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

Having finished some errands down
town, the next afternoon, George AM
berson Minafer was walking up Nation
al avenue on his homeward way when
he saw in the distance, coming toward
him, upon the same side of the street,
the figure of a young lady-a figure
just under the middle height, comely
indeed, and to be mistaken for none
other in the world-even at two hum
dred yards. To his sharp discontinue
his heart Immediately forced upon him
the consciousness of its acceleration a
sudden warmth about his neck made
him aware that he had turned red,
and then, departing, left him pale. For
a panicky moment he thought Of fac
ing about in actual flight; he had little
doubt that Lucy would meet him with
no token of recognition, and all at
once this probability struck him as I'M
endurable. And If she did not speak,
was it the proper part of chivalry to
lift his hat and take the cut bare
headed? Or should the finer gentle
man acquiesce in the lady's desire for
nc further acquaintance, and pass her
with stony mien and eyes constrained
forward? George was a young man
badly fustered.
AS they drew nearer George tried to
prepare himself to meet her with some
remnant of aplomb. He kept his eyes
from looking full at her, and as he
saw her thus close at hand, and COM
ing nearer, a regret that was dunn
founding took possession Of him. For
the first time he had the ems of hav-
ing lost something Of overwhelming inn
%portance.
Lucy did not keep to the right,
but came straight to meet him, smil-
ing, and with her hand offered to him.
"Why-you-" he stammered, as he
took it. Haven't you" What he
meant to say was: Haven't you heardY
"Haven't I what?" she asked; and he
saw that Eugene had not told her.
"Nothing" he gasped. "May +
may / turn and walk with you a little
way?"
eyes, indeed" she said cordially.
He woulc not have altered what had
been done: he was satisfied with all
t~hat-satisffed that it was right, and
that his own curse was right. But he
began to perceive a striking inaccu-
racy In some remarks he had made to
his mother. Now when he had put
matters in such shape that even by
the REIMBURSEMENT of his ideals Of
life" he could not have Lucy, knew
that he never could have her, and
knew that when Eugene told her the
history of yesterday he could not have
a glance or a word even friendly from
lher-now when he must In good truth
; "give up all idea Of Lucy" he was
| amazed that he could have used such
words as mo particular sacrifice" and
believed them when he said them! She
J had looked never in her life SO bewitch-
i. ingly pretty as she did to-day; and as
he walked beside her he was sure that
: she was the most exquisite thing In the
world.
t "Lucy." he said huskily, ~ want to
!, tell you something. Something that
matters"
9 "T hope it's a lively something, then"
! she said, and laughed. "Papa's been
I so glum today he's scarcely spoken to
me. Your Uncle George Anderson
! came to see him an hour ago and they
; shut themselves up In the library, and
! your uncle looked as glum as papa
q I'll be glad If you'll tell me a funny
story, George"
u "Well, it may seem n to you" he
said bitterly. "Just to begin with
I when you went away you didn't LEI
Z me know; not we a word-not {
line"
l Her manner persisted in being in
! consequent. "Why no." she said. I"
: just trotted off for some visits. Dom
you remember, George? We'd had
2. grand quarrel, and didn't speak t,
! each other all the way home from {
e long. long drive! So, as We couldn'
play together like good children, O
course it was plain that we oughtn'
y to play at all"
"Playw he cried.
<, eyes. What I mean is that we'd com
to to the point where it was time to qui
n playing-well, what we were playing.
"At being lovers. you mean, don
IN your"
Id Something like that" she said light
Is ~. "For us two, playing. at bein
u. lovers was just the same as playing q
cross-purposes. l had all the pul
SO poses, and that gave you all the eros
nd ness: things weren't getting along 0
Du all. It was absurdw
ok wen, have 1t your own way" h
ny said. 1T needn't have been absurd"
If mo, it couldn't help but be l"'sh
in informed him ch%eerfully. 'The wa
ur l am and the way you are. It couldn