Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1874-01-22

was going to replace with fresh and new
fashioned fur trimming-and | was anx-
ious to get it done that I might look my
best at church the ensuing Sunday. I got
out nv work, and my good sister produc-
ed thick, promising-looking novel
"What have you got there, Patience?
But stop. Before you begin, can you
lend me a piece of wax?"
Il have not bit in the house"
Glow provoking! This black silk tam
giles and knots so when it is not waxed.
Patience, there is nice ball of wax up
stairs in old Stephen Carr's workbox. Do
you think his ghost would come after me
were to 60 up after 1t !"
"For three cents | will insure Won
against all ghosts
'Donel III send you the three cents in
the shape Of postage stamp on the very
next letter | write you. Where's the can
die? [ have the trunk-key still in nv
pocket?"
$50 I'D I went, and soon returned with
the yellowish ball of thread-scored wax
in nv hand. Then we sat down, and for
some time the work and the reading pro-
ceeded in a merry duet. Atlength, grow
ing deeply interested in the fortunes and
foIlies of the heroine, [ let nv sewing
fall on my lap and sat with folded hands
in state of lazy enjoyment.
was brought back to a sense of nv
duty bv nv scissors slipping from nv Ian
and falling with CHATTER to the floor Pa
thence still read on, while |, being rather
conscience-stricken at my own Incidence,
strove noiselessly to collect my belong
ings. Work, scissors, thimble, spool, had
all found their way to the ground during
my temporary abstraction. | gathered
them up, and prepared to 60 to work
again. But where was the ball of wax ?
How stupid! 1t had rolled under the
CRATE, and now lay in close proximity to
two red-hOt Goals, sizzling a little from
time to time, and decidedly lessened in
size. | dislodged it with the poker, pulled
it toward me, and endeavored to cleanse
it from the ashes and to mold its soften
ed bulk into shape again. But as I pressed
the half-melted wax between my fingers
they encountered hard substance-sOme-
thing firm and with sharp edges-that re-
sisted the pressure. My hands trembled
with eagerness and nervous excitement as
I stripped the waxen shell from this hard
kernel. Patience's voice seemed to die
away in the distance as piled my scis
sors and my fingers in their hurried work.
At last it was done; the hidden thing Law
before me on my open palm. This was
what | saw:
A stone resembling in size and shape
the half of good-sized hickory nut if the
nut were divided transversely, cut into a
few broad facets on top, and underneath
cut into smaller facets. Its shape was
perfectly regular, its color rich glowing
crimson, or rather deep rose-red. |
gazed at it in mute admiration and bewil-
derment for a moment: then | started to
my feet, amazing Patience, who stopped
reading and dropped her book as | cried
ment, patience, look! have found this.
What is it? Can it be-
Quiet, calm and unrufied as ever, my
sister rose, looked steadily at the stone as
it lay on my shaking palm, then took it
in her own hand and drew it lightly
across the glass shade of the little clock
that stood on the mantel-piece. A sharp
grating sound was heard, and when she
took her hand away long scratch was
visible on the surface of the glass. She
turned toward me then, and her voice had
a sudden culver and her cheek flushed
with unwonted red as she answered, at
is a ruby-an enormous one. Adelaide,
the missing fortune Of Stephen Carr is
found at last p
Whereupon seized my old cloth coat
and flung it straightway into the fire: Il
mean to have seal-skin sacque before
the new year is born. Don't look so as
tonished, Patience. I am not mad-only
beside myself with joy" But my excite
ment died away as Patience bent her gen
tie head and whispered softly, "Let us
rive thanks to GOdn