Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1901-04-11


M ISIS GLENDOWER sat OF the
wi ranch house piazza, shading her
eyes from the white glare of the sun
by holding above them-in beautiful.
berlnged fingers-the last number of
a Boston magazine. 1t was all very
new and delightful to her, this
strange, unfinished country; and each
day developed fresh charm. AS a
spectacle it was perfect-the very
~desolation and silence of the desert
stirred something within her that the
Back bay had never remotely reused.
Viewed from the front row of the
dress circle, nothing could be more
fascinating to her a~rt-loying sense
than this simple, wholesome life lived
out as nature teaches. and to feel
tina for the time, the big. conven-
tIonal world of wise insincerities was
completely shut away behind those
far, purple mountains out of which
rose the morning desert sun.
As for becoming an integral part
of all this ones self-Ah, that was n
different matteri The very thought
of her cousin Blanche and her hus-
band, Roy Madison, deliberately turn
ing their backs on the refnements OF
a higher civilization, and accepting
h daily drudgery and routine of
life on a cattle ranch, filled her with
wondering amazement. When she fell
to specializing on what their future
years might be, she shuddered. From
the followed sole of her modishlv
booted foot to the crown of her sleek
and perfectly poised little head, Miss
Glendower was Bostonian.
But for the short space of time
that she waited Lawrence Irving's
coming, the life here was full of
charm for her-itS ways were allur-
ing: and not the least among its
destinations was Mesquite She
smiled amusedly at the tall cowboys
utter Inconsistencies in there being
any social difference between them:
at his simple deception of her notice.
Miss Glendower was finding vast en-
tertainment in his honest-hearted. un-
disguised alteration. She had come
west for experiences. and one of the
first-and decidedly the most exciting
and interesting-had been found in
Mesquite. Besides, it I've her some
thing to write of when she sent her
weekly letter to Lawrence Irving. She
sometimes found writing to him a bit
of a bore when topics were wanting.
But Mesquite! The boy was a
revelation of surprises every day
There was no boredom where he was
Amusing; yes, that was the word.
There he was now, crossing the bare
and hard-beaten square of gray earth
49, L. Aaxrraon Tho ranch hnrsco an6
the corraIs. Though he was looking
beyond the piazza to where the other
bows were driving a bunch" of bel
lowing, dust-stirring cattle into an
Enclosure, vet she felt it was she
whom his eyes saw. He was coming
straight toward the thousand her.
That. she knew. Miss Glendower
knew many things-learned in the
varied experience of her ~eight-and-
twenty years. Her worldly wisdom
was more-much more-than his
would be at double his age. Mesquite
was 20.
He looked up with unconcealed
in her presence as he seated
himself on the piazza-swinging his
spurred heels against each other,
while he leaned his head back against
one of the pillars. Miss Glendower's
eyes rested on the burned, boyish
face with delight. There was some
thing so naive, SO sweetly childish
about him. It was simply delicious
to hear his Eyes, ma'am," or ms
"xvbich?" Just now his yellow hair
Law in little damp rings on his fore
head like a baby's Just Weakened from
sIeep. He sat with his big sombrero
showed back from a forehead guiltless
of tan or freckles as b petals OF a
white rose. But the lower part OF
his face was roughened by wind and
burned by the sun to an
making his blue eyes the bluer-those
GREAT. babyish eyes that looked out
til a belving innocence from under
+beir marvellous fringes of up-curling
lashes. The blue eyes were wen useu
to looking upon sights that "ouIu
have shocked Miss Ne"
England training; and the oaDyish
Inns were quite familiar with Language
that would have made her paie VIII
horror and disgust to hear. But theh'
she didn't know. Neither eouio ne
have understood her standpoint
He was only the product OF his en-
and one of the best Things
II had taught him was to have no aus
g,,ises. So he sat to-day, looking up
his lady with all his love showing
IN his face. And so he rode beside her
hat night. as the days red a o,
wrath dropped down behind
che western desert rim of their little
vvorld. across sand hills that opened
sweet flowers to the night winds
toncb. and across barren alkali fats
70 the post Office, half . dozen miles
away.