Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1902-10-16

"Hark. That is mother calling.
You r very good. Goodnight"
She gave him both her hands with
the utmost frankness, smiled again
into his face, as a fearless child
might, not as a oma would, and
left him, piqued, baffied, with half
angry eyes, frowning down upon an
innocent geranium.
Il might be her father!" he re-
fected, walking slowly home. "She
is more than lovely, but she is an
icicle. She has no idea of the mean
ing of love; but she shall learn, and
l will teach her. She is a statue
now, but she shall come to life be-
meath my influences, my touch!"
Even as he made this half-fierce
resolution some memory came to
him that drove the color from his
face. With an impatient gesture he
turned into his own house, deter
minedly thrusting aside any dis
turbing thoughts.
"You r not unhappy now?"
AS Meredith asked the question
he shipped his sculls, bent "a little
forward and tried to get the better
of the gathering gloom and the
great brim of her hat in an endeavor
to meet her eyes. .
The river was thronged, there was
an incessant busy hum of voices;
now and then some pleasure-seekers,
whose only idea of enjoyment was to
make a great noise, cleft the air
with shouts and songs. But Marion
Gerard and her companion were deaf
and blind to all about them.
She did not answer-she was a
woman of so few w~ords-only her
mouth and eyes smiled together
And she let him take one of he1
hands and pull off the loose glove
and rest his lips on the veins that
crossed in a blue V at her wrist, and
then lingering on each separate fin.
ger. Her eyes dwelt ,fondly on his
dark, bent head, and a thrill of pas.
sionate tenderness swept over her
but she gave no sign. And wher
they had landed, and he was walking
by her side between two great
hedges of syringa, he said again, hall
impatiently:
You are not unhappy now?"
"Why a~sk-when you know?"
Because l like you to tell me; be
cause l can't read your thoughts
through the back of a straw hat;
because you say so little that every
word is valuable. You are cold as
ice-you sleep-you dream! VIII
you never wake to life-to warmth
to tenderness--for me?"
The words left his lips rather
rapidly, in u~nconsidered impulse
while a wave of joyous exultatior
passed over him at the mute, unex
pected, characteristic answer-twc
sort, warm arms wound round his
neck, two shy, sweet lips held glad
ly, willingly, up to his.
"You are awake-at last?" he said
hardly above his breath, and crushed
his mouth on hers in passionate
thirst.
That night, when Meredith hat
gone, and Marion Gerard stood smil
ing down upon the restless river, /;
woman swept her skirts with a littl'
decisive rustic over the trim lawn
and laid a gentle hand OF the girl
arm.
"You are a mere child" she said
without warning, with your old
world notions and your u~nfashion
able ideas of life in general, anc
your mother is an idiot-always was
That is why I, for your own good
mean to speak. / am your aunt, any
how, and"
what have I done?" the girl ques
toned in surprise.
Not much-yet. It's what yo1
may do. | haven't the remotest ide,
how Kenyon Meredith took up tn
part of tame cat about your house
only I may as well tell you, befor'
matters 60 any farther, that his wifi
is alive. They have been separated
for 20 years, but-she lives. Marion
| am telling YOU"
"For my good" the other inter
rupted, then paused, while her lip
grew white and her eyes wide ant
troubled. Don't you know peopl
hate being told things for thei
good?" and turned away, blindly
gropingly, with a little despairinl
gesture that forbade further speed
on her aunt's part.
"Is it true"
The simple words left the girl
lips in a sort of painting whisper
next day, as she stood on the oppc