Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-09-24


were to come in their best apparel,
and TO abide by the vote of the judges
without murmurings or disputings,"
The contest vas to be held out of
doors, in the sunny garden of one of
the grandees of the town, that the
searching light of day might add to
the impartiality of the decision. The
affair was thus turned into a lawn
party, and, the first families agreeing
to be present, the rest Of the town
followed suit.
A week before the day appointed,
Richard Gordon, a young lawyer, went
to call upon Mary Bennett, whose
father before his invalidism had been
a professor in the college town from
which Gordon's family also came.
Richard, waiting for Mary in the dim
parlor with its steel ~engravings of
famous pictures, felt that the girls
life was somehow like them, beautiful
in line and form, but lacking the
color that s~elfishness, rather than self
denial, seems to impart to human OK
'~istence. She had always sacrificed
herself to the demands and needs of
others, until she was like a white
flower brought out of the sunshine
to cheer a sick-room.
He was absorbed in his thoughts
of her when she entered, a welcome
glowing in her eyes. Though she
was tall and straight and wholesome
to look upon, no n had ever called
her pretty. Her chief asset was her
abundant dark hair. Richard had
never thought of her being in the cor
test, so he did not even apologize
when, after a few moments converse
ton, he showed her a list he had made
of the women who, in his opinion, had
the best chance of winning-a list
from which her name was omitted.
81 see that you have headed it with
Bertha Klendenning. That is easy to
understand"
but my grounds are different from
most peoples" he said, with the ear
nestness that he always brought to
any subject which interested him.
Her blue eyes and yellow hair and
story-book complexion count very lit
tie. It's her lovely figure and her
charm of manner-her more subtle
advantages, so to speak-that make
her what she is, graceful and WON
anly."
81 quite agree with you. Who is
next on the list?"
katherine More-it's the curve of
her upper lip" he added, confiden-
TALLY.
And next?"
Dora
Because"
He laughed.
1T has something to do with the
tip of her nose"
81 quite understand. Dora's nose
will keep her young when she's So"
And then come the ladies who
have only to put on a pink ribbon to
be called pretty. You see my scorn
of them places them last"
Poor things! Well, I think it will
be Bertha. You must tell me all about
it afterwards"
But, my dear, you're surely going!'
he said, earnestly, knitting his boyisf
brows.
81 can't unless father is better"
"Oh, you must--it will amuse you
SO! I'll call for you to make sure!'
well! l don't forbid your calling!'
she answered, with a smile.
She spent a troubled week, trying
to come to terms with herself. II
her dark moments she had %perversel!
wished to make herself look as plail
as possible, taking a kind Of pride IL
being utterly out of the running; blu
with the first dawn of gentler feelin!
came the desire to look her best, ant
to enter into the spirit of the occasion
So when the time came she curle'
her hair and arranged it with all tn
art that she could command. She pu
on a soft, white summer gown and
picture hat with roses. She wa
drawing on her long gloves whei
Richard arrived. He seemed in tn
highest spirits.
Il was prepared to use force, II
found you backing out. have som
news to tell you about myself-som'
thing that's made me very glad, and
want you to be glad with me"
Her heart sank. Was he going t
tell her of his engagement to Bertha
She turned a pale face to him.
Cant you guess, Mary?"
But she was dumb. He leane
towards her and took both her hand
in his.
1--WE got the position ! wanted ]
the office with jenkins & Bart--an
It's a kind of partnership, Mary. 1t
easily worth FIVE thousand a year"
She drew a long breath OF relief an
looked at him with shining eyes.
I'm SO glad--so glad"
"You can't be SO glad as !, becaus
nv dear he hesitated. Her sudde
little fame of JOY again sank.
"You see | didn't want to speak u
til | was sure
Even then she would not bellev
She had turned her head away. W.
II Bertha-oh, vas It Bertha?
you see I've loved you always
why Mary
LN.L H|.I.