Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-07-24

as the soul OF Bluebeard, but is was no
more somber than the spirits of the
two young women who occupied, re-
spectively, the hyacinth-perfumed sit
ting room and the yanilla-scented
kitchen of David and Eloise Hollings-
worth's bungalow.
David and Eloise were gone to their
work as newspaper editor and city
librarian. Theresa, David's dainty
young sister, crocheted and wept al
ternately, and Ishta Matilda Gumm's
SWart hands expressed the feeling of
tinued beating that made her egg
Kisses things to call forth stomachic
peans.
'Thump do love me-" Isnty MUIR
INJURED; 'but dat lump O. taller inside
his skull is dat m~oney-crazy rs feered
he's gwine ask dat yaller Anna to
marry him, whilst he's dazzelt wild de
accounts she givin' him O. de PUNK
she makesi Oh, Lawd, eff / jest had
some property Thump could see nowW
Greed for gain was the dynamic
force of the soul Of the widowered
teamster, Thumpus Cleaves. He
owned his home and a bit Of ground
at its rear; he kept hens, fed them
from garbage scraps (this was in the
"'good old days" when the American
garbage can was not lean and ill.fa-
vored D-and sold eggs at so cents the
dozen all winter. In the afternoons
he did ~janitor work, and at odd times
toiled at anything that brought him
money.
Two weeks before, however, outside
of property, Ishty Matildy had appar-
emily been all in all to Thump, but
now she believed he had his "eye on"
Anna Justice, a maid in the fashion
able High Street school, a permanent
position with wages largely in excess
of Ishty's.
Money, too, was making Theresa
miserable. Two years before, Great
Aunt Theresa Cass Bossier had sue
.ceeded in getting payment from the
government for a parcel of land
Great-Uncle John had sold in Civil war
= times. There was $4,000 of it, and
Great-Aunt Theresa had died a month
ago and left Theresa every penny of
it.
Only two persons outside of her fam
lily, in the town in which she lived
with her brother, had as yet heard of
her inheritance and one was Ishty Ma
Tidy. The Nother was Park Collins,
whose property, outside of his slen.
der law practice, was less than moth
ing.
Tessie had told him. She had
wanted to hear his joyous exclamation
over her good fortune; but wanting to
hear had been all. Park had con
graduated her with all indignity, then
had gone home and hadn't been back
since. But Theresa loved him until
the stars in the evening sky were moi
stars at all, but his blue eyes.
When she finally wiped her eyes and
went out to the kitchen, Ishty sat witt
a newspaper propped in front of her.
'Lawd, why couldn't dis fool niggaf
"a been white jes' fun dis occasion?'
she heard her mutter. Then the news
paper fell to the floor, and Ishty wept
aloud. EFF 1 was jest white now
could git de man / wants I"
II am white" thought Theresa, "ant
T 1901 .Ak A. ~aa- II W. ~, s.
Ishty mopped her eyes with he
skirt tail and pointed to the paper''
first page. "You kin read good-reat
.dat!"
leap Year Opportunity! Don't b
Shy, Girls-Pop the Question Nowl'
ran the headlines of the article. "Tha
Free Marriage License Offered Yester
day Still Awaits One Who Makes Firs
Proposal. More Offers Are Made! Min
lister Jones and Justice Will Make N,
Charge for Tying the Knot"
Beneath these lines were the mate
rial offers to the first bride VIII
popped" the question. The photog
rapher offered to make free one dozel
wedding photos, and to frame iii
fumed oak or imitation mahogany tn
marriage certificate; the horse an
mule dealer offered a free mule Gag
not told) ; the coal mar a ton Of Goa
(actual weight) (; the furniture man,
bed Guaranteed first-hand).
"Ef / was a white woman I'd go GU
and tell dem folks I'd deposed maj
riage and been accepted by de man
loves" commenced Ishty. EFF Thum.
could jest see. | had a whole lot
things fun housekeepin', he'd run al
ter me like a hound after de mea
Vaughn, but / ANTI oh, Miss Tessit
L jes' knows Anna Justicell git him
Possessiopsl Oh, possessions! The
Fesa resolved that If she could not b
happy because of them she would Sc
that Ishty was not unhappy becaus
of a lack Of them.
'Tshty'-she touched the shakin
mountain Of misery-sif you'll promis
me you won't shed another tear +,
have you married to Thumpus befor
tomorrow evening"
Ishty's face dried like a lime kiln,
Every business man Of Ashton I
whom pretty Theresa confided the fac
that a friend (color not speclfed) ha