Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-09-21

had summoned.
He wished her not to know of his
Men who deeply love and
deeply long for answering symptom
throw to the winds their every chance
in coming heralded, for the fondest wo-
man, given time and warning, is a
eonsummate dissembler. The warmest
heart will coat itself with ice impene-
trable. No, he meant to take her by
surprise as completely as Gordon's fell
lows had amazed the men of the Eighth
corps that dark dawn under the shad-
ows of old M~assanutten, and only to
Winston at Richmond had he spoken
of the possibility of his stopping over
a day at Charlottesville. Half a
dozen girls, however, knew of the
presence of the invader before Rosalie
Chiffon, but none learned it in just
such a way.
A few minutes Benton stood there in
silent reconnaissance. He might have
seized the old-fashioned brass knocker
at the door and brought somebody in
dlSW6T " Il0 0uIulllOuo, Jul lhub Nouiu
have spoiled the surprise. He be-
thought him of that old arbor in the
garden, and wondered if he could pass
the windows and the kitchen without
attracting notice. Then, looking about
him, and drawing closer to the shelter
of the vine-shaded 'portico, he saw
that the placidly grazing horse had
uplifted his venerable head, and, with
ears on end, was regarding, evidently,
some approaching object; then, with
low and welcoming Whitney, moved
slowly through the fruit trees as
Though to meet some n still beyond
the field of the soldiers vision. Then
it was that Benton for the first time
realized that this was old Pyramus,
the horse that three years before had
safely borne him through the woods
and by-roads to the mountain cabin,
thence on to the gaps OF the Blue
ridge, on from Rivanna to the Rapidan,
and again to Bucklands and the final
rescue north of Bristoe, only to be
turned loose and abandoned to the pur-
suing gray-coats when poor Hector
sank exhausted, crippled, and begging
mot to be left to the vengeance of the
foe. Pelham's friends must have re-
stored. the old horse to his owners, yet
now the veteran was being made at
home here at the Chiltons'. How
| came that?
Fred would have gone instantly to
| renew acquaintance and reward his
| old four-footed friend with cares and
praise, but someone else was crossing
the lawn, with a white hand extended,
palm uppermost, before her-some one
in white dimity, though Benton didn't
know it from damask, and cared moth
ing what il was. save that the waist,
at least, chung to the queenly form he
was so thrilled to see. The volumin-
GUS skirt was doing it's best to balloon
without the aid Of a Skeleton" for
crinoline, being the height OF fashion,
was %contraband of war, scarce in the
south as cinchona; but these were de-
tails of which Benton took no note.
There had been a time when he fully
intended that, not so much for what
she had said in her wrath as for what
she must have believed Of him, this
proud. im%perious, wilful girl should be
made to feel that he, too, could rebuke,
but at sight of her and the WEAKNESS
and lassitude with which she moved,
all this seemed vanished into the air.
All that he now saw-heard-felt-
knew-was that it was she, Resale,
who, only half a dozen rods away,
lovely as ever in her dark beauty, yet
pathetically changed, had thrown one
arm about that scrawny, grizzled, equine
neck, and stood softly stroking the
lean old head, softly murmuring to the
unheeding ear and nesting the warm
velvet of her cheek upon that unre-
sponsiye jowl-all that sweetness
thrown away upon a superannuated
steed that, ignoring sweets incompar-
able. nuzzled about her rounded necK
and arms in guest Of lump sugar, long
since a forgotten luxury. Rosalle's
back was toward the i~ntruder'1n clue
as, no longer hesitant, he went, strid-
ing under the trees until almost with
in arms length of her, Pyramus. the
while, regarding him with mute and
placid curiosity, with neither hope mol
fear. And here the soldier stood anG
looked on hungriiy a moment at price
less caresses, for any touch OF which
he could almost sell his soul, and lis.
tening to low, murmurous words OF
tenderness and affection that, lavishec
on him, would have turEed grief " suf'
fering to instant ecstasy. The aigG'
thrilled him, even while it fired bl:
soul with envious greed. And theE-
and then came further murmuret
words, at sound of which his hear
stormed at its heaving bars, and fairly
leaped in mad delight and passionate
rejoiceful love. Gracious heaven, coult
he believe his senses!
Dear old fellow-dear old fellow
Did anybody think I'd let him be solt
to strangers, after all he'd done TO
me and mine? Good old Pyramus
Good old boy!" And all this with pet
ting, patting. hands, with that sof
cheek still nestled against the long
brown, bony muzzle. He'd do it al
over again, wouldn't he? He'd brini
him Blackjack to me-if only
hadn't And then both white arm
were clasped about that preposterou
neck, and the dark tresses of the CIR
were bowed against and mingled witt
the grizzled, tangled name of her on
confidant. The lovely face was hiddel
from the worshipping eyes of blue, bu
only for an instant. In daring and de
light and overmastering love, with eau
! ton thrown to the winds, and prid
and resolution totally forgotten, Ben
ton sprang forward, n low cry o
~ ssDaro1toO ~, bic 1ipc. coiro1 tCr