Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-12-13

was IN Heaven!n
II always told you was your little
servant maid, said Nina ..And now,
will either go out to work some way
or stay and do your work here. I
can't do too much for you! Do you
know, once I thought, for just little
while, that Lance was the only man in
the world! Lance isn't shadow be-
side him! There isn't such a soul
alive as his, and you were made for
himi Oh, if / only were good for
something nowi''
I'VE will all work together / said,
thinking it best to disregard her en-
thusiasm lest it become hysterical.
1.-The laundress and the second girl
have gone, and it's just as well; for we
shouldn't have room for them in our
| new lodgings" then it was who
was hysterical, for l broke down crying,
the thought of leaving my dear home
being more, just then, than could bear.
The appraisers had been there that day
going over every thing, and it had all
seemed such an intrusion and profana-
ton that it had been too much for me;
and l wondered, when an apparently
accidental bucketful of water was
dashed from an upper story win
dow as they were going away, giving
| them thorough wetting, if it had not
been too much for somebody else and
the old spirit might not be again TAX
ing possession.
at made something flash fire inside
of me like sparks" said Nina, ''to see
those men turning over our dear
things. Oh, why can't do something
to earn some money in a lump? If
there were only millionaire for me
to marry. I might marry him. you
know-Fm very pretty
''Oh, Nina!" / exclaimed. lis this
the end of all my teaching?" But
had to laugh in the midst of my
troubles. But Nina did not look at it
as did, he affair, anyway, being in
the nature of a myth.
'Td marry him, you know, in min
ute if could" she said, ''and give his
money all to you. If / had Aunt
,Juliet's money do you suppose I'd let
them take your cook? Do you sup
pose I'd let them take your house? No!
If / had quarter of the bonds she has
packed away in that safety deposit box
of hers 1 d make life so gay for you all
that you'd think you'd died and gone
to Heaven! And he should never have
care again! And have Effie to grow
up without an observation-disclosures I'm
so glad learned something at last
she can have all that now! She couldn't
have every thing, the darling, if l had
it, and you and he should have the
rest! I lie awake nights and picture
how I'd spend a fortune if / had it and
spend it all on you.''
Well, felt such love more than re-
paid me for all the trouble had with
her from the hour when found her in
the little fishing hut on the shore; and
/ told her so, and we had a very enjoy
able cry together
l was sitting that night rocking
myself discontentedly by the low
fire light, for we had already be-
gun to economic in the matter
of lamps, when Ralph came in
from out doors and sat down OPP
posite. Nina was on sofa behind
the screen, with Effie lying back in her
arms, telling stories in a low voice to
the child, who had not yet outgrown
them, and I marveled a little to hear
her and think it was my bit of wild
fire tanned.
Ralph sat looking in the fire and oc-
casionally throwing on handful of
cones and watching the swift, fragrant
blaze they made. Il suppose we shall
have to go next week. he said. ''Ive
been over to look at that little fiat.
suppose it will do. 1t isn't the place
for you"--
''Oh, anywhere is the place for me-"
/ said, ''that you can manage to put
me in"
-Four rooms in the heart of the
town." he said. bitterly; mo views
from my window but one of squalid
trees, no pine cones to burn on open
fires-iust the barest getting along I'M
til we can do better-if we ever cam"
Well" said, sit might be worse.
We can be very happy if we are only
well and have each other"
Yes" he said, ''yes. But it is hard
to leave all we have worked for these
dozen years, all that is dear to us;
hard, too, to have slipped by so nearly
as l have done to u vast fortuue-as
that would have been but for-if it had
not been-if | had only seen-but
there, there. the more one thinks the
worse it grows. The world is all alike.
Somebody else is slipping tolerably
near fortune with less likelihood of
getting it, by what heard in the office
to-day. One of those English fortunes
falling due to some unfindable heir"
Il thought the things were all
Frauds" said /. 1.-The great fortunes
in the Bank of England belonging to
people over here"
''Oh. they are, very likely" said
Ralph, absently. This wasn't one of
that sort. This is the case of an absent
heir-the son of man named Strachan
Reginald Strachan-a man of great
wealth in London, an old East India
merchant, whose son married some
young singer or other and ran away
with her-one Rowena-Rowena Dy-
sart. They have been traced to this
country, and it is known that child
was born and named for her mother,