The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1884-07-23
INTERESTING STORY.
THREE DIAMOND RINGS.

|
! There had been a thunder-shower in the
night. All the pink, shell-ike petals were
beaten off the apple-blooms the high grass
in the orchard lay in long, flat waves close
to the ground the very daffodils and tulips
in the borders were crushed into the rich
black mould and jamie Barr was trying to
tie them up again. with as tender sym
pathy as if they had been little children
fallen down,
When, suddenly, Mrs Barr came out,
with perturbed face.
"T There !" said she. 81 knew there
would be trouble"
q" What is it, mother ?" said jamie, cheer
lily.
It's those worn-out shingles on the
roof" said Mrs. Barr, in the melancholy
half-whine which was habitual to her.
1.-The rain leaked in on the boarder's
bureau all night long; and she says she
won't stay here if she isn't to be properly
protected against the elementsn.
sssJanie tied the last puce-coiored tulip To
its stake, and Strengthened herself up.
| We must have the roof mended," said
she.
:" Who is to do it ?" sighed Mrs. Barr
" There amt carpenter to be had since
| Squire Follett commenced the new cottages
and even Crazy Jim won't go up on that
steep roof. And if Mrs. Lepell goes away,
what shall we do about the interest on your
fathers old note ?"
" She won't 60 away, mother, never fear,"
said jamie, brightly. "Dont fret. You'll
see that things will all come right"
" But the shingles must be fixed right
away" said Mrs. Barr.
They shall be fixed, mother" said
Jamie.
Who will do it ?" impatiently repeated
the widow
=" will |" said JAMIE
That's all nonsense I" groan.d Mrs.
Barr.
Why shouldn't J. mother ?n said jamie,
merrily. "Of course haven't been brought
up to carpenters trade, but any one could
manage few shingles and handful of
nails You shall see, little mother Only
wait !"
jamie, if you think of such thing,
shall be very angry !" said Mrs. Barr
Then I'll leave of thinking of it," said
jamie. Where's the basket and the clasp
knife, mothera l am going to cut some
dandelion green's for dinner.n
"of course she's only joking said Mrs.
Barr to herself, as she returned slowly to the
house.
But jamie had never been more seriously
in earnest in all her life.
Mrs. Barr went to the Parish Sewing
Society that afternoon.
Colonel Addison, from the Valley Hotel,
who was paying his addresses to Mrs
Lepell, the boarder, came with spirited
horse and buggy to take her to the sea.
beach, where merry bathing party were
to take advantage of the tide and practice
the noble art of swimming.
"Now is my time '' said jamie, exultant-
ly, TO herseiI.
But Mrs. Lepell came back before she
had got twenty rods away from the house,
jamie, said she, forgot to tell you
that had left my three diamond rings in
the little left-hand drawer of the bureau.
l might lose them In the water. / thought
I would tell you, in case of fire, you know,
or any other accident.
Yes" said jamie "but there won't be
any accident"
Mrs. Lepell laughed, and ran back to the
carriage and the impatient colonel.
And not until then did jamie perceive
that tall, half-grown lad, lurking behind
the porch-rails, was waiting to speak with
her.
"Who arc your said jamie, briskly.
"What do you want?" No, we haven't
any old clothes. If you really want work,
you had botter go on to the new buildings,
mile up the road. I dare say they can
find something for you to do there"
The lad mumbled out something,
whether thanks or otherwise jamie was I'M
able to discriminate, and shuffied away.
And our heroine, slipped on her hat md
boiling the front door, ran across the back
meadows to Ralph Parsons carpenter shop,
some quarter of mile by the wood path.
az want few shingles said she, I" and
a pound of shingle-nails.
What for 2" said Ralph.
"No matter" calmly retoTted jamie.
How much will they cost ?"
They'll cost you about quarter" said
Ralph. is it a hon-coop yon're going to
build ? Because if you'll wait until Satur-
day, could do it for you.'
It isn't hen-coop, and / can't wait
until Saturday" said jamie, shaking the
bright-brown curls out of her eyes. " Here's
the quarter. And you needn't think Ralph
Parsons, that we are going to call upon you
again until we've paid something on the bill
that we owe you already"
She nodded good-by, and hurried away
under the canopy of pink apple-blossoms.
Ralph looked admiringly after ner.
She's regular clipper of girl that
jamie Barr !" said he. +" If ever I'm able TO
support wife, that will be the one I'd
choose"
Light as a thistledown, jamie hurried
back with her precious bundle of shingles,
and the pound of nails in her pocket
NOW III Snow tnem WH6tner CAL menu
the roof or not, said size, as, with ham
mer added TO her stock in trade, she ascend
ed to the garnet and climbed an odd little
ladder that led out through rusty trap
door to the steep roof.
The slant was abrupt, the old shingles
were wet with the recent rain, and slippery
with green-moss incrustations; but jamie
Barr was not one lightly to be discouraged,
and presently she found herself neatly
balanced, with her feet braced against the
broad gutter, one elbow leaning on the roof,
and the other hand busily tearing away the
old shingles and replacing them deity with
overlapping rows of new, fragrant wood
The click of the hammer, the ring of the
nails, was like music in her ears. 1t meant
that she had saved her mother a bill of
several dollars, to say nothing of mental
| tribulations which could not be estimated