The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1886-07-16

ern Michigan one may lack many things.
but never fuel. Margaret tied . wide
gingham apron about her-sure am
twas proud to be belted about that
shapely waist-and coaxed the languid
fire to a generous blaze. She brushed
the hearth, Lit the lamp, drew the cur.
tains, softly singing all the while. and
then sat down with pan full of ears q
corn and briskly snapped the kernell
from the cObs. A few minutes later q
shivering wayfarer pausing by the outer
door heard the merry popping OF the
kernels in the frying-pa He knocked.
s.Come inr'
He entered. The glow of the fire Iii
up her bright young face. The warmth,
the light, the cracking of the fire, and
the popping of the corn made a benefi-
cient welcome.
s.Are you Cousin Nora?"
s.No; but you are Cousin David"
81 was never called David in my life.
/ am Dave!''
Il am Margaret Are you wet' L
it raining?"
Raining! It is doing nothing hall
SO hearty or pleasant. The wind is like
a wet sheet l am shivering." He
threw his coat off and revealed the slen-
derness of his figure. His eyes were
quick and sharp, his mouth firm, his
expression reserved. HE looks like a
very proud man." thought Margaret as
she went to call her cousins from the
parlor. 81 wonder how he'll get on
with Seth"
''My!' exclaimed Nora, ito think of
his gOin' right into the kitchen-and you
must have made an awful muss with the
cOrn!"
ut seems very good thing to have
some relatives" said the Young man,
spreading his hands to the blaze when
Nora and Seth had sat down by him,
and Margaret and Hattie moved softly
about preparing the coffee. Snow tell
me about the SALE Seth and his guest
did the talking, David drinking the
brown, steaming coffee, and Seth dip
ping his hand from time to time in the
dish of popcorn. Margaret, moving
about in stately self-consciousness, felt
David's eyes fixed upon her and grew
hot and red. She was a little shy of
this dapper young college critic. Too
loyal to show by word or action that
she was not of the same stuff as her
sfmple-hearted country relatives, she
yet felt piqued at the thought that he
doubtless COMPOUNDED her with them.
''Why is it that you do not wish to
sell, Cousin Margaret?'' he asked at
length, when Seth had finished all his
story.
because he's too anxious to buy"
said she, coloring at the emphasis of her
81 see you are true woman"
eff am, have borrowed a mascu-
line quality in being suspicious"
''Margaret's a leetle too sharp with
her tongue, said Seth alphabetically.
ITO make up for her being so slow
with her w.t." said she, and vanished
through the door to return no more that
night
Whatever David Scott did he seemed
to do quickly and easily. He was man
eminently fitted to get on in the world.
The next morning he left the house and
was gone to the neighboring village two
days. When he returned it was nine
o'clock in the evening. The household
was just on the point of retiring. Nora
sat by the hearth pensively doing up her
hair in curl papers. Seth was putting
the finishing touches to the harness
which he had been oiling. and which
filled the room with a sickening odor.
Hetty was folding up the ironed clothes
rooIv RI h, laid IN tho Irou mar noy;I
saw all this as he entered, and he saw,
too. a glimpse of skirt of blue which
disappeared as he opened the door.
$50 l have made an enemy of my I'M
tanned COUSIN" he said to himself.
"Well, if she declares war, all can do
is to make an honorable retreat"
my boy. we're made. The news is
iron, iron! FROM! Here, under our
feet, all about US, iron-which, being
means gold! We're rich,
l tell you. I've a little fortune to risk
on it. and tomorrow we'll begin. What
do you sayp" Seth's quiet face lit up
with a deep flush. He could not speak.
Success did not seem natural to him.
1.-The man who tried to hurry through
that sale represented syndicate. Igot
on to his little snap in no time"
Hattie ran from the room to tell Mar
garet, but when she told her Margaret
only said: swell. l suppose we'll find it
more agreeable in some ways"
Margaret Scott'' cried Hattie in
'.you are q regular stock and
stone"
.'Coz," replied Margaret, with a
mysterious shrug, Il would give this
fortune which is coming if you will turn
me into a stock and a stone"
David Scott did not go back to col
lege. He staid at the village and con-
Quoted the work which went on at the
farm. The profits were not long in
coming, and when they began to come
they came thick and fast.
you are the goose" said Margaret
to David on one of those rare occasions
when they met, "who laid our golden
eggs"
Thanks" said he; sbut don't mag
inc was disinterested in it. did itfor
a reward"
did yon get it, sir?"
mot wholly. l hoped for the good
will. or at least the small thanks, of my
cousins. Three of them have given me
both heartily; one of them withholds
every thing from me save her dislike"
Il thought YOU were too busy getting
rich to notice such small things" said
Margaret, spitefully. She was sorry the
moment she saw how hurt he looked,
but she would make no amends. The
young are never averse to a picturesque
misery. Margaret Scott nursed hers as
a mother does a pulling child. She took
long walks by the Superior, which blew
cold as mans ingratitude. She mcdi-
tatcd for hours in the large, sparsely-