Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-02-18
CHAPTER discontinued.

to detail, that the previous summer a
famous band Of smugglers had car
ried On successful operations under
the very noses of our customs officials
located in the little town just across
the water, and had completely bafled
said officials in their efforts to uphold
law and justice.
She added that a police boat had
recently been assigned to the station,
which patrolled the shore with flash
ing searchlight, ready to pounce upon
any unwary small craft lurking with
out lights in dark coves or inlets, and
that a large reward had been offered
for the capture of the chief offender.
"But, law!" finished Mary Anne, ex-
ultantly, "wot good does that do when
e can stay Ugh and dry this side the
border? Wot's o goin' to the states
fur, I'd like to know, when e can stay
ere, Miss Elise, and waller in di-
'monds?"
admitted that he would be foolish
to thus tempt Providence, and Mary
Anne resumed, thoughtfully pinching
up the skin on her round red arms:
"But they're lookin' fur i'm, pore
Teller, and the polls is 'ungry fur the
money wot'll land i'm in jail. No COM
mon man e is, they say, but mayhap
one of these ere islanders wot comes
fur the summer, with their steam
yachts and their fine clo'es. All, we'll!
Jail's no wuss fur i'm than fur the
likes O us. And seem that the gentle
man to-day was very likely lookin'
and civil spoken, but quite unbe-
knownst to me, 1 wondered-beggin
your parding, Miss Elizabeth-if it
was i'm I ear SO much talk about in
TIE village. Will you be havin' clear
soup ag'in tonight, miss?"
CAS- you please, Mary Anne" Eliz-
abeth spoke absently, and joined us
in the living with an air of sap
pressed excitement.
DO you think it's possible?" she
inquired, laying Mr.. Gordon Benefits
card on the table as though fearing it
might explode.
mo, I don't" said Gabrielle, bluntly.
TITS just servants gossip. Don't
think about it any more"
OF course after that we talked Of
nothing else, and when Lord Wilfrid
and Lady Edith came up that ave
ing we told them all about 1t, begin
ming with our experience on the
steamer. Lord Wilfrid disposed Of the
steamer episode in one succinct word.
Drunk" he said, with a shrug of
his shoulders, and really 1t seemed not
improbable, now that it was suggested
to us.
Lord Wilfrid appeared in a new
light that evening, he was SO talka-
tive and agreeable; he also corrobo-
rated Mary Anne's story about the
s~mugglers, and gave us a good deal Of
information on the subject. The vii
lage was quite excited, he said, and
the fishermen who hired sailboats
could talk of nothing else.
Il confess" he said, with his slow
drawl, my sympathies are with the
poor devil of a smuggler. He must
be a clever chap, I fancy, to be worth
such a large reward"
According to Mary Anne, he a
waller in di'monds,'" remarked Ga
brielle, laughing.
"Ah, indeed" said Lord Wilfrid.
"Opulent but uncomfortable, l should
imagine. Well, I wish him luck; may
he"
"Wilfrid. dear" interrupted his sis
ter, In laughing exp~ostulation, ''and
you a magistrate at home!"
well, suppose / am" returned
Lord Wilfrid; ut is my misfortune,
not my fault. And I'm sure my sym
pathies are nearly always with those
wretched poachers we condemn so
glibly."
I instantly conceived a warmer
liking for Lord Wilfrid, for I thought
such sentiments worthy Of admiration,
and I could see that Gabrielle and
Elizabeth were likewise impressed. In
deed, now that he had cast aside his
mantle Of sulky silence, he proved
himself very pleasant indeed, and
eve suggested sailing parties and
various other ways Of passing the
time.
For" he remarked, Il think this
is rs good a place as anywhere to stop
and breathe a bit, and it's 50 jolly well
isolated, don't you know, that n is
moderately safe from ones dear five
hundred friends; SO I fancy 1t will be
quite a while before we move on
provided Edith can tolerate her ac-
commodations."
| thought / saw a shadow cross his
sisters face, but she answered him
gently that where he was happy she
was also, 30 he turned to Gabrielle
and told h>x he had hired a boat By
the week and was ready to take us OFT
at any tims,
1--WE have a boathouse but no boat"
remarked Gabrielle, land we can't
get inside II because Mary Anne's
brother inc~onsiderately lost the key
Perhaps one Of mine will it," sug-
gested Lord Wilfrid, producing his
key-ring. LIST us try and see.'
SO we all went down the steep flight
Of steps to the little boathouse be-
meath the bluff, and waited on the slip
while he tried the various keys with
no success.