Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-03-24

bottom of the road, Mr.. and Mrs.
Bates and family, were really very SUI
perior people, and Miss Florrie Bates
was a really charming girl. /, Henry had
noticed it on their arrival, and he had
noticed the particulars with regard to
Florrie especially on several occasions
since. AT A he found himself contem-
plating a new horizon. True, people
would say there was some disparity in
their ages; for Florrie was but q. But
people must mind their own business.
Henry was the sole and responsible
| Judge of his own actions-and he was
in love.
Indeed; the only other consideration
that weighed with Henry at all was
Jane. Jane was, to all intents and pur-
poses, the fly in the ointment. Florrie
could not suppress the joyful tidings
that she was going to be married to
the rich Mr.. Biddock. And she would
letters were on such pink paper, with
such a robust perfume, that if Jane
did not see them as she entered the
room, they betrayed themselves to her
the first time she was surprised into a
questioning sniff. 1t oon became clear
to Henry that concealment was no
longer possible, and that the dreadful
ordeal of an explanation with Jane
must be faced as boldly as possible.
One morning, therefore, he paused in
the middle of breakfast, and, looking
across the table, stammered out:
Jane, I've bin thinkin' a lot about
it, and Pm goin' to be married."
James knife and fork dropped from
her hands into her plate with a clat-
ter. Good ~'eavens, 'Enry!" she
gasped. What nonsense you're talk
in'!"
Nonsense or no nonsense" sale
Henry, a little irritated by the cold, moi
to say derisive, reception of his an
nouncement, that's low it is. I'm
goin' to bring the young lady 'ome this
afternoon, and interdooce you"
Jane seemed quite dazed at the pros
pect. She sat bolt upright in her chair
oOhli5 otldlSH pClolC HCl, Will {
couple of her fingers pressed tightly tt
her lips as though for fear they SHOULD
open of their wv accord and say some
thing to be afterward regretted. Aftel
a moment Or two she seemed to havt
found what she considered an appro
pirate comment. at ses in the Scrip
cher" she began
ut ses in the scripcher," i%nterrupte,
Henry, that it amt good for a man tt
, be alone"
{ "You-you amt alone" falteret
} Jane. "I'm ere, amt 1? There ain
( a 'ome nowhere that's been looket
; after like this as. 'Tisn't as if 20,
was a young man, 'Enry. You're 1
an eight months come the twenty-frst
> an that amt no time of life to chang
all your old ways an go gettin' mar
ried. 1t ses in the scripcher, 'Rejcic
: with the wife of thy youth which !
as much as to say that if you don't ge
. married when you're young you'd bet
ter by 'alf keep single for the rest q
your days. And it isn't as if you wa
q going to marry a sober, middle-age
party, either. o, I've card all abou
, your Florrie Bates. Been talkir
u about it all over the village, so the
! ave, an you're old enough to be tn
d gals father. I car tell you straigh
9 out, 'Enry-"
: Henry, who had been growing NOR
= and more idgety as the discourse pre-
. ceeded, came to the boiling point ;
. last. Springing to his feet and kicl
> ing his chair away, petulantly, he SAID
. That's quite enough, Jane.
. something better to do than sit 'el
y an be jawed at. Pm goin' down
: the shop, an at tea time I'm goin'
bring Florrie down ere. You've g
y nothin' to worry about. You'll |
looked after all right"
- Looked after?" echoed Jane. "Wh
dye mean?"
. Gang it ALL" said Henry, rye
:" can't expect to stay an keep 'oui
:, for me when I'm married. 1t air
likely Mrs. B. would put up with tha
~ But don't you worry about it. You
:. be looked after all right" And the
=, Henry, apprehensive of a stormy tut
=, in the conversation that he lacked tt
:, courage to face, snatched up his h
and went out.
;. About four o'clock Henry, with Mi
Bates on his arm, came proudly dow
the road. After the little breeze
the morning, Henry was rather 81;
~ TO think that he would not have
,f face James wrath alone. For hir
a. self, he could see nc reason why ia.
- should not remain in the old hor
~ with them, but Miss Bates secuted t
notion. ut was not" she said, wi
superb hauteur, cher idea of beil
mistress in her own house" Al
Henry, carried away BY his infatu
y, ton, argued that Miss Bates must
n right, and any reluctance on the pa
~ of Jane to concur in the arrangeme
&c would be unreasonable and unseen
=, Miss Bates had cheerfully volunteer
to relieve Henry Of the painful du
of making James position clear to HI
no and there was every promise that
clearness would not be under-accent
ated. 1t was agreed between hers
IN and Henry, however, that he shot
NJ throw in a remark from time to til
in order to make the statement of
NJ case more convincing and more CO.
n pletely authoritative.
r. Henry rang the bell, and Jane open
or the street door. AS an actual mat
th of fact Jane had anxiously watch
II. the approach Of the couple from l