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

snowy foam, when the animal kicked |
him headlong, drenching him from |
head to foot with milk. Getting up
with the warm fluid dripping from his |
eyelids, nose and chin, he coolly |
went into the barn. brought out
a strap, and fastening it to
one of the animals front feet, threw
the strap over her back, then going
around on the opposite side, drew up
the cows foot against her body by
pulling on the strap and sitting upon
it proceeded to milk. Once or twice
the animal attempted her diverting
maneuver, but, finding that she could
not successfully perform it without haz-
arding her own neck. she quietly sub
mitted. Joel, who had witnessed this
laughable encounter, was supremacy
pleased, and went away chuckling
about the boys uncommon ''sand."
This latter word in its slangy express
iveness exactly suited this big success
full Westerner. 1t seemed little less
than an epitome of his life, and was
often sounded from his tongue with
sinewy zest. Absalom also grew in
favor with the crickety house-mald
Ether. What with his physical and
mental spryness, his laconic speech
and willingness of spirit, his odd IN
trigues and sly dislike of Mrs. Whitney.
he quite overlook her heart. Many
were the games of checkers they
played in the kitchen, and many
were the whispered duets OF lndigna-
ton they held touching Mrs. Whitney
unchristian treatment of little John
Earring. This was an unfaillng toun-
tain of affinity at which they drank,
looking into each others eyes from
either brink of the question, though, In
point of fact, it was some time ere
Absaiom was aware that the crickety
Miss Popp returned his atimiring gaze,
owing to the abnormal indirectness of
her line of vision. But Absalom soon
learned in spite of any lack of beauty
in these guiding stars. that about the
crooked orbs of little Miss Popp his
own eccentric sphere of life began to
revolye with sweet and soothing
motion. She was, indeed, of much
value to him; teaching him diligently
| and studying diligently herself when
| occasion presented, in order that she
might keep well abreast of this keen
| witted country boy. Again and yet
again their heads were laid together
over some troublesome problem.
| usually with the result of Alb
| SALON. seeing its bottom first. As
time progressed, however, and Absalom
| heightened in person and began phys
| icallv to look down upon little Miss
Popp, she began to blush and shrink
| from their old familiar contact. This
grieved and puzzled Absalom I'M
speakably. and for many days he went
| about knocking his shins against famil-
/ lar objects, and once he was noticed
by Miss Popp to have fallen in his per-
| picking reverie over wheeL-barrOW
| with his head under the fence. In this
undignified attitude he remained some
moments with his legs whipping the
air, and when Miss Ether ran out and
extricated him by pulling vigorously
upon his feet. he only stared at her rue
fully and quavered: 80 Popp! Popp!
how could yOu"' and went away into
the barn. That scrupulously-kept pre-
cinct too, in this grievous time of his,
witnessed many evidences of his per-
plexity and distress. Not few times
he caught himself currying the horses
against the natural lay of the hair.
making them look fuzzy and ill
groomed, and twice while passing from
one side of horse to the other by the
tunnel route as be designated it, he
stopped absent-mindedly under the
horse and proceeded to think, was
stepped upon and rudely awakened
from his reverie. How long this per-
plexity would have continued, and tc
what degree his reputation for sagacity
and cleverness would have suffered
had not events changed the conditions
is coniectural At any rate, Mis-.
Popp sitting in the kitchen one even
inc after day of unusual coyness, wa:
suddenly startled by hearing q voice
lamenting and calling her name as i
, from the bowels of the earth, ant
springing up, with her visual peculiar
ity very marked, she ran out and cast
, ing her eyes about in terror found tina
the voice proceeded from the cistern
Leaning into the opening to that elm
merriam cavern she could hear AbSalOn
| fioundering in its collected rain. Evi
IDENTITY he was treading water. or tn
) fluid was of depth that precluded any
other employment than splitting it out
, for he alternated each word with
squirt of water. go Absalom! Alb
) SALON.! is that you?" cried Miss Popp
wringing her hands.
t Yes-spurt-its me- spurt-O-spurt-
, squirt love squirt you so-spurt-get a
r squirt clothes squirt line-spurt Popp
l and-spurt-let it-spurt down spurt-q
= spurt-q-quickr' said Absalom.
4 Very quickly, indeed. did little Mis-
Popp spring into the kitchen and pro
cure the clothes-line; winding it abou
her waist, she dropped one end int
: the cistern, and sitting down fiat upo
the ground braced her feet against tn
the cistern curb. With might and mai
she held on while Absalom clambere
up the rope. Very besozzled an
oozey his shoulders and head emerge
from the opening. and bearing himsel
a upon his hands with his legs danglin
e in the cistern, he paused and lookin
lugubriously at Miss Popp upon tn
j. ground, he quavered 80 Popp! Popr
;, How could you?' And Miss Popr
). with melting twitter, caught hin
: by the head and kissed hin
e Whether or not Absalom fe
into the cistern while in one {
+ these troubled frances of though
o or flung himself headlong into the g
d gantic jug out of sheer despair of eve
unriddling Miss Popp's attitude, wi
= always remain a mystery. But tn:
J. the days went forward very smooth
between them thereafter is detinitel
recorded, and also that after this china
r of his troubles Absalom always Gale
|, the object of his devotion Poppy,
y letting the syllables slip from his tongu
with a lingering honey-like drip ths
was very soothing to that girlish person
u Also about this period he found hi
l. | Eald Of action Very n, afari3lly enlarUp