Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-09-07

Sne added, vESn CLEAN OF satisfac.
ton. won't make the old wheel buzz
next week to make up for this?''
But at that moment an irresistible
impulse to finish reading the only book
in which she had ever been really m
terested took possession of her. 81
never wanted to do anything SO much
In my life" she said to herself, again
and again.
Then why don't You do it?''
The bare suggestion of such q fla
grant violation of her fathers command
brought her to a sudden standstill,
while she glanced timidly around to
make sure that the bold hint did not
come from without. instead of from
within. If were only sure that father
would never find it out" she muir
INJURED, questioningly.
In quick response came the sugges-
ton: What is to hinder your being
too i'll to rise from your bed tomorrow
morning? Then, after your father and
grandmother have gone to meeting,
you can crafty your very reasonable
desire, and no one need be the wiser for
it,
At first Nancy seemed stunned at tine
audacity of the scheme; and several
times, when the wind stirred the dead
leaves at her feet, she sprang forward
as though she would daily with tempta-
ton no longer. But presently she
grew calm enough to irresolutely
whisper: ''l've a good mind to do it !"
From that moment her waning courage
returned; and, after a little more hest
tation, she hastily tucked the pro-
scribed volume under the folds Of her
short gown, and rapidly retraced her
steps. On reaching home she took the
little path which led to the back door;
and fairly covering, in anticipation of
her fathers searching gaze, she softly
raised the latch and entered the kitchen,
now redolent with the odor of the dry
ing apples.
Things seldom happen as we expect,
and, in this instance, if her father and
grandmother had been informed as to
the true state Of affairs they could
scarcely have disposed themselves more
to Nancy's mind; for tho former CHANGED
to be in the cellar, whittier he had gone
to get pan of fall pippins for tho even
ing, while the latter was busy at the
loom upstairs. In Q trice the forbidden
volume was deposited under the feather
bed on which she slept; and when, upon
coming out of the cellar, her fathers
ears were greeted with the steady hum
of her wheel, his heart began to relent,
and at shutdown he had tacitly forgiven
his erring daughter.
The next morning Nancy was not SO
far from the truth as she had expected
to be, in proclaiming herself unable to
rise, for she had spent a wakeful night.
and during the midnight hours she had
resolved, not only to attend church as
usual, on the following day, but also to
return the troublesome cause of her
disquietude without allowing herself
so much as a glance between its covers.
But things appear different in the
broad daylight from what they do in
the uncanny hours of the night, and so
when morning came she was as eager
to follow the fortunes of Crusoe as she
had been the previous day. In spite of
her heavy eyes and pale checks, SO
rigidly did Capt. Poundmaster main
tain that every member of his house
hold should occupy their accustomed
places in the sanctuary, Nancy half ex-
pected at any minute to be summoned
from the bed to prepare for church;
and it was not until she saw Speckled
jimmy cantering down the driveway,
bearing her father, with her grand
mother on . pillion behind him, that
she dared breathe freely.
Washington had made some changes
in the line of march, of VIII ich Capt.
Poundmaster, who lived in a sparsely
settled portion of the country. had not
been informed, and he had ridden away
without the slightest suspicion of the
close proximity of the British army.
81 wish it wasn't Saba day." unused
Nancy after she had made her simple
toilet and cautiously removed Robinson
Crusoe from its downy hiding place.
IF it is SO wicked to read a novel on a
week day. what q dreadful SIM" she
added, with a slight shudder, ''it must
be to read one on the Lords day!" But
| Notwithstanding her scruples, she soon
summoned the courage to resume the
| fascinating chapter from which she
had been SO abruptly called on the pre-
vious day.
She was greatly amused at the de-
scription of the man Fridays antics
upon meeting with his long-lost ia
ther, and her nervous apprehensions
were rapidly wearing away when hel
attention was suddenly arrested by the
sound of heavy footsteps on the from,
porch. Immediately the door was
swung violently opeu, while above the
sound of tramping feet in the adjoining
room arose the jargon of a strange Ian
| guage.
1.-THE Hessians!" she gaspec with
blanching cheeks; and at that moment
three powerfully built, bearded soldier:
burst into the kitchen.
| Something eatr' abruptly demand
ed the foremost of the party, with ar
| impudent stare which was accompanied
by a gesture intended to represent the
process of taking food.
| Fairly quaking with fear Nancy lee
the way to the cupboard, and opening
the door revealed tempting row o.
apple and pumpkin pies, besides Z
heaping pan of doughnuts which shs
herself had fried the day before. Will
an air akin to disgust the men NUT
tered something which sounded t.
| Nancy like mkt desus," while tn.
leader. pointing to the cooking uten
sils suspended over the fireplace, con
trived to make her understand that b,
expected her to prepare them a warn
dinner.
Realizing her helplessness, for in tina
church-going neighborhood there prob
ably was not single able-bodiet
person nearer than the ''meetin;
~ L. q.