Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-05-07

were hitched at the curb, or moved
leisurely along the leafy street: big,
c~anvas-topped country wagons drawn
by shaggy-hoofed horses and set with
chairs that bumped and jostled their
holiday loads from outlying tobacco
plantation and stud-farm; sober. black
covered buggies. long narrow, spring
less buckboards, frivolous side-bar run
abouts and antique shays r~esurrected
from the primeval depths of cob
webbed stables, relics of furnished
grandeur and faded fortune.
At midday vehicles resolved them
selves into Observation-Disclosures
slowed away beneath the seats, dis
closing all manner of picnic edibles-
the courthouse yard was an array of
grass-spread table-cloths, and an air
of plenty reigned.
Within Mrs. Merryweather Mason's
brown house hospitality sat enthroned
and the generous d~ining-room a
held by a regiment OF feminine out-of-
town acquaintance.
The yard, an hour later, was an &C
tive encampment of rocking-chairs.
and a din of conversation fioated out
over the pink oleanders whose tubs
had achieved a fresh coat Of bright
green paint for the occasion. Mrs.
Poly Gifford-a guest of the day
here shone respondent.
THE young folks are counting
nightly on the dance tonight" OBJ
served Mrs. Livy Stowe of Seven Oaks.
Even the Buckner girls have got new
ball dresses"
"Improvident, | call it," said Mrs.
Clifford. They can't afford such
things, with Park Hill mortgaged up
to the roof the way it is"
Mrs. Mason's soft apologize alto
interposed. They're sweet girls,
and we're never young but once. 1
think 1t was SO fine Of Mr.. Valiant
to offer to give the ball. l hear he's
motored to Charlottesville three or
four times for fixings, though | under
stand he's poor enough since he gave
up his money as he did. What a
princely act that was!"
"Y-e-e-es," agreed Mrs. Clifford. "but
a little-what shall I call it?-pre-
cipitous! If l were married to a man
like that I should always be in terror
of his adopting an orphan asylum or
turning Republican or something
equally impossible"
The doctor shut his Office door with
a vicious slam and from the vantage
of the wire window-screen looked sour
ly across the beds of marigold and
nasturtium.
Il reckon if Mrs. Poly Clifford shut
her mouth more than ten minutes
handrrunning," he said malevolently,
"the top Of her head'd fly from here
to Charlottesville"
The major, ensconced with a cigar
in the easy chair behind him, -four
ished his palm-leaf fan and smote an
errant fly.
Speaking Of Damory Court" he
said in his big voice. "The dance idea
was a happy thought Of young Va
liant's. I'll be surprised If he doesn't
do 1t to the queens TASTE"
The doctor nodded. This place
can't teach him much about such fol
derolings, l reckon. He's led more
cotillions than I've got hairs on my
head"
"Td hardly limit it to that" said
the major, chortling at the easy thrust.
"And after all. even folderolings have
their use"
who said they hadn't? If people
choose to make whirling dervishes of
themselves, they at least can reflect
that it's better for their lives than
cane-bottom chairs. Though that's
about all you can say in favor OF
the modern ball"
"Pshaw!" said the major. II re-
member a time when you used to rig
out in a claw-hammer and
I" Dance all night till broad daylight
And go home with the gyrls in the morn.
Ing
with the bravest of us. Used to like
it, too"
CTo BE CoNTINUEDJ