Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-08-13
The road is too lnnelv.

taan YOU.
The more than happy object OF Miss
Dennison's affections hesitated, then
decided not 80 answer
A whirl of sand came hurting to
them up from the ground. Miss Denni-
son stopped dead. A boarding stood
on n side OF the road, behind the
iron ratings. Tattered bills and post
ers iuttered from it miserably.
DO come along, dear" said the man.
Miss Dennison pressed her hands into
her muf and began an exhaustive
study of the contents of the boarding.
The man took a few steps forward, he
was of %chiyalrous disposition, but had
been engaged six months to Miss Den
nison.
1T will be dark in a few m%inutes!"
Miss Dennison continued to peruse
the bills, pensive interest in every line
of her arrested pose.
The man stood a few steps off, with
a look on his face akin to that on the
face of a nurse who waits for a more
than unusually spoilt chilli.
do you know, I'm beginning to
think I've gone the wrong way about
managing you?"
An involuntary dimple flashed and
disappeared in Miss Dennison's care
fully averted face. Her betrothed,
however, saw only a still distracted
back.
Suppose l were to take you at your
word and leave you to walk home
alone?"
you are quite unmanly enough to
do SOL"
humanity"
rs it manly to wait round after me,
at my heels, like a little dog?"
What, in heavens name, do you
want Of me? If l rebel you have hys-
terics and cali me a brute!"
"'Vivyella!'" read Miss Dennison
aloud. What ridiculous waists girls
have on fashion posters! Have you
noticed?"
The man suppressed an exclamation.
But that's rather a sweet blouse
she's wearing. l wonder if | could
remember it. l must make mental
notes."
Miss Dennison rested her elbows on
the railing and buried her chin in her
muff, reflectively.
eff you think you are going to make
me miss that train by dawdling in this
insensate fashion you are mistaken"
Sweet sleeve!" murmured Miss Dem
nison. 81 like the cuff SOL"
:" shall simply leave you here, you
know"
But can't see how it's put IN. Oh,
it's cut all in n with the sleeve!"
said Miss Dennison, with a sudden
burst of illumination. Nov, l must
learn that"
Miss Dennison redoubled the fixity
of her gaze.
81 know perfectly well you hear
everything I'm saying. Are you COM
ing or aren't you?"
81 believe it's arranged with a
gusset!" announced Miss Dennison.
The mar opened his mouth, then
suddenly turned on his heel and swung
down the road. He had cut the Cor
dian knot. Miss Dennison must make
her deliberate way home. alone. He
had gone back to the station and his
city bound train.
Miss Dennison found herself left
staring at the boarding in an attitude
of mind that can only be described as
one of stunned amazement. Then the
dimples reappeared, and Miss Dennison
smiled into her muff with an air of
happy power.
"The further he goes the further he'll
have to come back, 80 I won't look
round" said the astute and experienced
Miss Dennison: and the slower he is
coming back the surer he'll be of miss
ing his train. If he thinks he's going
to catch it tonight when | want him
to stay here, he's very much mistaken,
the ridiculous old thing"
Miss Dennison began to reperuse the
boarding; it sheltered her pleasantly
from the wind.
"A hundred pounds reward"
An u~nassuming little notice caught
her eyes. ''Vivyella" as a subject is
capable of exhaustion. Miss Dennison
welcomed a change in literature with
alacrity. .
: As she read, Miss Dennison's face
portrayed a curious panorama express
sion; her cheeks paled gradually. The
little notice bore a crown, and was
couched in terse and simple language;
it was an earnest invitation to a one-
eyed gentleman to return to his sor-
rowing friends and guardians at the
convict prison across the marshes. 1t
concluded with a thoughtful warning to
lonely and unprotected travellers as to
the gentleman's unprepossessing ap-
pearance and playful disposition.
Miss Dennison reread the bill with
interest no longer histrionic. The sea
mist was rising on the marshes. The
charms of meditation in the lonely
landscape seemed suddenly to have lost
their SAVIOR. Miss Dennison looked up
and down the road. Her despised be-
trothed had vanished into the mist.
The light of the station glimmered
vaguely far on the horizon. On the
other side three miles of deserted road
lay between her and her hotel. In the
direction Of the station lay nearer
safety-but humiliation; for well did
Miss Dennison know that her strength
lay in her vulnerability. Let her
once lay down her sceptre and her
reign of tyranny was over forever. For
six months she had enjoyed despotism;
was she now to eat humble pie and
and cry out for protection? With Ma
poleonic resolution Miss Dennison
turned in the direction of the hotel.
She took five steps; then far away
on the distant marshland, she saw a
- IL ~. - G--l