Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-11-29

was ministering to the gentler of her
husbands guests. who was a picture
of beautiful distress and alright.
Her companion, as became a man, was
composed, and talked to the landlord
about the severity of the storms i'm
that region with an Indifference to
the raging Of the elements outside
that did much to reassure the lady.
In q pause between the thunder
claps the landlords wife suddenly
asked him:
what of the captain? Is he out
in this awful storm?"
This was the title which they had
given to the taciturn stranger.
I'm sure he's not stirred from the
house all day." said the landlord, "and
he must now be in his room"
"You nave q military gentleman
stopping with you?" inquired the
newcomer, glad of an opportunity to
start a conversation in which the lady
might be interested
IT believe So" said the landlord.
although all I can tell you about
American army under Gen. Macomb
in the campaign against Sir George
Provost. He came here On a strapping
chestnut mare some eight weeks ago.
and has remained with us eve since,
for the benefit of his health. as he
says; but. for the life of me, I IN
not see hat he is any less haggard
and wretched than OF the day we
saw him first. What do you think,
my dear?"
THE gentleman is evidently in sore
trouble of some kind" said the land
lords wife, with ready sympathy.
THAT is very strange" unused the
lady's companion. How old is this
singular guest of yours, landlord?"
Il should say about 40. and as fine
a specimen of manhood as I ever laid
eyes on" answered the landlord.
Meanwhile the storm had died down
~measurably. The thunder rumbled
sullenly further up the chain of hills,
and the lightning was ftful. Only
the rain fell in a steady but dimin-
ished shower.
Upstairs in the room of the solitary
guest the shade of q lamp threw a
circle of light upon the mahogany table
at which he was accustomed to read.
and to write also when an interpretive
mood was upon him. Worn out with
the constant strain of self-communing,
he had fallen asleep at the table with
his head upon his arm. AS the storm
subsidized his slumber became deeper,
until at last it amounted to a coma, so
exhausted had he become in mind and
body by his vigils. Before the bowed
head there stood in a silver frame on
the table the picture of a young woman
of surprising loneliness, whose eyes
spanked with intelligence and the in
nocent joy of living. She had been
painted in a ballroom dress of delicate
texture, which showed the perfect col
umn of her neck and the graceful slope
of her shoulders in all their unblem-
ished purity. 1t was upon this face
that his eyes had rested before they
closed in a leaden s.umber; and it was
this face upon which the lamp shed the
fullness of its light, when a figure
in the shadows of the doorway.
Three silent steps carried it to the
table, where it paused, contemplating
the picture of the woman.
A hand was placed on the shoulder Of
the sleeper. The touch was firm enough
to arouse him, and with faculties break
ing from the lethargy of slumber, he
turned slowly in his chair and looked
whence the pressure came. Then a
great cry burst from his breast, and
he sprang to his feet, overturning the
chair behind him.
MY God, am I going mad, tool" he
recoiling from the figure.
This is no ghost, O~liphant," said the
other. 1T is /. Lawrence, in the flesh"
"It must be" he said, his voice broken
and his breath coming with labor. But
do not understand-it is ike
the dead coming to life, and I canno be-
my senses. Am l no murdered,
then?"
"No, Capt. Oliphant, thank God,
not. There is my hand. Take
it and let us again be friends"
But that letter of DIR. Delaney's?"
pointing to an open paper on the table.
The other took it, and read:
Dear Olyphant: Lawrence's case is
News has been brought to me
daily in my hiding place. and the last. just
to hand, is: He cannot live through
the night r1Ss OE you VIII De dDpTen6nQSL-
1 need not tell you that the duel made a
most painful sensation, and warrants are
for all concerned in the affair. 1t was a
sorry business. Good-by.
JOHN DELANEY"
"Well, you see," said the reader.
cheerily, Delaney must have beer
Here 1 am. sound and well;
not so rugged as before our little af-
fair. Init a man doesn't recovar from
a wound in the groin in a day. 1t was
one chance in a thousand, and they
did give me up completely. Now. Oil.
plant, my dear old friend. are you
The two men clasped hands, and Oli.
plant, holding the other by the shout.
der. said, ~fervently:
"Lawrence, this is the Providence OF
God. If you had not come l should
have killed myself. How have suf-
fered no man can know. and there
must have been an end to it. But Mar
garet-what of her?' And his eyea
turned involuntarily to the picture.
she is here with me. We" And
he stopped embarrassed.
"She is your wife?"
Eyes. my friend. We were united "a
/ lay on what all thought was my Death
bed. When / was well enough to travel
the physicians recommended a car
our in the mountains. where
i might get some benefit from the air.
The storm compelled us TO stop at this
on our way to Ludlow. The land
lord tod me of a mysterious guest
he had and SuSnaotod -bo -