Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-07-02

| day he announced that he guessed over.
the-Way would begin TO pack up before
long: she had pretty much finished he
| sewing.
4 few mornings after that there wa
news. We women all knew it long be.
| fore breakfast time and John Berry
| and the other men were told by Mrs
Smith when they came down. The
| bulletin committee was a little late
and we were all at breakfast when he
| appeared. The moment he entered the
| room he said he was sure that Over-the-
Way was ILL., when he got home every
thing was ablaze with light and there
was doctors phaeton in front of the
| house. We could see for ourselves that
the bay window shades were down.
..Umph" said Mrs. Smith. lis tina.
al you have to tell us?f
why, what's happened?"
| 'Over-theWay has visitor
| $50 he's back at last, is he? Well,
it's time"
Il wish her husband was here; it's /.
dear little girl
| Good Lord.' said Jim.
Nobody laughed right then. but a
minute later, when Miss Elliott made
/ y
body roared-except Jim. Even John
Berry and Elizabeth Hawkins, who
| were looking powerfully CLAM, had tc
| laugh Things get out SO in a boarding
/ house We all knew that he had pro-
posed and she had said no.
! Just as we were getting through
breakfast John Berry gave groan at
| the window and turned to us with his
face working and his lips trem bling.
He couldn't speak; just pointed across
| the street.
Old Aunt Amanda was tying long
streamer of white crepe to the door
| bell.
Ways dead" said some one
in strained whisper.
"White's for little children" said
Mrs. Smith. Its Over-the-W Ways lit
tie baby. 0 dear! o dear!" And the
good woman burst out sobbing. None
of US were much better off, for that
matter.
So it happened that when we made
| our first call across the street, John
Berry and Mrs. Smith went. Mrs.
Smith went in, but John paced up and
down in front Of the house. Elizabeth
She was as pale as ghost and yet she
didn't look exactly unhappy either.
BY and by they came back. As soon
as they came in John took out roll OF
money and dropped bill in his hat.
Flowers said he, and looked around
as much as to ask if anybody wanted
to follow suit. We all put in some.
thing Eliza beth Hawkins put in
dollar l knew she had saved it to buy
some Sunday gloves After John had
gone out Mrs. Smith told us how she
had talked with the poor young mother
in the darkened room and how the lit
tie baby was to be buried the next day
and how John was to see to everything
and go to the cemetery, and how the
little coffin was to be put in the vault
and kept till the father got home.
BY and by John came back with
great box. 1t was full to the brim with
lilies of the valley-not another flower.
Well, Johns services were not need
ed after all; for that very night the
young husband came home from South
America. And the next day when the
carriage drove away from the little
cottage with a little white casket Oh
the front seat heaped high with lilies
of the valley the poor young husband
looked over to us in the windows and
made sort Of bow and put his hand
on his heart.
That evening when it was time to GO
to work John Berry came down with a
satchel in his hand and began to say
good-by to US, saying he was going to
leave. When he came to the last one
Eliza beth Hawkins-he hesitated, then
held out his hand just as he had to the
rest of us. She just barely touched it,
and both of them looked white and
trembling. Just as he was going out
of the door she called to him:
'.John!'
1t wasn't bit like Elizabeth Haw-
kins' voice, and we all stared. John
came back, but didn't say a word-just
stood waiting. And now they both
were red.
Are you going because-because-"
John nodded. I don't believe he
could have said word to save him.
-well-I-Jo ohm, don't co.
Long before she finished John had
her in his arms and right before us all.
II said no John, because | was
afraid you were hard and unfeeling-
till to-day. Now l know better"
God bless you, my Children saio
motherly Mrs. Smith. The stereotyped
old phrase was a relief and we all
laughed in teary sort of way, then
she added:
when trouble comes and you need
patience and forbearance, remember
what brought You together"
And we all said