Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-11-19

By VIRGINIA WOODWARD CLOUD
Copyright. by BObbs-Merrill Co.

Coz
my feet for awhile. 1 don't know a
soul here except"
Miss Devourney?" Here she sank
on a seat behind the gallery rail. Il
never heard Of her in my life, and l
thought l knew them all-the women
here"
l looked around and spoke confiden-
TALLY. marveling that l did so, yet
realizing that it was no strange thing.
Then 1 will make a confession. 1
never did, either"
Miss M%odernity laughed, softly, but
with evident enjoyment. 1t was a
seal upon our sudden bond of conf
dence, and l was glad of the human
sound which rippled through the mad
clamor of voices around us, like the
memory of a meadow brook in the
midst Of a noisy thoroughfare, her
eyes as she turned them questioning,
tolerGntly, were full of humoT.
~ was really looking for some one,
and wanted to recognize her myself
first. So / hit upon a name to give
me an opportunity of speaking to diff
ferent ones. l think it was quite in
genious! She was an old friend-in
fact, a playmate"
Basketball or rag-dools?" she in
terrupted.
Neither. It was-er-stolen ap-
Piles and rides bareback, and wading
up stream mean on my back, you
know"
"Fancy!"
oh yes, all that sort of thing.
But when anticipation has formed an
ideal, n sometimes shrinks back
from its fulfillment-as if the magma
ton is 10th to relinquish that which
1t has found sweet"
She nodded quickly with a compre,
hension that was good to receive.
-"And l should like to confess that
l represent that unenviable atom of
masculinity, an %ex-fance."
"Oh!-Hers, you mean?"
eyes, she was only five when she
promised to marry me. When l went,
we parted in the"
Usual way?" Miss Modernity was
evidently interested.
THE orchard, l think it was. l
pulled her out of an apple-tree. You
e she was a famous climber and had
a way of tearing her clothes nearly off.
| used to go in pursuit."
Dear me-how-how pastoral! A
hoyden or an athlete?"
Neither, / assure you, but an ador-
able child of about IL years. With
promise of great beauty"
Miss Modernity stirred ~uneasily.
What was your ex-fancee like?"
she said suddenly.
"a sturdy little thing with reddish
hair and freckles on her nose," I said,
noticing Miss Modernity's slim, lis.
some lines.
"And her name?" she pursued, evil
IDENTIFY with a kind intention to keep
me to the subject most interesting.
Her name was Betty"
II do not know any girl by that
name" She unfurled a fan Of white
feathers, waving it distractingly be-
tween us, while / was realizing that
this was the kind Of woman, whose
youth combined grace, control, beau
ty, wit and gentle perception, to make
a mans life and keep him clean. All
this passed through my mind with sud-
den light and l said, stopping short:
Il have not been duly presented to
you. I am Everett ORAL, Of"
"Of a score of brave battles" she
smiled UP at me, Il recognized you
when you came up the stairs, even be-
fore you spoke to me, OIL do you think
l should be here with you?"
I put my glasses on again, ~perplex-
eddy s%crutinizing the humor of those
frank, gray eyes, as a voice broke
upon us.
"My father!" she said, and l turned
to face IN old friend.
"O'Rall! - You wild man-of-the-
woods, welcome home! We've had a
search-warrant out for you! The gov
ernor wants you to receive with him
at ten. Might have known I'd find you
with Elizabeth"
Elizabeth" / was stumbling man
like before tho complexities of fem
mine transitions-the low knot of
brown hair, the womanly contour Of
figure, the grace, the aplomb-then
her laugh murmured toward me de-
lightedly.
"No,-Betty!-0h, | could not help
tit was too FUNNY"
Miss Modernity, Miss Modernity,
how could you?" | said. Her eyes
grew softer.
Il wanted to know if you had forgot
ten me-if-" suddenly her hand
slipped in mine with a GREATNESS
aside, ooh, Rally, you old owl, | am
so glad!-So %glad--come tomorrow
Pleased"
read Miss Modernity's eyes, and
left her with my face turned toward
a glad tomorrow.