Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-09-13

io, soio ues you can 6ay
you've helped to sugar of this year.
Isn't 1t a splendid yield? And maple
sugars going to be high this season,
Oh, you'd better stay, Esther, there's .
lot of young folks coming up this
afternoon, and Darby Jones Is to BE-
here with his fiddler
"Oh,I couldn't possibly" said Esther.
In truth and In fact she had not been
quite at her case since Jessamine's un.
lucky alluslon to Othello 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. Elmford. II don't ex-
pect Elder Morris folks until four
O'clock"
As Esther took of her things in the
little chamber upstairs, where the shin.
gled roof sloped down To the caves, she
glanced down at the engaoom.rt a..
ger. Terror of terrors The snsrL,;n,
little RING was oona,
It was past four o'clock. Mrs Nor.
ris was droning away in the sitting.
room about the last missionary box
which had been sent out 70 the
IIougara Indian reservation: Miss
Adelgitha Morris was admirinr her
hostess most recent crazy patchwork,
the two little Morriscs were n,av,nc
checkers, and the good elder himseif
was laying down tones Of theological
law to Farmer Elmford; while Father
with tear-swollen ewes, was mixing :
batch of biscuits for tea In the kitchen.
All Of a sudden she caught SIGHT ~
John jefferson riding past on his rrav
pony, with averted face. In an In.
slant she caught down the shawl that
hung on the peg back of the butterv
door, and muflling It around her head
and shoulders, darted across the snowy
backward wbere sho could ,ptorosrt
her lover at the curve of the road.
Jack! jack" she cried piteouslv.
I've lost it! Your ring! Oh, Jack. do
say something to comfort mel am so
unhappy"
"Yes," said he, calmly; ~ knew You
had lost it. know ho1 you lost II. I
know to whom you have given It."
Essie stood dumb before the cruel
emphasis Of his words.
II was at the sugar camp an hour
ago" said he. "Some one told me YOU
had gone there, and was eoine to
bring you home. And saw your ring
on Lconidas Strikers watch-euard,
Wasn't that rather soon to transfer
your last lovers gift to your old SWAMP
Would it not have been better taste ~
him to display your pledge a little less
publicly"
Jack, Jackw pleaded Essie holding
up her hands, as II every word were .
blow.
II need detain you no longer" he
said, as he bowed frigidly and touched
The neck Of his horse with his whip
ash, and the next minute he was gone,
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 a yarue.
unmeanlng smile, to Mrs. Norris bro.
longed account of little Tommy's last
siege Of diphtheria and Miss Adel.
githa's proposed visit to New York.
1t was almost as II brain and nerve
we're benumbed, when Jessamine
Strikers clear, sweet voice struck
rcross the current OF her, hopeless
apathy and she found herself in a con-,
idential corner OF the best bedroom
upstairs, with Jessamine eagerly
haranguing her.
1.-THE strangest thing!" cried Jessa-
nine. "lle found it In the maple
sugar kettle. Alice had made some
flannel cakes, and he dipped out q dip
perful of the hot sirup for us to eat
with 1t, and Leon came within one Of
swallowing the ring. Whose Is itp'
said he. why, Essie Elmford's, Of
course, said !. Didn't see the
sparkle Of 1t when she took of her
mitten to unfasten the lid Of the bas-
lSet that held Uncle Peters crullersP
And it must have slipped off her
finger said he, when she went to stir
the sugar in the kettle So he hung
1t on his watch-chain for safekeeping
until we came home, and here It Is"
Esther murmured q word or two Of
thanks.
~ was very careless said she,
Rut even after Jessam inc Was oons
she sat staring at the pretty trinket
which had SO nearly been boiled down
into maple sugar, What was the use
Of It nowp What was the use Of any,
tbinpq
"Estherl Estherlo her father called
nm the narrow wooden stairway,
"Here,s Mr. Jefferson wants 10 snesk
~ Sf
70 your
How strangely all these things
seemed to succeed one another, like
the dim lapses OF a dream. She knew
not how, but she was standing, with
Jacks arm around her, her troubled