Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-05-02
A Government
Pen
M
By GNE L. A

go ~ hhS Sto~
per Syndicate)
From my position on a desk by the
window | can look out over the green
sward, Just at present with beds OF
Haunting tulips and its great fountain.
whose jeweled drops scinliiate la the
sunny air.
The grass is like n square Of emerald
velvet, bordered along its sides with
gray, chiseled granite; and the lac
Qucred Iron seats scattered here anu
there, look inviting.
l, myself, am old and battered. hav-
ing been busy for months recording the
emotions of the human souls that
stream in at the revolving doors yon-
der, and OUT again. at the one near
me. ] can see for myself thai the
building wherein l have an abiding
place Is magnificent. | behold the mas
sive front Of red brick, with costly
trimmings of brown stone. Two i'm.
mense electric lanterns throw floods
Of light, nightly. through the lace-llke
iron iilagree that protects them, on the
masses of humanity that beat with
rhythmic tread the wide sidewalk be-
meath the window.
III my short life, for the existence OF
n pen in the service of this great gov
eminent must of necessity be abbrevi-
ated by the democratic handling it re-
ceives, | have recorded more than II
pitiful life story.
, 1t Is not long ago the noble elms sur
: rounding the green We're bare ana
: gaunt against a grayer sky, that n
I young men With hopeful eyes leaned
over the desk where ! was lying, idle
! for n wonder, and reaching out, grasp
ed ne tightly. As I flew. with impa'
9 tient strokes over the white sheet, ]
. found thar | was writing thus:
J, Dear Mabelle--I may Write-Inay
not!-what l cannot say. for when an
with you my lips are ever silent.
followed you to the city, dear, | sough'
. and found Northumberland
"a wanted to be near you. And now | fint
" that | want to be al YOU always, 81
much so that | am willing to braV'
your dlsapproval. which | have Otter
1. seen growing in your clear, brown eye
ID and ask you to marry me, dear
10 now, tomorrow-neXt week--any time
D only that You will have ii some time.
W. II am in an awful hurry, or woul
say more. But l have an appolntmel
II. al the quarr and all this means none
and perhaps you-to me. l hay
"a stopped here, in the post office. to pc
these few lines, with u horribly poi
pen, by the way.
please answer at once, and say v
--to-Jack."
,tie hoped she would say yes as rolf
in complacently over or my side. when
oes laid me down, and amused myse
watching the gardener raking here al
there among the stubbly brown gra'
that clothed the green.
Dipped thousands of times in ink,
was daily, the foregoing episode h;
nearly faded from my mind, Wit
presently it was abruptly recalled.
young girl in a jaunty gray jacket, wi
a n aureole of viulets shading her sum
brown hair, came hastily to the DIES
plcked me IN. looked at me with d
( approving eyes, laid me down. tri
another pen. and then returned to
I'M old lover, meaning myself. A str,
ST. Cling sunbeam kissed her shining ~
till they glinted an old-fashioned 90
=. stone and lovingly caressed, with n
u dy fingers. the chestnutty rinslets
hair beneath the violet aureole.
. 1t was n prosaic elimination of
ardent and romantic desires, but ] b
Voa only to wait n few moments WI
something followed. Without hest
ton, though each stroke of my rus
tin was cutting through two culver
'oS hearts, she indited the following:
al. Dear Jack-l know what you ,
the say when you read this-you will
am hard. hearted, that do not car
ia that l ought to leave all and cling
~ YOU. IL love you--but l cannot
what YOU wish me 10. And Jack, d.
vef do love you, co.. But they,
ed. parents, need me--need my help.
have left them up there, in the co
try home, while ! 80 battling with
VuU cruel world, SO that ! may be Of
to them, who did for me as long
81. they were able. You know the WI
..a pitiful story. Jack.
80 "A breath just now from the ne
'"eo springing grass on the green brougi
nen- back to me, and ! have half-cl0sed
leo, eyes so the tears should not fall
my letter. Father blind. mother
sssvs only attendant, and feeble her'
with only my arm--Jack, my wom
com. arm--between them and want.
would say, II you were here and l
rood talking now instead Of writing
adian TINT your arm was stronger than u
and you could do for them and
' 70, But think, there would be four o.
,ao then, ind could you do for four
~" you a young man, with such prosp
~ as you now have? Could you we
- yourself with your own burdens
mine, tOo7 No. It q never he.
<
Success Without Struggle.
Il.