Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-10-15
A MATCHMAKER
BY w. x. ROSE.
BY w. K. ROSE.
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nDEAR Brother jim: This is a very
- nice place, and I am enjoyin'
it accordingly. We are about a mile
from the village and the road is good
and Miss Laura and l drive over twice
a day. Miss Laura let's me drive sum-
times, but she's afrade lie get the horse
his name is The lookout of the
stile of driving that women prefur.
And when l titen up on the lines and
The Dock strikes a lively clipp, she
says 'Steddy, Tommy and then l have
to pull him in. But she is a nice girl
notwithstanding She has the prettiest
brown hair, and such dope darke eyes,
and such a sweet way of speekin'.
And they have a butiful home. It's on
a hill and you can see miles around it.
From my window | can catch site of
the lake thru a gap in the hills. It's
a very nice lake tho not Dope enuff to
drown me-and Laura's father owns it.
They say he is pritty rich. Mr.. Rum
midge-he sells books in the village
and lets you borrow them for too sents
a day-says Laura's father is a vii
age Creeses. 1t tells about Creeses
somewhere in a book and he was the
richest man in the state, but I think
he is dead now. l CESS you must have
heard about him. He was a HISTORY
kal carackter. | wish you was here
Brother Jim. We'd have CRATE times.
Laura's most as good as a boy for hav-
in fun. Thare l heer her calm. The
Dock is a-champin on his bit and
waitin' impashent at the cassel gait.
That's the way Laura talks. She's
most as good as a play actor. Aunt
Emmyline says Laura's romantick.
So l must close. Write just as soon
as you hear from papa and mamma.
From your loving brother. tom"
James Thornton, rising young at
torney, smiled over this epistle and
laid it away carefully in a pigeonhole
Of his desk, whence it would be taken
and inclosed with his next letter to the
absent parents across the sea.
There was a long gap between
brother Jim, aged 27, and brother
Tom, aged II, and this gap had seem
ingly drawn them closer together. To
brother Jim, brother Tom had never
seemed the aggravated nuisance that
little brothers usually appear in the
eyes of older brothers. Jim had
looked with amused tolerance on Toms
widest pranks, and as for Tom-well,
there were few heroes of childish ro-
nance that did not suggest his clever
big brother. And Tom had been left
in Jim's care while the father and not
overstrong mother went abroad for
the latter's health. 1t was a hot sum-
mer, and Tom was c~onvalescing from
a severe case of measles, and so Jim
thought it wise to pack him off to a
little village that nestled in the woods
of the upper Hudson, where he was
sure to receive the best of care at the
home Of a superannuated bookkeeper of
the firm of which James Thornton was
the newly admitted junior member.
And it was from Bookkeeper Barclays
home that Miss Laura Garman had
fairly kidnapped him. True, she
wrote a model letter to Jim, in which
she requested the loan of his young
kinsman. but before his answer could
be received she had him installed at
Greycrag, and in a position to add his
petition to hers.
He was such a delightful boy, she
wrote, and he would make the hours
at Greycrag seem so much less lone
some. Saving for the presence Of a
maiden aunt she was quite alone
there, her father and mother having
gone to California to take an invalid
sister of the latter. Besides she was
sure the altitude Of Greycrag was
quite certain to hasten the return of
Tommy's strength. She hoped this
was not taking a liberty, but she had
never seen a boy who charmed her
quite as much--perhaps because he re-
minded her Of a little brother who had
passed away in his seventh year.
What could Brother Jim do? He
wrote a qualified acceptance Of this
letter of invitation. She must prompt
ly return Tom when she tired Of him.
She mustn't tolerate him If he proved
to be rude or unmanageable. And he
would ask 1t as a particular fa' or IL
she would at.once communicate to him
any ~insraction Of conduct Of which
Tom m. ght be guilty. Being SO very
much thu youngest Of the family" he
wrote, in conclusion, II fear thar we
fail to retlize how thoroughly he Is
spoiled. No doubt you will find this
out very soon The moment you do,
kindly return him to Mr.. Barclay, to be
left until called for"
Miss Laura Garman briefly acknowl-
edged Brother Jim's letters, promising
to faithfully abide by all its conditions
and thanking Jim for acceding to her
request.
So Brother Tom was %ensconced In
the Garman household, and, as his
many letters set forth, was having the