Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-07-10

expression OF intelligent and ecstatic
curiosity.
OH" she breathed. Then, She's
putting up plums. but she a come
out in a few minutes" She could not
go without lingering to look at Agatha,
her wideeyed gaze taking note Of
her hair. her dress, her hands, her
face. As Agatha became conscious Of
the ingenious inspection to which she
was subjected. she smiled at the girl
one Of her old. radiant, friendly
smiles.
Run now, and tell Mrs. Stoddard,
there's a good child! And sometime
you must come to see me at the red
house; will you?"
The girls face lighted up as II the
sun had come through a cloud. She
smiled at Agatha in return, with a
Yes" under her breath. Thus are
slaves made.
Left alone In the cool, dim parlor,
SO orderly and spotless, Agatha had a
presentiment of the prejudice of class
and of religion against which she was
about to throw herself. Susan Stod-
dard's fanaticism was not merely that
of an individual; it represented the
%stored-up strength Of hardy, CON
science-driven generations. The Stod-
dards might build themselves houses
with model laundries, but they did not
thereby transfer their real treasure
from the incorruptible kingdom. If
they were not ruled by aesthetic
ideals, neither were they governed by
thoughts Of worldly display. This
fragrant, clean room bespoke charac-
ter and family history. Agatha found
herself absently looking down at a
white wax cross, enGwined with wax
flowers, standing under a glass on
the comfortable. 1t was a strange
piece of handicraft. It's wilderness
was suggestive Of death, not life, and
the curving leaves and petals, through
which the vital sap once flowed, we're
beautiful no longer, now that their
day of tender freshness was so inap-
p~ropriately prolonged. AS Agatha, with
mind aloof, wondered vaguely at the
laborious patience exhibited in the
work, her eye caught sight Of an In
scription nodded in the wax pedestal:
Brother" Her mind was sharply
brought back from the impersonal re-
gion of speculation. What she saw
was not merely a sentimental, mis-
guided attempt at art; it was Susan
S%toddard's memorial Of her brother,
Hercules Thayer-the man who had
so Unexpectedly influenced Agatha's
own life. To Susan Stoddard this wax
cross vas the symbol Of the compan-
ionship Of childhood, and Of all the
sweet and bitter involved in the mex
plicable bond Of blood relationship.
felt more kindly toward her
because Of this mute, fantastic me
mortal. She looked up almost with her
characteristic friendly smile as she
heard slow, steady steps coming down
the hall.
The eyes that returned Agatha's
look were not smiling, though they did
not look unkind. They gazed, with
out embarrassment, as without pride,
into Agatha's face, as If they would
probe at once to the covered springs
Of action. Mrs. Stoddard was a thick
set woman, rather short, looking to-
ward sixty, with iron-gray hair parted
in the middle and drawn back in an
old-fashioned. pretty way.
1t was to the credit of Mrs. Stod-
dard's breeding that she took no no.
tice of Agatha's peculiar dress, un-
suited as it was to any place but the
bedroom, eve in the morning. Mrs.
5toddard herself was neat as a pin in
a cotton gown made for utility, not
She stood for an instant with
her clear, untroubled gaze full upon
then drew forward a chair
from it's mathematical position against
the wall. When she spoke, her voice
was a surprise, it was so low and deep,
with a like that of the
cello. 1t was not the voice Of a young
woman; 1t was, rather, a rare gift of
age, telling how beautiful an old wom-
ans speech could be. Moreover, 1t
carried refinement Of birth and cul-
ture, a beauty Of phrase and enuncia-
ton, which would have marked her
with distinction anywhere.
How do you do, Miss Redmond?"
Agatha, standing by the table with
the cross, made no movement toward
the chair. She was not come face to
face with Mrs. Stoddard for the pur-
pose of social visitation, but because,
in the warfare Of life, she had been
sent to the enemy with a message.
That, at least, was Agatha's point Of
view. Officially, she was come to plead
with Mrs. Stoddard; personally, she
was hot and resentful at her unjust
words. Her reply to her hostess greet
ing was brief and her attitude unbend-
ing.
Il have come to ask you, Mrs. Stod-
dard," Agatha began, though to her
chagrin, she found her voice was un-
s~teady-"I have come personally to
ask you, Mrs. Stoddard, II you will
help us in caring for our friend, who
is Ill. Your brother, Doctor Thayer,
wishes 1t. 1t is a case of life and
death, maybe; and skilful nursing is
difficult to find"
,Agatha's hand, that rested on the
table, was trembling by the time she
finished her speech; she was wildly
conscious ofSthe panic that had come
upon her nerves at a fresh realization
of the wall of defense and resistance
which she was attempting to assail.