Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-06-14
early in the morning before he left the

Dtar me, the butcher can't De coming
today, and after all, and what in the
world shall we do for dinner! suppose
he got out of everything before he got
here; there are so many people In town to
be fed just now" said mother, breaking
into my happy thoughts again. 1t is
enough to kill anybody outright to have
so much company under such circum-
Stances
So have been saying and thinking"
| said quietly; 8 but then, think We can
do well enough for dinner. Seth can kill
some chickens and l will have them in
the pot in no time"
II don't see how We can spare any
more chickens; we have only the cropple
crowns left now, and they're so good for
laying. Still, l suppose we must, for
there is nothing else to be had and you
can't set picked up dinner before minis.
tiers. But there ism t sign of a vegetable
fit to be cooked in the garden. Seth
brought in the last cucumber yesterday,
the peas are all too large, the squashes
aren't ripe, and those case-knife beans
are so tough that nobody in the world
can eat them"
"Well, perhaps / can find some corn
that is large enough. saw some in the
field that was pretty well grown, day be-
fore yesterday, and | can make some nice
sauce of those tomatoes Uncle Ben sent
over" said, consolingly. Leave the
dinner to me; ELI manage it some way"
You're great comfort, Ruth" said
mother, with Frightening face; and she
left the kitchen with a sigh OF relief, and
never glanced into it again until the din
| ner was on the table.
| After the chickens were in the pot and
cooking brskly l had little moment to
rest, and, going up stairs, l took the
| precious ring from its case, and placing
| it on my first finger, watched it sparkle
| with bliss which is not uncommon to
foolish young souls under such circum-
| stances Tom and had been lovers ever
since we were children, but he had never
spoken until last night, and had been
somewhat troubled that he did not do so,
for / could not help doubling sometimes
whether he really cared for me as cared
for him, and knew ii would break my
heart if he should 60 and marry another
now Girls in books always go on
through their courtships with the most
delightful Inconsistencies, and never
dream that they are in love until they are
asked, and then the knowledge that they
are fathoms deep in this blissful state
comes to them like magic, and they fall
| into their lovers arms as easily as If that
had al ways been their abiding place. But
some way the girls in Plumtield are differ
ent, and when Tom singled me out from
all the rest, and went home with me from
church, and the singing. school, and came
to our house nearly every evening in the
week when he was on shore, and made
soft little speeches to me, l supposed he
would ask me some day to marry him,
and | knew that loved him with all my
heart.
| ! forgot the dinner, ministers and every
thing and everybody but Tom for as many
as fifteen blessed minutes, then it sudden
| ly occurred to me that it was high time
| that the corn was on the fire, and it was
still rustling on its stalks Il; the hack field.
| So, without removing the ring, hurried
out of doors, and succeeded in finding
number OF ears that were large enough,
though felt inside the husks OF whole
rows of those that were Just beginning to
show their tiny, milky kernels. The din.
ner was altogethera success, and the min
listers seemed likely to be well fortified
| for their afternoons work. MIR. Hubbard
grew almost jocose over it, and Uncle
Reuben's wife, who came from the city,
| and who is dreadfully particular, praised
everything, until mothers face was glow
ing with satisfaction. Something had hap
| pened to me which came near wreckin ing
my happiness forever. The ring was
| missing from my finger In my hurry
and hustle did not think of it, or know
that it was gone, until came to wash the
dishes after dinner. Then it suddenly
flashed into my mind that jewels like that
would not bear wetting, and wondered
how 1 could have been such idiot as to
wear ii under mother very nose-she knew
nothing OF the step yet-and why Sam,
my wide.awake small brother, had not
remarked upon it in his usual striking
manner Then, to my horror and amaze
ment, l found my finger bare, and the
ring nowhere to be found. 1t had been a
| little loose, but it did not seem nearly
enough 50 as to slip OFT of its own ac-
cord ran upstairs and looked in the
case to see if / might have absent mind
edly put it away; but no, it was not there
must have lost it in the corn -feld; and,
leaving everything as it was, l rushed out
there searching frantically under and be-
tween every stalk that came in my way,
but without success. The dishwater grew
cold, the dinner-table stood in the middle
of the floor, and mother was calling me
at the top of her voice without gaining
any reply. AT last master Sam appeared
in the cornfield, having caught glimpse
of my pink dress in the distance. He was
always Jealous in bringing offenders to
justice.
" My gracious! won't you get scold-
ing when you go into the house. Moth
er's dreadtully mortified at having things
left so, and Aunt Jane offering to wash up
the dishes Mr.. Hubbard couldn't get any
Shawn water, either, and Is going to
preach this afternoon with his beard
| f,,f mn lcl1 40 Il IL