Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-10-13

Il will do as you advise; thank you.
SIR" replied Hugh, who had now cooled
off and was trying to take business
view of the strange situation.
Four weeks later Hugh Colewood
was speeding away from Greenville on
the morning express, bound for a little
town among the blue hills of Virginia.
When he stepped from the train he
was disappointed to find no one waiting
to convey him to the country home of
Mr.. Cranston's sister, distance of
eight miles.
He was IN the act of asking the way
to the best hotel when Il buggy came
rapidly up to the station and halted.
The station agent hurried forward to
meet the driver, who was a slender
young girl, with bright, dark eyes and
hair as golden as the June sunbeams
touching those hills.
rs Mr. Colewood, of Greenville,
waiting here to ride out to Mrs Thurs
ton's?" inquired the fair driver in Il
sweet voice which won Hugh's interest
at once.
Il am here and waiting, thank You"
returned Hugh for himself, smiling
pleasantly as he came forward on the
station platform.
Il came to drive you to Mrs. Thurs
TOMS" she answered. simply.
shall / take the reins?" he asked as
they started away.
NO. thank you: like to drive" she
answered.
1T was too bad for you to take SO
long drive for a stranger he re-
marked as he stole n side glance of adj
miration at The girlish form in dainty
blue.
''Oh, didn't mind the distance at all:
besides, rather had to come,'' she re-
piled. Il did wish to go with the young
folks, who are having a picnic this
morning over on Laurel Hill, but Uncle
Jerry was sick, and of course he
couldn't come for you.
Then Mrs. Thurston and Miss
Wayne never drive, SO they made a
virtue of necessity and sent the last re-
sort of the place." and she laughed
merriiy.
1T is too bad my coming prevented
you joining the picnickers,'' he said.
Il shall not be able to forgive myself"
That's nothing. L am enjoying my
self now too well to think of Laurel
HILL she returned, brightly.
THANK you, and at the same time
let me assure you that /. too. am en-
joying myself excellently we'll" and
Hugh bowed to the young girl, whose
eyes dropped beneath the warm light
of admiration in his blue ones.
81 hope you will enjoy your visit,
Mr.. Colewood," she said. to change the
nd
Ethel will do all they can to make
your stay pleasant"
THANK you; I've no doubt / shall
find it pleasant" returned Hugh. ''You,
too. are one of Mrs. Thurstons sum
mer household, l SUPPOSE"
YES" with a smile. You see ! am
a distant relative to Mrs. Thurston;
then Miss Wayne is my cousin, and ex-
ercises kind of cousinly guardianship
over me, which no doubt is very neces-
sary."
80 you are Miss Wayne's cousin? 1
do not remember hearing Mr. Cranston
mention you. / did not expect to have
the pleasure of meeting any ladies but
Miss Thurston and Miss Wayne"
''How unllind in Mr.. Cranston not to
prepare You for this meeting" and
there was roguish CLEAN in her eyes
which Hugh did not see. Il had up to
date regarded Mr.. Cranston as one of
my very hest friends. but to ignore me
SO utterly. when he knew | would ac-
company Cousin Ethel here. looks like
downright intentional neglect"
You have not given ne the pleasure
of knowing your name" said Hugh,
no In nd nj I,
ty driver.
''Oh, I'm Wayne. too she answered,
laughingly. Ethel Estella Wayne,
serve later on"
Two Ethel Waynes' Here was a
real surprise for Colewood. Why had
Cranston not mentioned that strange
fact to him?
If the Ethel Wayne referred to in the
will was only half as animated and
generally captivating as the one by his
side Hugh thought it might be an easy
matter after all to obey that condition
which had so vexed him.
Colewood received a cordial welcome
at Mrs Thurston's pleasant home. He
found Miss Wayne to be a tall, digni-
fed girl of about twenty-three, with
coal black hair and deep gray eyes
She was as unlike her little merry
hearted cousin as it was possible to be.
Yes, Hugh decided she was just such
a woman as his eccentric aunt would
be likely to select as the wife of her
heir.
In the weeks which followed Hugh's
arrival he saw a great deal of Miss
Wayne, although much of her time was
divided between her taste for literature
and in demonstrating against the inno-
cent FRANKS of her cousin.
1t did not require long time for the
young man to realize that he could
never love Miss Wayne as the man
should love the girl whom he intends
to marry.
He made another important discov-
ery-that his life would be a failure
without the little cousin to furnish
daily sunshine and wifely cheer for his |
own home.
He resolved to Let Miss Wayne have