Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-01-16


| scrawl of the prospector:
Don't return this little pile. No
man goes back on my Miles wishes
and calls me friend ]. W.
"Now, God bless their noble hearts!"
murmured Grey, as tears of deep emo
ton coursed down his checks -.,;l
| CHAPTER VI
| A MOONLIGHT RAMBLE.
| "Then I will take your room for a
month, Mrs. Whitford, and pay in adj
vance," Elsie heard voice say, as she
| entered her foster-mother's house one
afternoon.
''TOime to pay, ger, when we ha' adj
| died it: vor it be almost as bad to pay
aforehand as not at ALL
| THE word of the righteous is his
bond, ''snuffed the stranger, whom Elsie
had no difficulty in recognizing as Dodd,
the Hopl1insite.
This was the beginning of very bad
times for the poor girl: for, in place of
the pleasant companionship of the cul-
tured young school,naster, she had to
endure the perpetual presence of one
she instinctively detested. and who
added to her adherence by constant
unpleasant illusions to her absent
| friend.
To add to her dilemma, the man
| seemed to have bewitched her foster
| parcnts-Mrs. Whitford by sancti-
moniors appeal to her easily wrought
| religious emotions-the corporal by a
| dazzling display of a knowledge of ele
mentary geology, with special bear
| ing on minerals, which, to his untu-
| tored mind, revealed a depth of learning
| bordering on the supernatural. When
| the cunning rogue told Whitford it was
gold he was after, and gold he would
surely find, and how he would share
his fortune in embryo with his host, the
| corporal's heart glowed with hope,
| and he was quite aware that he was
| entertaining an angel, who would be a
special providence to him in his daily
increasing difficulties.
Day by day the clouds gathered over
the young girls life; at last the storm
burst
elsie, lass" said Mrs. Whitford late
one evening. ''Oi hate to send thee out
at this tonne O. noight, but thy fey
| theirs tired, an ha' need O things
from the toon. Gan thee must, Oh be
afeared."
81 will accompany the maiden" Dodd
suggested, with a ready smile.
Elsie started at the proposition. "No
sir. prefer to go alone"
''Whoy, Elsie!" There was a world of
reproachful surprise in Mrs. Whitford's
tones.
''Hoot-toot, lass" broke in the cor
poral, hotly, ''the parsons good enough
company for the likes of you; get on
coat an start this minute"
He spoke as though he meant to be
obeyed, and the girl with sigh made
her preparations.
AS the ill-assorted couple wended
their way along the lonely path that
led to the city, Dodd talked fuently, re-
ceiving, however, from the painting lips
of his companion but brief responses.
In fact she heard but half he said, but
suddenly she was shocked into strict at
tention:
my dear child,' he said, suddenly,
1.-The Lord hath appointed the blessed
state of matrimony."
Elsie felt constrained to say some
thing, so CURLY replied: II suppose
So"
"And St. Paul says that it is not meet
that man should live alone"
''Does hep" very YEARLY.
80 for the last few weeks my rnedi-
tations have turned toward marriage"
''Some lady in Oretown?" she asked
indifferently.
"Ycs, dear child, listen" He drew
closer to her as he spoke, 81 am not
very young, it is true, but Providence
has blessed me with perennial cheer
fulness of spirits. Youth, you know, is
not everything"
Il suppose not"
youth is indiscreet; youth dissen.
bles, youth is tickle"
yet youth is very enjoyable"
''In a carnal sense, yes"
They walked on little in silence.
Mr.. Dodd doubtless meditating on the
iniquities of the young.
Suddenly he asked:
"Do you love your father and mother,
Elsie?"
'What question! Of course do"
And you would obey them like
dutiful daughter?'
''Surely, but what has that to do with
your matrimonial projects-it was of
them we were talking"
''Oh, Elsie. can you not tell? Surely
those big round eyes of yours are not
blind to my devotion? Child, love
your
.'You love mel" the girl recoiled with
horror. ''Sir, if my father only knew
that vo,, had dared to-