Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-05-07

lIdL1S, IWO HOOu1oCdtCn ShoAlG PaAhISN
blue, and white muslin curtains draped
away from the window.
And now, conscious that she was in
some strange place, back in an instant
came the three days of her long,
weary tramp, the nights when she had
slept in a sheep barn and in a deserted
dwelling, and at last, faint, footsore,
and almost hopeless, she had been res
cued from another night with only the
sky for a roof.
Then the quaint old man. so much
like Old Cy, whom she had accoste6,
the rafting, humping ride down into
this valley, and the halt where a
CHEEKY light beamed its welcome and
a motherly woman made it real.
1t vas all so unexpected, so satisfy.
ing, so protective of herself, that Chip
could hardly realize how it had come
about.
No questions had been asked of her
here. These two quaint old people
had taken her as she was-dusty, dirty
and travel-worn. She had bathed and
been helped to an ample meal and
shown to this sweet-smelling room as
If she had been their own daughter.
"They must be awful kind sort o.
people," Chip thought, and then creep
ing out of bed she dressed, and taking
her stockings and sadly worn shoes in
hand softly descended the stairs.
No one seemed astir anywhere. The
ticking of a tall clock in the sitting
room was the only sound, the back
door was wide open, and out of this
Chip passed, and seating herself on
a bench, began putting on stockings
and shoes. This was scarce done ere
she heard a step and saw the old man
emerge from the same door.
oval, P~attycake, how air ye?" he
asked, smiling. 81 heerd We creepin'
downstairs like a mouse, but | was up,
n bout dressed. Hope We slept well.
It's Sunday" he added, without wait
ing for a reply, "an' we don't git up
quite so arly ez usual. Ye can help
Mandy bout breakfast now, if We like,
n I'll do the milkin'."
And this marked the entry of Chip
into the new home, and outlined her
duties. No more questions were
asked of her. She was taken at her
W valuation-a needy girl, willing
to work for her board, insisting on it,
and yet, in a few days, so hospitable
were these people and so winsome vas
Chip, that she stepped into their af-
lection, as it were, almost without
effort.
II don't think we best quiz her
much" Uncle Jud (as he was KNOWN
said to his wife that first night. 81
found her on the top O. Bangall hill
where she riz up like a ghost. She
lowed she run away from somewhat
but where twas, she didn't want tc
tell. My 'pinion is thar's a love fair
at the bottom ont all; but whether it's
so or not, it amt one O. our business
She needs a home, sartin sure. She
says she means to arm her keep, which
is the right sperit, an long as she
minds us, she kin have it."
That Chip "airned her keep" anG
something more was o O evinced, fol
in two weeks it was Aunt Mandy
and Uncle Jud" from her, and Patty
or "Pattycake," the nickname giver
her that first morning from them
More than that, so rapidly had she
won her way here that by now Uncle
Jud had visited the Riggsville store
some four miles down this valley, ant
materials for two dresses, new shoes
a broad sun hat, and other much-need
ed clothing were bought for Chip.
Neither wal it all one-sided, fol
these people, well-to-do in their iso
lated home, we're also quite alone
Their two boys had grown up, gon'
away and married, and had homes o
their own, and the company of
bright and winsome girl like Chip wa
needed in this home.
Her adoption and acceptance of /
were like a small stream flowing int
a larger one, for the reason that thes'
people were almost primitive in loca
ton and custom.
I'VE don't go to meetin' Sundays,
Uncle Jud had explained that first da,
after breakfast. Were sorter heath
en-, l s'pose; but then agin, thar ain
no chance. Thar used to be meetin'
down to the Corners, n a parson; blu
he only got four hundred a year, an
hard work to collect that, n so he gil
the Job up. Since then the meetin
house has kinder gone to pieces, n
the Corner folks use it now for STORM
tools. We obsarve Sundays here b,
bein' sorter lazy, n I go fshin' SOM
: or pickin' berries"
= And then Uncle Jud was so mucl
: like Old Cy in ways and speech tina
her heart was won. And besides thes'
= blessings, the old farm house, hiddel
, away between two ranges Of wooded
i hills. seemed so out of the world ant
> SO secure from observation that sh,
7 felt that no one from Greenvale eve
! could or would discover her. She ha'
/ meant to hide herself from all VIII
t knew her, had changed her name TO
that purpose, and here and now i
was accomplished.
That first Sunday, also, became
p halcyon one for her, after chores, il
the performance Of which Chip mad,
e herself useful, Uncle Jed took his fish
e pole, and giving her the basket Il
carry, led the way to the brook, AM
for four bright sunny hours, Chi
knew not the lapse of time while sh'
watched the leaping, laughing stream
and her second Old Cy pulled trou
from each pool and cascade.