Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1892-01-21

make you dislike me very much. am
astonished at it myself, and 1 don't
know as l ought to acknowledge it
without apologizing, but the fact is /
have been studying up the Endicott,
Howard. Devereaux and Leith fami-
lies you spoke of, and am pretty sure
your fathers name is Edmund How
ard, while your mothers name was
Henrietta Devereaux. Your name is
Endicott Howard. and mine is"
He looked as if thunderstruck. Then
be said, in very soft voice: Are you
one of the family, sir?''
Il feel obliged to own that am.
much as know it will prejudice you
against me / am cousin to your moth
er, and, just like you, i am one of
those descendants Of grand rich peo-
pie who have to be so. whether they
like it or not, for / was born Deve-
reaux."
He unused over this information for
some time, then with eyes glowing with
hope, he exclaimed: But you are
self-made man, amt you? An Ameri-
can man?"
Whatever / am was self-made, my
boy. but there is one thing yet that
must own up. / hope you won't think
il very bad, indeed. / am rich. very
rich. and it is all due to that lot of old
ancestors of ours, who came over with
old Bill"
Endicott Howard looked at me as
kance and with proper disgust. But
after little he frightened up and
leaning very close to me uttered in
loving voice: Il don't care. You are
regular brick, anyhow, and I'm glad
I've met you"
1t is needless to say that after this
we became great friends / invited
him to join me on my tramp, but soon
seeing the little fellow was very tired
] hired Il farmer to take US on to the
Profile house, aud from there. after
due persuasion. dispatched an explana-
tory letter to his parents which en-
lightened them as to our relationship,
and the fact that with their permits
sion / would take charge of their son
for the term of his school vacation and
then return him safely to their abode.
Having givel them the address Of my
banker, and reing myself somewhat
well known in their city, l was happy
to receive two fearful and character
istic letters, giving me full powers to
take Epdicott around the mountains"
and around the mountains we went,
seeing everythin e that was to be seen
and enjoying each others companion
ship until l may safely say we loved
each other very dearly.
Our arrival at my cousins was Ger.
tainly full of interest l had tried by
frequent letters to hint and suggest
that the boy was very manly in his
ideas, if he was small in person, and
that the patriotic loyalty and independ
ence manifested at every turn should
be fostered instead of depressed. IN
fact before the end of our journey
had determined to make him my heir,
or at least l concluded that as the last
of our family he was most entitled to
its grandeur and riches" but / heart
lily approved of allowing him to be-
come "a self-made man'-''an Ameri-
can gentlem ann his own stout.
brave way The public school was
good enough for him and association
with other boys of good record seemed
to me to be the proper thing.
Slowly and one by one l had deli
cately put these ideas into two rather
shallow heads Gf 1 may be permitted
to call them so), and l was not quite
prepared for the kind of reception we
received
Being as / was the head of the
Devereaux family, and having come
into possession of the family fortune,
am sorry to say 1 was counted by Endi-
colts mother and father as almost too
great and good for human natures
daily food. The dinner was a ban
quet, served on china with the family
monogram in gilt and colors. The room
was decorated with six large family
coats-of-arms; the chair / sat in had an
earfs coronet EN- broidered on the tidy;
and-alas for such extravagence,-a
footmau in livery and a butler in even
ing suit had been hired for the occss:sl.
The conversation was constantly led to
the historic glories of our ancestors.
and both my cousin and her husband
seemed to have reached the apex of
earthly pride when 1 formally an
nounced nv desire to educate their son
with view to his future prospects.
Great was the abashment, however,
when 1 declared that his fortunes
would depend upon their common sense;
and his exclamation, as he stood wav-
ing his hand about the room: You will
have to cut all thisr nearly reduced
his mother to tears
But in time better counsels prevailed,
and to-day have just made up party
to do the mountains once more. This
time my cousin and her ashland. with
their son, will be my guests Endicott
is now gong on" seventeen. He is
tall. 1.-THE, athletic and manly. He can
play baseball. swim, row, play tennis,
ride safety" and study like a house
afire." He takes ten-mile walks with
me and talks Of hard work at some
good trade. which he declares is the
best standby boy can have in life
He has won the regard and admiration
of the boys in this town, and the girls
certainly no longer pity him, while my
bachelor heart, with its feeling of
lonliness, seems full of new cheerful
ness, too. which always seems to come
flooding IL when hear the boys mer-
~ laugh.
l keep the crris- They are treasured
by me in small carved ivory box.
Why? Well, Endicott's Aunt Edith,
his fathers sister, was that root of
love which has grown with my growth
and branched into every fiber of nv
being. She went away in her beauty
when only eighteen-and her curls-her
curls were exactly like his. l know,
for have worn one next my heart for