The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-07-07

the parsons folks to tea. and there q q
deal to. do"
Leoridas Striker escorted her to the
largest kettle of all, ordinarily called
Big Ben" and gave her the monster
stick to stir the bubbling waves Of
sweetness,
There" said he, you can say
you've helped to sugar off this year.
Isn't it a splendid yield? And maple
sugars going to be high 'hi5 season!
oh, you'd he'tr: stay, Esther, there's a
10. oi young folks coming up this
afternoon, and Darby Jones is to be
here with his fiddle!"
oh couldn't, possibly" said Esther.
In truth and in fact shs had not heeh
quite at her ease since JesSamine's an
lucky alluslon to Otheilo in conjunc-
ton with Mr.. jefferson; and she did
not breathe freely again until she had
reached home, where her mother was
just clearing away the dinner dishes.
Has anyone been here?' said she.
who should be here?" counter.
questioned Mrs. Elmfnrd. ~ don't ex-
pect Elder Morris folks until fou,
o'clock
As EstLer took OF her things in the
little chamber upstairs, where the ship
gied roof slopcd down to the caves, she
glanced down at the engagement fin
ger. Terror of t~errOrs, the sparkling
little ring WAS gone!
1t was past four o'clock. Mrs. Nor
ris was d%roning away in the sitting
room about the last missionary box
which had been sent out to the
llougara Indian reservation: Miss
Adelgitha Morris was admiring her
hostess most recent crazy patchwork;
the two little Morrises were playing
checkers, and the good elder himself
was LAYING down tones Of theological
/ law to Farmer ElmfOrd; while Esther.
with tear-swollen eyes, was mixing a
batch of biscuits for tea in the kitchen.
All Of a sudden she caught sight of
John jefferson riding past on his gray
pony. with averted face. In an in
slant she caught down the shawl that
hung on the peg back of the buttery
door, and mufflIng it around her head
and shoulders. darted across the snowy
backward where She could intercept
her lover AT the curve of the road.
Jack: Jack" sh" cried pitcously.
I've lost it. Your ring. Oh, Jack. do
say something to comfort me. | am So
unhappy"
Mr.. jefferson drew up his steed and
faced Esther with a scornful light in
his eyes which She had never seer be-
fore
YES" said he, calmly; Il knew you
had lost it. know hor you lost it. l
know to whom you have given it"
ESsic stood dumb before the cruel
emphasis of his words.
Il was at the sugar camp an hour
ago" said he. Some one told me You
had gone there, and | was going to
bring You home. And I saw your ring
on Leonidas Strikers watch-guard.
Wasn't that rather soon to transfer
your last lovers gift to your old swain?
Would it not have been better taste OF
him to display your pledge a little less
publicly?"
Jack, Jack" pleaded Essie, holding
up her hands. as il every word were a
blow.
Il need dctain You no longer" he
said, as he bowed frigidly and touched
the neck of his horse with his whip
lash. and the next minute he was gone.
Poor EsSie dragged herself back 10
the house. the tears freezing on her
check and her heart colder still. Was
she the victim of cnchantmcnt? What
did all this mean?
Tea was over at last. but Esther Elm
ford did not know whether she had
eaten hot biscuit or cold. hasty pud-
ding. She had listened. with Il vague.
unmcaning smile, to Mrs. Norris pro-
longcd accuunt of little Tommy'S last
siege of diphthcria and Miss Adel-
proposed visit to New York.
1t was almost as if brain and nerve
were bcnumbcd, when .Icssamine
Strikers clear, sweet voice struck
across the current of her hopeless
apathy and She found herself in a CON
tidcntial corner of the best bedroom
up>tairS. with .JcSsamine eagerly
h~aranguing her.
The strangcst thing cried Jcssa-
mine. He found it in the maple
sugar kettle. Alice had made some
flannel cakes, and he dipped ont a dip
perful of the hot sirup for us to eat
with it. and Leon came within n of
swallowing the ring. Whose is it?'
said he. Why, Essie Elmford'k. Of
course. said l.. Didn't | see the
sparkle of it when she took off her
to unfasten the lid of the bas-
ket that held Uncle Peters crullers?
And it must have slipped off her
said he. when She went to stir
the sugar in the kettle So he hung
it on his watch-chain for Safekecping
until We came home. and here it IS"
Esther murmured Il word or two of
Il was very careless" said she.
But ever after .JesSam inc was gone
She sat staring at the pretty trinket
had 50 nearly been boiled down
into maple sugar. What was the use
Of it now? What was the use of any
Esther, Esther her father called
up the narrow wooden stairway.
Here's Mr.. jefferson wants to speak
to you"
How strangely all these things
to succeed II another, like
the dim lapses of a dream. She knew
not how. but She was standing. with
lacks arm around her, her troubled
yes looking up into his.
My own darling" he whispered,
you ever forgive me for being
such a brute? | have just seen that
fellow. He's not such a bad
ot. after all, and everything is ex-
Sweetheart, say that you
me! | never shall forgive my
And all the horrid nightmare feeling
vas over. and the engagement was a
.ecre. no longer, and poor little Esther
was happy again.
But | don't think" said she, that
shall ever want to taste maple sugar
gain. Not just yet. at all events,"-
Amy Randolph, in y. Y. Ledger.
Engrosscd.
The spirit of the bard of Avon held
onverSe with the wrath of the phil
of st. Adams.
Marry"
Shakespeare naturally fell into the