Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-02-27
By
RUPERT HUGHES


you see anything you absolutely got
to have, just you get it. And If the
money you got isn't enough, why, I'll
get more somehow. You can usually
depend on your old dad to do his
best"
He felt repaid when his beautiful
child cried, 81 know / can! you angelT
and reached high and drew his head
| down like a faithful camel's. BE never
told her that she was squeezing his
eyeglasses into his nose. He managed
not to sneeze at the exquisite agony
Of her curls tickling his nostrils, and
she Toasted his hungry ear with eager
gratitude.
Daphne slept little that night in her
Pullman ~pigeonhole; she was too busy
with her thoughts, and the wheels
made a banjo of the rails. But she
was glad Of her insomnia. Even better
than sleeping well is staying awake
well.
The train was on time and rolled
Enthusiastically into the Grand Cen
trail station. Clay Wimburn was there
by special dispensation from the office,
and he had had the forethought to Sc
cure a permit to come down to the
platform. He told the station master
that he had a crippled aunt to meet.
He did not tell Mrs. Kip that. He let
her believe that all doors opened to
him.
Daphne had not finished pointing
out her hand luggage to the redcap
when Clay's arms were about her. She
turned to draw her trusty "Sir!" but
smothered it on her lips. he charged
her mother next, and kissed her we'll,
saying:
"That's not for Bayard; that's for
me. How are you, mamma"
Mrs. Zip blushed and squealed as
she had squealed long ago wheI. her
first lover stole the first kiss.
After making arrangements about
the baggage with magnifcence and
tipping the porter like a freshly baked
millionaire, Clay taxicabbed them to
Mr.. and Mrs. Bayard's apartment
house, a towering habitable chimney
on Fifty-ninth street, overlooking Cen.
trail park and Columbus circle.
The convenience and ingenuity OF
the apartment enchanted Daphne. II
seemed impossible that all this luxury
this ozone of wealth, could be secured
, in so small a space, on part of on
floor, the twelfth of a building. Every
thing came up in baskets by pulley
people, food, everything; it was like {
monastery in the mountains-witf
some differences.
She was grateful beyond words tt
the young man who embraced her ant
!, stared over her shoulder-over hel
left s~houlder-at the tiny commerce
. Of the streets and the toy park. Sht
said to him:
= ooh, Clay, this is heaven! What d.
= you say to u having an apartment
!, just like this? Let's"
! She felt in the arm about her a sud
? den ~slackening. The chin on her shout
! der seemed to weigh heavier.
: "Er-it-would be NICE" said Clay
2 She turned out Of his embrace ant
? looked at him.
u He explained: "Do you know hoV
+ much Bayard pays for these sever
rooms and two baths?"
K "No."
Z swell, I've been looking about TO
! a little nest for us, and I priced on
| like this. They charge twenty-1v
I hundred dollars a year,"
She asked, shyly. "And that's NOR
than we can afford?" She had no ide!
what salaries were paid to fair
: princes in this city of fabulou
wealths. She had merely a glamorou
impression that her lover was Their
J to get what she wanted.
"Well, we could afford it, all right,
he laughed, meekly, "if we could ca
the view and wear the altitude. Blu
, we've never talked about none!
honey, have we? I suppose We ough
to. I don't want to give you any falls
/. impressions. Shall we talk about
nowY"
"No! please"
Daphne sat suddenly. She felt as
stranger to tall buildings feels whe
an express elevator starts downward
She had rejoiced to think that sh
! was escaping from her fathers nat
: ging ~dollarocracy to a region of low
and light. She sorrowed a momen
then she gazed at her lover and sa'
how anxious he was. Her love cam
J back to her. The express elevator wa
shooting upward now.
"What does 1t matter where we lvI
so long as we have each otherf"
II "You're a little saint" he said 9
ID he took her in a very secular embrac
o.. And then she began to laugh.
lie The whimsy struck her that she wa
a like a bird gaining its freedom froI
i'd a cage only to find itself in a ira
q 1t was q good joke on her. She eI
n joyed the jokes fate played on her
ut sometimes-more or less.
n CHAPTER ".