Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-12-16

without being noticed, in a moral
fright Tat some one would come bump
ing against me and jolt out the peaches.
I could feel them rolling about inside
my hat, and the blood in my head. face
and ears felt like liquid fire. / really
suffered agonies of terror, but found
myself at last safely landed OF the
other side of the circle, just as new
figure was being started. a lady was
set in the center of a ring of men who
were to dance round her, with their
backs turned to her. She was to hold
hat in her hand, and place it on the
head of the man she chose as her part
ner to waltz 1 arrived just as this
maneuver began, and the very moment
the daughter of the house, who was
dancing with one of the officials of the
prefecture, set eyes on me. she said:
"a hat, a hat!-just what we
wanted
Il was petrifed-I stared at her. but
could not move.
"'Oh, NJ. Herbelot,' she said, you
have just come at the right moment.
Please give US your hat
And before could utter 4 word, she
seized it out OF my hands 50 suddenly
that peaches, handkerchief. vine leaves
all rolled out together OIL the polished
| floor.
You can imagine the scene; the
ladies trying to laugh, all eyes turned
on me, the peaches lying At my feet,
| the chiefs displeased frown; the older
people round the wall whispering and
| pointing. Ny legs tottered under me,
and I would have given the world to see
the floor open to swallow me-
AT lase some one spoke: please
pick your peaches up. NJ. Herbelot.' 1t
was the young lady who had snatched
my hat and caused the catastrophe.
There was a depth of sarcasm in her
voice. and she was screving up her
mouth to avoid laughing aloud.
Her words acted like a signal: a
! chorus of laughter rang from every
| corner of the room; the very servants
| grasped their sides as t TO hold i'll
| their amusement; whilst l pale, bag
| gard. trembling from head 20 foot, few
out of the house to rush home and pour
out the story to my wife.
| Next day it was the talk of the town
When went to the Office very fellow
| in it came up in turn to say: Good
morning: and, 1 say, Herbelot. Pick UP
those peaches Even in the street the
! bows followed me and called after me:
! Peaches. peaches
The long and short of it was that
had to give up my place; week later
sent in my resignation
An uncle of my wife was farming
some land of his own near the towr
where was born, and l wrote asking
| him TO take me as a kind of auxiliary
He agreed TO this; and that is how we
came to Chanteraine. There's not much
more TO tell you. buckled to, got up al
| daybreak, and worked as hard as a mig
ger. The life suited me. after all, better
! than he old office, and before very long
I developed into a regular farmer. The
farm itself prospered so much to my
old uncle's satisfaction that he left it tc
US at his death. Since then I have
bought more land round the old place
and now you shall see for yourself thu
results"
BY this time we were at Chanteraine
First we passed through the orchard
under trees bending beneath the weight
of apples, pears, plums. Beyond it {
field sloped to a clear stream, on the
farther side of which rose a vine-clat
hill, where grapes were now swelling
and thrushes warbling. Left of US, tht
noise of a winnowing machine showed
where the barns stood, and, after WI
passed through the well-stocked kitchen
Il. u, -.
front of which was covered with peacf
espaliers bearing a fine crop of ripening
fruit.
All" said Herbelot, you see, we &C
in for peaches here. 1 owe them all my
luck, and but for them should have
been to this day wretched little clerk
shaking in my shoes every time my
chief was out of humor. Poor fellows
there are too many of them, without me
lust dragging on a misera Die existence
on their pittance of a salary. afraid OF
having children for fear they will never
| be able to either feed them or give them
A start in life. But here, thank Heaven
| l am my own master, and children are
welcome; there's plenty of our OWL
corn to feed us ALL"
AS he uttered these words a peal Of
laughter came from the house, the
mingled laughter and chatter of boys
and girls, and at a window on the
ground floor, as in a frame garlandeC
with verdure. appeared Mime. Herbelot
still beautiful at 10. and reminding me
Eherself of sunny peach growing on d
warm, sheltered wall, ripening in the
kindly rays of afternoon.-Strand Mag,
azine.