Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-09-16

by sign upon the outside scarcely
less infiammatory than the barber
pole. Above in the front room Mrs.
Popp had a sort of dress-making es-
tablishment. This was reached by
short flight of steps and a narrow
porch that extended across the front OF
the house. This had been built pre-
sumably for julius benefit; at least he
had spent such quantities of time sit
ting upon it with his chair tipped back
and his heels upon the rail, watching
time. and dreams, and substance, float
from him in the smoke of his cigar,
that Mrs. Popp, considering the fact
that she furnished in great part the
aforementioned substance. had
turned the porch into sort OF green
house or conservatory from which she
derived some profit by the sale OF
bulbs and Towering plants: Julius,
thus bereft of his lounging-place, did
not however, as Mrs. Popp had hoped,
remain materially longer in his office
below with probable increase In the
volume of his business-though TINS,
perhaps, were not so inconsistent, since
on the whole this volume was rather
apparent than actual-but sought ana
found other less innocent, though
more conjenial, places to air himself
and his opinions in. Upon the day In
question the position of his headgear
seemed unusually confused.
Morning, Whitney, morning!" ne
said with flourish of his hand.
| They've put 'er to the touch, sir,
they've put er to the touch! Cad, but
| thew re brilliant down there! They re
slick and brilliant. you know
L Il cnr~fT n,
way. What the deuce is all this
| a5out?'' he asked.
"Thev've fired on Sumter, sir; fired
| on the flag! They're brilliant, sir,
| brilliant! Got the whole parapher-
MALTA and machinery of the Nation I'M
| der their thumb, as it were! As the IL
lustrious Henry said: The war is act
uallv begun. The next gale"
..Pshawr' exploded Joel, what
| does it amount to? a mere scare: Abe
| will put 'em down in short order.
| "Certainly, sir, certainly; we nabobs
of the North have only to seize the dia-
| lemma by the horns, sir, and"
when did they make the attack
yesterday; it was Brilliant :.
| "Oh. well. they re a parcel Of fools.
Certainly, sir, certainly; what we
| want to do is to checkmate them at
once. Something brilliant, you know
| something slick and brilliant! Lincoln
should order out ten thousand men
and sweep the whole Internal lot into
the sea, sir! II
| "Oh, it won't amount to any thing,
growled Joel. and he got up and start
ed out, but was run into at the door by
Absalom. That sweaty worthy seized
Julius by the hand without looking al
Whitney and shook him around the
room CRYING explosively as they went
THEY'VE fired on 'em! I'm goin' il
the mornin'! Got to get married to
night, can | hav 'er?'
Take whatever you re after! shout
ed Julius, doubling up and trying tt
get his hand out OF Absalom grip.
..Bless you. my children!' cried thu
painting youth, catching him about thu
neck: ..they've fired! Hurrah for thu
license!n and out he flew.
julius picked up his hat and cam
and pulling the former very far down
upon his nose he glared at the laughln!
Joel and squealed: What did the wild
cat want?'
why, he asked you for you
daughters hand in marriage, and yo'
gave your consent" laughed Joel.
did he? Dunn me, now this is bril-
liant. Well he's a likely young hound
anyway. So he wants Ether? Well,
! thought it would come to that. 1t
, brilliant! What else was he talkin
about?''
He said he was going in the morn
: ing. 1 suppose he means he is goln
+ to the war
1.-THE dickens!' said Julius, and h
= started off very springy at the knees.
Here" said Joel, "where are yo
going to have the wedding?'
"Oh, well-l-dum me! this
bril-
! Have it up to our house. If h
: goes, Ether can stay right along just
She has been.
:. Joel walked homeward rather slowe
y than usual. with his eyes following, bu
not consciously seeing the sidewal
= lust before his feet Here and ther
:. were knots of excited takers all di:
= cussing the newly-inaugurated war an
>. its probable duration. Some spoke
. him, but he merely nodded and contir
= ued turning this red and reeking prol
lem to and fro in his mind: 81 think
= will pay" he said to himself as he cam
- to the gate 1T will certainly hel
: business" and he went in. Mr.
Whitney was in a tremor over til
: news, but Joel diverted her mind ;
- once into a less fearful, but scarcel
less exciting, channel by apprising he
=. with a burst of laughter, of Absalom
= precipitate intentions. Il invited Pop
u to have the wedding here he added
~ Mrs. Whitney looked dumfounde'
\ Joel enjoyed this. and laughed until
- quite strangled. But he had not who'll
!, finished when John Earling and Harr.
- coming home from school. brought
, note from Mrs. Popp to Mrs. Whitne
~ saying that her daughter would
70 married at home, and praying that 81
~ would give the girl her liberty direct
II after dinner if convenient.
= Mrs. Whitney looked relieved wht
\ she had read thus far, but cloudt
n again when she read the invitation
- herself and husband to be present
a. the ceremony. She handed the note
~ JOEL At the conclusion of its perus
10 he fetched chuckle: ''Of course W
~ are going, sis?'
&c Mrs. Whitney got up with her tn
y, lips closed very tight and her he;
- Jerking back a little and went to t
+ window; Joel laughed. ''It wouldr
~ 90 to it's hired-girl's wedding, wouldI
80 it," he quered. Mrs. Whitney On
~ puckered her thin lips tighter a,
= looked out. ''Wouldn't it go to
f. hired girls funeral, l wonder, would1
20 it?' he laughed.
Of Mrs. Whitney tapped her foot al
y darkened.
-, 20 fudge. Come now" said 10
Il "you know they are just as good