Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-11-03

~ oulOhy Ill vi ulO INNS
She walked quickly. 1t was q cross
town car bound for quite another. To-
cality that she climbed aboard. 1t
was filed only with mechanics and
workmen with picks and shovels. She
sat crowded elbow to elbow among
odors of stale tobacco, stale garlic,
stale perspiration, and looking
straight before her through the car
window watched the aspect of the
city, still gray, grow less cleaning
and formal and finally quite dirty, and
quite, quite dull.
This was all as she had intended,
very much in the direction of her err
rand, and safe. But in Market street
the car line ended, and she vas
turned out again in this broad artery
of commerce where she was in dam
ger of meeting at any moment people
she knew. She made straight across
the thoroughfare to its south side,
turned down Eighteenth and in a nc
ment was hidden in Mission street.
1t was ten o'clock in the morning,
three hours since she had left her
house and a most reasonable time
of daylight, when Flora turned out Of
the fairness of South of Market
street. and began to mount a slow-ris-
ing hill.
AS she neared the hilltop she
glanced at a card from her chatelain,
consulting the address upon it. Then
anxiously she scanned the house
fronts! 1t was not this one, nor this;
but the square white mansion she
came to now stood so far retired at
the end of its lawn that she could not
make out the number. AS she peered
a young girl came down the steps be-
tween the dark wings Of the cypress
hedge, a slim, fair, even-gaited crea'
ture dressed for the street and draw
ing on her gloves. AS she passed
Flora made sure she had seen her be-
fore. There was something familiar
in the carriage Of the girls head and
hands; something also like a pale re-
Election of another presence. Pale as
it was, it was enough to reassure her
that this was the house she wanted.
This appearance of the place began
to bring before Flora the full enormity
and impertinence of her errand, but
though her heart beat on her side as
loud as the brass knocker upon the
door, she had no mind for turning
back.
A high, cool, darkly cleaning inter
ior, mellow with that precious tint Of
time which her own house SO lacked
received her. And here, as well as
out of doors, all the while she sal
waiting she felt that protected peace
was still the deity Of the place. Tt
Flora's eager heart time was stream
ing by, but the tall clock facing hel
measured it out slowly. It's Longest
| golden finger had pointed out five min
utes before the sweeping Of a Skin
coming down the hall brought her t.
her feet.
Mrs. Herrick came in hatless, {
honeysuckle leaf caught in her gray
crown Of hair, %geraniums in her hand
Flora had never seen her so informa
and SO gay.
Flora apologized. II knew if I came
at this hour I should interrupt you
but really there was no help for it.
She glanced down at her satchel. +"
had to go this morning, and before
went I had to e you about the house
I'm going down to look at it and-ant
to stop a while"
Mrs. Herrick hesitated, deprecated
"But you know Mrs, Britton WASH
satisfied with the price I asked"
ooh" said Flora promptly, "but
shall be perfectly satisfied with it, AM
/ want to take possession at once"
The positive manner in which sh'
waved Clara out of her way brough
UP in Mrs. Herrick's face a fain
flash of surprise; but it was gone il
an instant, %supplanted by her ques
tioning, puzzled consideration Of thu
main proposition.
"Oh, l hope you haven't come to tel
me you want it changed" she pre-
tested. "You know it's quite absdr,
in ~places-quite terrible indeed. It
1870 straight through, and French a
that; but even such whims acquire
dignity il they've been long cherished
You couldn't put in or take out on
thing without spelling the whole char
acter."
"But / don't want to change it,
want it just as 1t is" Flora explained
ut isn't about the house itself Nv
come, it's about going down there
You see there are-some people, som
friends of mine. I haven't promise
them oshowthe house, but l have quit
promised myself to show it to them
and they are only here for a few day
more. They are going Immediately.
She was looking at Mrs. Herrick a
the while she was telling her wretch
ed lie, and now she even managed t
smile at her. "I thought how Lowell
it would be If you could go there wit
me. / should like so very much to b
in it first with you, to have you g
over it with me and tell me how t
take care of it, as it's always bee
done. I should hate to do it any dill
respect"
Her hostess smiled with ready an
swer. "Of course l will go down.
should be glad, but it must be in
day or two. Indeed, perhaps 1t woul
be better for you to have your peopl
first, and / can come down, say Nor
day afternoon or Tuesday"
Flora faced this unexpected turn Q
the matter a little blankly. "Ah, bu
the trouble is I can't go down alone.
1t was Mrs. Herrick's turn to loo
blank. "But Mrs. Britton?"
MRS. Britton isn't going with me
che oon,f -