Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-07-18
XIII.
RLAcKLoCK ATTENDS FAMILY
PRAYERS.

PRAYERS.
During dinner l bore the whole
burden of conversation-though bur
den I did not find it. Like most close
mouthed men, l Am extremely talk
alive. Silence sets people to o
dering and prying; he hides his Sc
crets best who hides them at the bot
tom OF a river of words. If my spir-
its are high, | often talk aloud to my
self when there Is no one convenient.
And how could my spirits be anything
but high, with her sitting there OPP
posite me, mine, mine for better or
for worse, through good and evil re-
port-my wife!
she was only formally responsive,
reluctant and brief in answers, vol
~unteering nothing. The servants
waiting on us no doubt laid her man
ner to shyness; l understood 1t, or
thought l debut I raj not troubled.
1t is as natural for me to hope as to
breathe; and with my knowledge OF
character, how could I take seriously
the moods and impulses of one whom
/ regarded as a child-like girl, trained
to false pride and false ideals?
'She has chosen to stay with me-"
said | to myself. ACTIONS count, not
words or manner. A few days or
weeks, and she will be herself, and
mine" Aud | went gaily on with
my efforts to interest her, to make her
smile and forget the role she had
commanded herself to play. Nor was
/ wholly unsuccessful. Again and
again l thought l saw a CLEAN of in
terest in her eyes or the beginnings
of a smile about that sweet mouth
of hers. l was careful not to overdo
my part.
AS soon as we finished dessert
said: "You loathe cigar smoke, so I'll
hide myself in my den. Sanders will
bring you the cigarettes" had my
self telephoned for a supply Of her
kind early in the day.
She made a polite protest for the
benefit of the servants; but l was
firm, and left her free to think things
over alone in the drawing-room-
"'your sitting-room," l called it.
had not finished a small cigar when
there came a timid knock at my door
1 threw away the cigar and opened
81 thought it was you," said |. I'm
familiar with the knocks of all the
others. And this WA new-like {
summer wind tapping with a flower
for admission at a closed window
And / laughed with a little raillery
and she smiled, colored, tried to seen
cold and hostile again.
"Shall | go with you to your sit
ting-room?" l went on. perhaps
the cigar smoke here"
NO, no" she interrupted; Il dom
really mind cigars-and the window,
are wide open. Besides, l came fol
only a moment-just to say
AS she cast about for words to carr,
her on, | drew up a chair for her
She looked at 1t uncertainty, seated
herself. When mamma was here
this afternoon" she went on, "sh,
was urging me toto do what sh,
wished. And after she had used sew
eral arguments, she said something
live been thinking 1t over, and /
seemed | ought in fairness to tel
you"
/ waited.
"She said: In q few days more he
that meant you-'he will be ruined
He imaginss the worst is oyer 10
him, when in fact they've only be
gun
"They! / repeated. who ar
they? The Langdons?"
II think So" she replied with al
effort. "She did not say-Ive toll
you her exact words-as far as I can.
"Well," said |, ''and why didn't 70
go?"
She pressed her lips firmly together
Finally, with a straight look into m
eyes, she replied: Il shall not di1
cuss that. You probably misundel
stand, but that Is your WI affair.
'You believed what she said abou
me, Of course said I.
Il neither believed 0 disbelieved,
she answered indifferently, as sh
rose to go. 1T does not interest me.
Come here" said |.
/ waited until she reluctantly joine
me at the window. pointed to tn