Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-11-07

D - IL NAatAAASC A1tAOh oG THIS AC-
eeption. On the second morning fol-
lowing the reception each of the hos
tesses received the letter which gave
rise to the CONSERVATION.
Flora Caldwell went to her mother
with it. Her mother had told her to
come for advice the moment that any
young man started in to make love
to her, because there were certain
issues in life which no young and in
experienced girl could meet alone and
unaided. This was Flofa's first OPP
| portunity to fly to her mother for
guidance. and she LOST no time. Be-
sides, it was a piece Of news that was
too good to keep. She wondered what
the girls would say.
Mrs. Caldwell was in the sitting
room, busy with a piece of fancy
work that had been her task for at
least two years, when Flora came
striding in, athrob with the import
ance of her business.
"Oh, mammal" said Flora, and she
sank into a chair, signing deeply.
Mrs. Caldwell was accustomed to
these displays, so she continued to
look at her work and merely said,
"Well?'
"What do you think has happened?"
81 don't know, I'm sure. Almost
anything is liable 10 happen nova
days"
Il never was so surprised in my life.
Why, it simply took my breath away.
The very idea! 1 never met him until
a month ago"
"What in the world are you talk
ing about?' asked Mrs. Caldwell, al
lowing her work to sink into her lap.
ST suppose it's something very seri-
ous.''
swell, you know, I've been telling
you about the prince. I have a letter
from him this morning, and it's the
funniest thing you eve dreamed of"
"What is there so funny about it?"
"Why-it's a love letter"
"From that Japanese boy?"
"He's not a boy, mamma. He must
be more than 20. He has a mustache."
"What does he say in this letter."
swell, what doesn't he say? He
saws he's head over heels in owe with
me and-you can see it for yourself.
There it is"
Mrs. Caldwell took the letter and
carefully adjusted her glasses. At the
first glance she gave n little start and
said, "Humphl" Then she read
aloud, slowly and carefully:
Sweet Flower of the Sunrise Land and
Maiden of Ten Thousand Charms: My
heart tells me to write of the love which
in my heart is agitatfng. You come into
my darkened existence like the bursting
-E,- loco - H. Ep1< nDnn Of
spring. 1 try to tell of my affection, but
1 look upon your gracious beauty and I
am silent in the ecstasy of my great adj
miration. Your voice is sweeter than the
mating song of the nightingale and your
eyes are like the two stars shining above
a temple. For you my heart ~perfects
itself in melody.
"Okecho Tamura."
WELL, what do you think of that?"
asked Flora.
"It sounds cry much like a love let
ter" aid Mrs. Caldwell, with a half
repressed smile. "It certainly is more
of a love letter than you father even
wrote to me-"
Its nothing to laugh about, NAM
ma said Flora, gazing sentimentally
sorry for him. He really is a perfect
ScHbIcIIdu anu d"Iully swell, duu JuSJ
as nice as he can be-"
"And a prince, too" suggested Mrs.
Caldwell. THAT is supposed to mean
a great deal to an American girl"
"As L say, he is a nice fellow, but L
don't think it's natural for an Ameri-
can girl to be in love with any one MT
the same color, do you?"
"What is the princes color?" asked
Mrs. Caldwell.
do you know, he isn't a bit darker
than some of the other boys in school,
but l suppose he would be called
don't know whether he's yellow or
brown. 1 know there are only five
colors, because that is what it used
to say in the geography, and if he
isn't white or black or red, he must
be yellow or brown, but he doesn't
look very yellow, or very brown,
either one"
"At least he is not white. Are you
going to draw the color line in your
love affairs?"
cit is not a love affair. 1 never
spoke to the man more than a dozen
times in my life. The idea! How
could 1 think of accepting a man who
lives away off in some heather coun-
try where they wear those funny
clothes and worship idols and all
that?"
"I don't think that his letter
amounts to a proposal" said her
mother.
81 know he doesn't say so in that
many words, but you can tell what
he Means said Flora, once more I'M
folding the letter and scanning it. cts
about as strong as a love letter could
be-"
"Are you sure that you have not
given the young man any encourage
ment?"
'Why, mamma! We were nice to
him. and that was all. | never was
alone with him in my life. The other
girls were there all the time and the
prince was so quiet and backward all
the time I never had the slightest idea
that ~whereupon she smiled, for
she was once more reading that line
about the bursting plum-blossom.
Its a very simple matter" said
Mrs. Caldwell. IF you don't want to
marry the prince and go to Japan to
live all you have to do is tell him so"
A few minutes later, Flora Cald-
well, hatless, was on her way to car
ry the news to Miss Lucy Dyer in the
second street east. Lucy was at her
writing desk, biting at a pen.