Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-11-12

tidy"
81 have grown gray since those days"
he said, with half sigh Whereupon
Miss Rose declared that she liked gray
hair best.
Each seemed to please the other; they
seized in a moment on each others
meaning, they appeared ia divine each
others thoughts.
II shall come again" said Col Clithe-
roe, when the visitors hour was over,
and study must begin. 81 see that you
and shall be excellent friends, as we
were IL years ago."
However, he made no second visit to
the 'pensionnat7 at Neuilly-sur-Seine.
His old uncle's illness recalled him sud-
denly to England, and Rose Dysart was
a finished young lady and about to be
| introduced into society before she had
the pleasure of meeting her colonel
again.
This girls face was not strictly beau
| tiful, but it was a charming face; she
was immensely admired. both by men
and women. And there must be some
thing lovable as well as lovely in a
young lady of II, when those of her own
sex express sincere admiration and can
praise her intellectually.
"She will certainly marry young
said elderly people; but it never oc-
CURED to any of them to suppose that
this sunny-faced Rose Dysart would
refuse three eligible men, simply be-
cause she loved middle-aged colonel.
Like many other parents, Mr.. and Mrs.
| Dy sart seemed to regard their daugh-
ter as little more than d child. They
| scarcely realized that others viewed her
differently.
''Of course, like other girls, Rose
must go into society" they said, but
we hope it may be years and years be-
| fore we have to part with her.
And they were quite delighted that
she should refuse her first three offers
of marriage.
1t was in the spring, and just before
| her eighteenth birthday, that the by
sarts left their pretty Sussex home for
| a furnished house in Eaton place, which
they had hired for the season at some
what exorbitant rent.
To the great JOY of Rose, Col Clitheroe
was one of the first callers. He also was
| in town for two or three months, hav-
ing, during the previous year, buried
| his old uncle and inherited the prop
| erty.
"My dear fellow" said Mr.. Dysart to
him, with the familiarity of friend OF
| long standing, you really ought not
| 20 remain unmarried. Try and remem-
Der that you are depriving some woman
| of an excellent house, and still more
| excellent husbandI A man in the prime
of life-well off, good looking, retired
| from the army-where lies the hind
rance?"
Simply in this" replied the colonel.
/ 81 have never been in love. / should be
afraid to marry now that 1 am past the
| age for the tender passion. You see
there is no three years system in mat
rimony. 1t has to be till death US do
part"
Mr.. Dysart laughed.
"You must not be allowed to remain
bachelor, my dear Clitheroe. I shall
look round for some nice woman of
about five-and-thirty, and try my prem
tice hand at match making"
NO: don't you get married. colonel"
exclaimed Rose, who was in the room.
81 like you best as you are. Indeed,
think changes are almost always dis
agreeable. It is pleasanter for things
to go on pretty much the same. Imean
to remain single all my life so as never
TO have to leave father and mother"
"You will be reconciled to leave us
when the right man and the right mo-
ment arrive" said Mr.. Dysart. "You
may not think so now; girls never do
before they are really in love. But in
all probability the time will come
when, of your own wish and will, you
will go away with u.s."
Rose shook her head.
81 can't think so, mother. However.
let us talk of some more interesting sub
ject-of my being presented, for in
stance. Can you picture me, colonel.
making my courtesy and kissing the
hand of royalty? l hope shan't turn
awkward and shy at the last moment.
1 ought not, for as little girl with 4
counterpart in place of a train, 1 have
practiced my manners over and over
again."
They all laughed.
mo, 1 scarcely think you will be
shy" said Col. Clitheroe. Besides, the
moment makes the man, they say-so,
Of course it makes the woman"
The important day came. Rose DIV
sart was simply yet elegantly dressed.
and her fresh young face won its fair
share of notice as she waited among the
crowd of debutantes.
Then followed six weeks of gavety:
concerts, opera, dances. garden parties,
riding in the Row. Nevertheless the
girl was glad when her father decided TO
return to the country before midsun-
mer. Everything seemed beautiful and
endeared by absence. The trees had en-
changed their first freshness of tender
green for the ripeness of summer beau
ty; the hawthorn and bluebells were
over and done with, but the foliage of
the woods seemed lovely by contrast
with Hyde Park.
Col. Clitheroe was to be one of the
after season guests at the Dysa1ts'
country house; he followed them with
in a fortnight of the departure from
Eaton place.
Was anything troubling him? Was
he unwcll? Those were the questions
they asked him, for he did not seem so
cheerful as usual. and lie was apt 10
drop into fits of musing. so that even