Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-03-12

was Lucille" He noted that here
and there passages were marked with
penciled lines-some light and, femi-
ninety delicate, some heavier, as
though two had been reading 1t to-
gether. noting their individual prefer
ences.
He laid it back musingly, and open
ing a door, entered the large room it
disclosed. This had been the dining
room. At n end stood a crystal
knobbed mahogany sideboard, holding
glass candlesticks in the shape Of
Ionic columns-above 1t a quaint por-
trait Of a lady in hoops and love-
curls-and at the other enc was a
huge fireplace with rust-red fire-dogs
and furnished brass fender. All these,
with the round centipede table and
the Chippendale chairs set in order
against the walls, were dimmed and
grayed with a thick powdering of dust.
The next room that he entered was
big and wide, a place Of dark colors,
nobly smutched of time. 1t had been
at once library and l~iying-room. A
great leather settee was drawn near
the desk and beside this stood a read
ing-stand with a small china dog and
a squat bronze lamp upon it. In con-
trast to the orderly dining-room there
was about this chamber a sense of
untouched disorder-a desk-drawer
jerked half-open, a yellowed news
paper torn across and flung into a cor
ner, books tossed on desk and lounge,
and in the fireplace a little heap Of
whitened ashes in which charred frag-
ments told of letters and papers
burned in haste.
Suddenly he lifted his eyes. Above
the desk hung a life-size portrait of a
man, in the high soft stock and vel
vet collar of half a century before.
The right eye, strangely. had been cut
from the canvas He stood straight
and tall, one hand holding an eager
hound in leash, his face proud and
fiorid, his single, cold, steel-blue eye
staring down through its dusty curtain
with a certain malicious arrogance,
and his lips set in a sardonic curve
that seemed about to sheer. 1t was
for an instant as if the pictured figure
confronted the young nan who stood
there, mutely challenging his entrance
into that tomb-like and secret-keeping
quiet; and he gazed back as fixedly,
repealed by the craft of the face, yet
subtly attracted. 81 wonder who you
WERE" he said. you were cruel.
Perhaps you were wicked. But you
were strong, too"
He returned to the outer hall to find
that the negro had carried in his
trunk, and he babe him place it, with
the portmanteau, In the room he had
just left. Dusk was falling.
Uncle Jefferson" said Valiant alb
ruptly, have you a family?"
"No, sub. Jes' me en nah oil
CONAN"
Can she cook?'
Cook" The genial litter again
captured his dusky escort. When
she got de fxens, All reck'n she de
beaten'es cook in his heah county"
How would you both like to live
here with me for a while? She could
cook and you could take care Of me-"
Uncle Jefferson's eyes seemed to
turn inward with mingled surprise and
introspection. He shifted from one
foot to the other, swallowed difficulty
several times, and said, "Ah ain neb-
bah seed yo' befo', sub"
We'll, l haven't seen you either,
have II"
Oats de trufe, sub, deed ct is!
Hyuh, hyuh! Whut All means ter
say is dat de OF CONAN kahn cook
no fancy didoes like what dey eats up
MORT. She kin jes' cook de Ferginey
style"
That sounds good to. me-" quoth
Valiant. I'll risk 1t. Now as to
wages"
"Ah ain specticulous as ter de
wages said Uncle Jefferson. "Ah
knows er gemman when All sees one"
Then it's a bargain" responded Va
liant with alacrity. Can you come at
once?"
"Yas, sub, me en- Daph gwineter
come ovah fus' thing in de mawnin'.
Whut yo'-all gwineter do TO yo' sup
pah?"
I'll get along" Valiant assured him
cheerfully. Here is five dollars. You
can buy some food and things to
cook with, and bring them with you.
Do you think there's a stove in the
kitchen?
"Ah reck'n," replied Uncle Jefferson.
En- eff dar ain Daph kin cook er
Chris'mus dinnah wild TO stones en- er
tin skillet. Vas, subj"