Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-12-16
xxi.

That spring new buildings went up
at the school and brave rows of flow
ers appeared in the garden.
At first her college had been a kin
dergarten in effect, but now as Juani-
ia stood on the porch at recess she
wondered if any other schoolmistress
had ever drawn about her such a
strange assortment of pupils. There
were little tots in bright calico, glory
ing in big bows Of cotton hair-ribbon
but submitting grudgingly to the
combing Of the hair they sought to
adorn. There were larger boys and
girls, too, and even a h~alf-dozen men
just now pitching horseshoes and
smoking pipes-and they also were
learning to read and write.
In the afternoons women rode in on
mules and horses or came on foot, and
Juanita taught them not only letters
and figures, but lessons looking to
cleaner and more healthful cabins.
May came with smiles and songs in
the sky from sunrise to sunset, and in
the woods, where the moisture rose
and tender green's were sending out
their hopeful shoots, the wild flowers
unfolded themselves. Then Juanita
Holland and Anse Havey would go to-
gether up to the ridge and watch the
great awakening across the brown and
gray humps of the hills, and under
their feet was a carpet Of glowing
petals.
Anse Havey had never had such a
companionship, and hidden things be-
gan to waken in him.
So when she stood there, with the
spring breeze caressing the curling
tendrils at her temples, and blowing
her Bingham skirt about her slim
ankles, and pointed off, smiling, to his
house, he dropped his head in mock
shame.
"'Only the castle moodily gloomed
to itself apart" she quoted in accu-
sation, and the man laughed boyishly.
Il reckon We haven't seen the castle
lately" he said. "Ye wouldn't hardly
know 1t. It's gettin' all cleaned up an
made civilized. The eagles nest is
turnin' into a sure-enough bird cage"
Who's changing now" she ban
tered. Am l civilizing you or"-her
eyes danced with badinage-"are you
preparing to get married."
His face flushed and then became
almost surly.
Who'd marry me?" he savagely de-
handed.
Pm sure l don't know" she leased.
Whom have you asked?"
He bent a little forward and said
slowly:
"Once We told me | was wasting my
youth. Ye lowed | ought to be captain
Of my soul. IL | found a woman that
I wanted and she wouldn't have me-
what ought l to do about it?"
There are two courses prescribed
in all the correspondence schools. and
both are perfectly simple" she an
nounced with mock gravity. Zone Is
simply to take the lady first and ask
her a%fterward. The other is even
easier; get another girl"
ooh" he said. He vas hurt because
she had either not seen or had pre-
tended not to see his meaning. She
had not grasped the presumptuous
dream and effrontery of his heart.
His voice for a moment became
~enigmatical as he added: Sometimes
think we've played hell in these
mountains"
That spring silent forces were at
work in the hills; as silent and less
beneficent than the stirring SAP and
the brewing of showers.
Three men in the mountains we're
now fully convinced that what the
world needs the world will have, and
they we're trying to find a solution to
the question which might make their
own people sharers in the gain, in
stead Of victims. These three were
Anse and Milt and Jeb. and their first
step was the effort to hold landowners
in check. and make them slow to sell
and guarded in their bargaining.
To BE coNT1NUED)