Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-12-20
pleasant reverie, aand


makes feint at fitting after the belt
OF white apron has caught the folds
snugly around the trim waist, and the
broad-brimmed, rough straw hat she
| has on hides from her view the APP
proach of the one great lady of the
town-her intended hostess, Mrs. Tor
rensham.
'.Girl. do you want a placer" This
| inquiry startles her from her day
dream and makes her aware, for the
first time. of the august presence oil
Mrs. Torrensham.
| When Mrs. Torrensham drives as
she is driving to-day. with Jerry in
front and James behind, all Willough-
| by holds its insignificant breath from
mon to the furthermost outskirts OF
civilization upon the opposite bound
aries of the village. To say that Mrs.
| Torrensham does not enjoy the abject
| look of deep reverence upon all faces
| turned like flowers to the sun of her
| observation-disclosures" carriage. is to say
| an untruth. She is a ruling power in
| this community; and when she sees a
comedy young girl leaning in moth
ing-to-do attitude upon the gate she
feels sure that a certain department in
her nearly-perfect household shall be
filled instanter.
what kind of place, ma'am, if
you please?" asked our Violet, glanc-
| ing amusedly from madam's keen old
face to the green satin carriage trap
pings, the silver-gilt harness, the un-
lovely calves of the footman and the
spinx-like features of the immobile
groom, who has brought two pretty
| animals to a standstill before the gate.
Come nearer" said Mrs. TOrren-
sham.
IF she finds me out now, well and
good: if not, 1 shall have some dis
traction as Finette say!" is Violet s
mental soliloquy, as she bangs the gate
to and crosses the sidewalk, threading
her way gingerly through flock of
frightful geese that look knowingly at
her.
81 need a girl who can exercise some
taste in arranging bouquets through
out the house; who can pour the coffee
and make the tea when | may be alb
sent; who can see to the busting of the
drawing, reception and dining rooms,
library and hall, and who in her unoc-
cupied moments can do mending. For
such services l shall pay girl two
dollars a week and see that her wash
ing and ironing is done for her."
I'm come" says Miss Field. after a
summing up of this most extraordi-
nary case. In be ready to enter
your service tomorrow, ma'am."
Il shall send for you then. Good
day." Mrs. Torrensham gives Jerry
the word. Jerry gives the horses the
whip. and they whisk around the
corner in grand style.
Next day at lunch time Miss Field.
in tidy calico gown, stands at side
table making tea, and at the same
time learning to keep her tell-tale face
from flushing at every mention of her
name. There is Mrs. Tore nsham in
dainty null wrapper embroidered
within an inch of it's life; there is
Dick, her son, glaring at certain col
umn in the Times; and there is gen
tleman who has been addressed as
nephew" ''Silvertop," SILLY" and
''Toppy," by both mother and son.
A handsome face is the face of Sill
vertop, as pure in it's outlines as the
sculptured features of an ideal god, with
chin that shows power as well as beauty.
a sensitive mouth, classic nose, and
clear, dark eyes that at this moment
look careleSsly across the Times in
Dicks hands and rest themselves upon
the little brown bow of ribbon at the
back of Violets shapely throat
And while our heroine makes the
tea, and scalds her fingers in the opera
ton, shall tell you who Silvertop is.
A nephew of Mrs. Torrensham's to be
brief, and known as Laurence Reid in
the high circles of his aunt's aristo-
cratic world. A cripple who, wounded
in the late war, came home to his aunt
to live out contentedly, so people said,
his life of inevitable baehelorhood-
inevitable since poor Laurence is proud
so, at least. every one says, and Aunt
Torrensham takes care to never con-
tradict the report. His pet name Sill
vertop" was given him by Dick, who,
when a child, greeted his cousin on his
return from the war by this odd name,
because of his gray hair under the SOL
dier's cap.
One night of untold agony had
blanched the bright brown hair to
snowy whiteness. A dear cOmrade in
arms-a delicate, weak-minded, effem-
mate soldier. had deserted; and at
dawn, before the eyes of him who loved
him as deeply as strong natures do SO
often love the weaker ones, this young
soldier had been shot. If at any time
this pet name, given so innocently and
retained so persistently, has hurt the
nephew and cousin of the Torreshams,
they are never made aware of it: and
so he is ''Silvertop" still, in Violet's
presence. at the lunch table.
by Jovem mutters Dick, tossing his
beloved Times aside and proceeding,
by the aid of his spoon, to make a.
miniature maelstrom in his teacup,
Its deuced queer Miss Field didn't
arrive. The sugar, Toppy. please!
And she doesn't know you've son and
heir, mother mine? How did you keep
it to yourself, thought? Thought you'd
have told it from very pride"
..Dick. my dear son, Miss Field is
just the lady / should choose for you
handsome, sweet-tempered, wealthy
and young. 1t will annoy me beyond