t might have come from the
weary reader of the great publish
inc house; that over-worked Individual
who continually felt the humiliating
certainty that every thing in the
literary profession below the '.great
lights" was an everlasting grind for
| which there was no compensation.
Schnuriger gave the writer the benefit
of the doubt-and even went so far as to
say compassionately: poor devilo'
Miss James daily calls had established
somewhat of a friendly footing between
them He no longer looked upon her
as homely old girl of too youthful
proclivities, as he had at first. Indeed,
he had found her interesting from many
standpoints, and he rather enjoyed his
conversations with her. 1t had not
gone far enough for him to call upon
her-still the intercourse was very
friendly.
One morning Lurida came in, and
found him in decidedly bad humor
but she knew she had it in her power to
dispel the shadows from that morning
at least.
Il have been writing to my cousin, 5"
she began, my cousin in New York. -
stranger" sarcastically murmured
Schnuriger, with no great civility.
Miss Lurida colored bit, but perse-
vered, saying: Eyes. Some time ago
| mentioned your name. My cousin is
the owner of Peppers Mdg0zine, you
know"
You don't mean it, said Schnu-
riger. with awakening interest.
My cousin said that he knew of
YOU" continued Lurda, land he asked
my honest opinion in the matter. He
has always put great reliance in what |
say, and as he is immensely interested
in the budding genius of the West, it
has fallen into my power to bring him
into business relations with quite num-
Der of able men and women here. What
do YOU think he asked me? He asked il
you were really butter-maker, and il
you intended to go on wasting ink
through all eternity"
Schnuriger bit his lip at this sally, and
then bent a scrutinizing gaze upon Miss
Lurida, to see if she understood the cut,
and if she was laughing at him. APP
parently, she was innocent of all of
Tense. for she continued, this time color
ing slightly: 81 wrote back that you
were gifted with indomitable persever-
ance, and-well, I'll not tell you the
rest. Finally, | wrote to him that none
of the neighbors thought that dairying
was quite in your line
"Confound those women!' he
growled. "What makes them think
am not a butter-maker?h
"Well," returned Lurida with
thoughtful reluctance, 81 suppose it is
auSe-because-yOu know YOU dc
make outrageous blunders once in q
while-when people ask you about
dairy management; and then, do you
remember the day when you sold that
young Jersey COW to Mr.. Peters, and he
made you take off half the price, because
he said that old age had made her lose
her upper front teeth, and you believed
him? Such blunders don't pass un-
needed, my friend. Are you ofiended?'
mot at all. But now would like tc
ask you for the whole of your cousins
criticism"
} "You must remember, Mr. Schnuri.
ger, that you are an absolute stranger
to my cousin john said Miss Lurida
with visible embarrassment.
You mean, then, that the criticism
is hardly flattering? My feelings are
pretty well calloused by this time; l car
endure great deal, he answered, witt
curious half laugh.
Then | shall ask you to drop in this
evening and read the letter yourself; i
will be easier than telling you," she
| said, rising to take her leave.
''What will Mrs. Stillwell say, to SET
you entertaining the shop-keeper?
heard her tell your mother it was {
burning shame for her to permit you tt
speak to such an inferior person"
''If you don't mind it, am quite sure
) | don t."
When she had gone he muttered tt
himself:
1T would be strange if, after all my
prejudices against that woman, she
should be my stepping-stone to success
l wonder what compensation she ex
poets. | haven't anything to give hel
but myself bah! what an idea. Sucf
an old womanw In the evening he
made his first call across the way. AT
! ter much persuasion, Miss Lurids
brought forth the document, of which
) it will only be necessary to give the ex
tract in question::
IF the man is really butter-ma ker
he shows an extraordinary acquisition
of knowledge. If he has had every adj
J vantage, then his genius is somewhat
colorless, or rather overdone. I would
give him lift if 1 thought it would dc
him any good; but he is too much like