Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-10-30


what r you going to do about it.
motherf"
George vas right about his mothers
being proud. And even when she
laughed with a negro gardener, or even
those few times in her life when peo-
pie saw her weep, Isabel had a proud
look-something that was independent
and graceful and strong. But she did
not have it now: She leaned against
the wall, beside his dressing table, and
seemed beset with humility and with
weakness. Her head dropped.
"What answer are you going to
make to such a letter. George de-
handed, like a judge on the bench.
81 don't quite know, DEAR" she
murmured.
"You don't?" he cried. "You-"
"Wait," she begged him. "Tm So
confused"
Il want to know what you're going
to write him. Do you think if you
did what he wants you to 1 could
bear to stay another day in this town,
mother? Do you think I could ever
bear even to see you again If you
married him? I'd want to, but you
surely know 1 just-couldn't"
She made a futile gesture, and
seemed to breathe with difficulty. IT
I wasn't-Quite sure" she faltered,
"about-about it's being wise for us
to be married-even before knowing
how you feel about it. I wasn't even
sure it was quite fair toto Eugene.
I have-I seem to have that family
trouble-like father's-that I spoke
to you about once" She managed a
deprecatory little dry laugh. "Not
that it amounts to much, but I wasn't
at all sure that it would be fair to
him. Marrying doesn't mean so much,
after all-not at my age. It's enough
to know that-that people think Of
you-and to see them. I thought we
were all-Oh, pretty happy the way
thugs were, and I don't think it would
mean giving up a great deal for him
or me, either, if we just went on as
we have been. II see him almost
every day, and"
"Motherp Georges voice was loud
and stern. "Do you think you could
go one seeing him after this!
She had been talking helplessly
enough before; her tone was little
more broken now. "Not-not even
see him?"
"How could your George cried.
Mother, it seems to me that if he
ever set foot in this house again
oh! I can't speak Of it! Could you
see him, knowing what talk it makes
every time he turns into this street,
and knowing what that means to me
Oh, I don't understand all this
don't! If you told me. a year ago,
that such things were going to hap
pen, I'd have thought you were in
sane-and now I believe I am!"I
Then, after a preliminary gesture OF
despair, as though he meant harm to
the ceiling, he flung himself heavily,
face downward, upon the bed. His
anguish was none the less real for
Its vehemence; and the stricken lady
came to him instantly and bent over
him, once more enfolding him in her
arms. She said nothing, but suddenly
her tears fell upon his head; she saw
them, and seemed to be startled.
NOh &b{a -0ns+ 10 ~ cbn eaiI GgTtrs
never let you see me cry before, ex
cept when your father died.
mustn't!"
: And she ran from the room.
; ... A little while after she hat
i gone, George rose and began solemn.
|, to dress for dinner.
He sat gauntly at the dinner tabl'
with Fanny to partake of q mea
< throughout which neither spoke. Is
l abel had sent word mot to wait" TO
her, an injunction 1t was as well the,
obeyed, for she did not come at all
: But with the renewal of sustenanc
furnished to his system, some relax
j alton must have occurred within tn
high-strung George. Dinner was no
!, quite finished when, without warning
: sleep hit him hard. His burning eye
? could no longer restrain the lids abov
Y them; his head sagged beyond cor
troll; and he got his feet, and wen
s lurching upstairs, yawning with e1
S haustion. From the door Of his room
e which he closed mechanically, with hi
Y eyes shut, he went blindly to his be-
fell upon 1t s%oddenly, and slept-wit
o his face full upturned to the light.
n . 1t was after midnigf
when he woke, and the room was darl
y He had not dreamed, but he woke wit
< the sense that somebody or somethin
II had been with him while he slept
It somebody or something infinitely con
passionate; somebody Oh something Il
d finitely protective, that would let hi
I come to no harm and to no grief.
B. He got up, and pressed the light o
e Pinned to the cover of his dressing t
ID Bile was a square envelope, with Il
IN words, "For you, dear" written
st pencil upon 1t. But the message |
to side was In ink, a little smudged he
Is and there.
ot II have been out to the mail DO
darling. with a letter I've written
w | r..---- - I-sII 49, IA H. A.. -.A-