Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1894-06-01
THE RING.

n |
EM WI door stood m oak
EASS- vSss8 tree n century old,
49, among whose up
W permost branches,
year in and year out, always hung n
magpie's nest, to which the country
people believed that the same old mag
pies returned regularly.
Not very elegant entertainment was
offered at the Magpic's Nest for either
man or beast, but its patrons thought
the ale good, and then it was served
to them by the most charming, rosy
checked little barmaid, who wore n
cap with bright ribbons, and had n
waist that could have been spanned by
two hands-a well-behaved little maid
nlso, who resented too much freedom
by box on the ear, and who was
known by the rector of tho parish
church to have been the best girl in
his Sabbath-school. SO, though sho
was poor orphan, and had only her
little need of wages, Betty might have
married many II stout young farmer.
However, she refused them all, and
kept on with her duties Mt the Mag
pies Nest until the son of her master.
coming homo from India, where he
had served as soldier for several
years, fell in love with her, and offered
her his hand and heart. Betty did not
prove unkind. The innkeeping father
was willing enough to secure his handy
Betty for apermanent assistant. And
amid the chattering of the magpies,
Betty and John exchanged their VOWS
under the nest hung oak tree one
bright afternoon, and John put upon
her finger thick silver ring, which
he had obtained abroad, perhaps by
purchase, perhaps by gift, perhaps as
soldiers obtain many things in time
Of war.
1t was not costly gift-to our eyes
it would not be beautiful one-but
Betty valued it highly. She kept it
polished to perfection, and wore it
with great pride on high days and
holidays; but though she loved John.
and looked forward to her wedding
day with Joy, she would not alter the
bright, coquettieh manner which had
always belonged to her. She jolSed
with the farmers and flung them back
repartee for repartee, and even gave
them those bright glances which John
the soldier thought should be only
given to himself. So John grow jeai-
GUS, and being moody sort of man,
said nothing about it.
1t never entered Betty's mind that
the very manner which had once en-
chanted John should now offend him,
and she herself grew angry with her
lover for his scowls and sulkiness.
Therefore, when young French
man from Marseilles, black-eyed,
hlack-haired and as polite In manners
ms Frenchmen usually are, CHANGED, in
the course of business Journey, to
stop at the "Magpie's Nest" she felt
Tint he really would be fine example
for surly John Leaf, and was amiable
to him to II degree that might have
made less jealous man angry. Then
indeed John Leaf spoke out, and Betty
discovered the secret of his i'll tempr.
Her pride being fattered thereby, She
forgavc him, and retired on Saturday
night with the firm intention OF win
ming back Johns smiles on the NOR
row, her holiday, when she would go
to church in her best attire and charm
his heart from him over. again, MS he
walked by her side. What woman ever
had any design on a mans heart, ever
desired to win from him any favor OF
any gift, that she did not bethink her
of all her tinery? Before Betty slept,
she took from her trunk her Scotch
plaid dress, her fringed shawl, her
blue-ribboned cap, her Sunday shoes
and her silver ring, and. having given
the latter All extra polish, laid them
where they would meet her eyes the
first thing next morning.
John Leaf, sulking in his room I'M
der the garnet caves, had no thought
of this. Those slow natures do not
forget and forgive in a hurry, any
more than they do anything else.
The morning sun, shining aslant
against the inns wall, aroused Betty
with his first rays. She rubbed her
eyes, opened them, put her little feet
out upon the floor, knelt down and
said her simple prayer and then flew
to the glass. 1t was only crooked
thing with n flaw in it, and rough
oaken frame, but it was sufficientito
make her happy. She braided her
hair, put on her cap. buttoned her
dress, tied about her throat the CAV
neck ribbon, laced her shoes geome-
trically and then looked for her ring.
1t was gone.
She knew the very spot upon the red
heart-shaped .pincushion into which
she had thrust the needle over which
this silver ring had been hung. There
stuck the needle still. 1t was below
the window sill, on a little table; it
could not have rolled out; but it was
not in the room. She shook out her
dress, her shawl, her bed-clothes. Sho
swept tho floor. 1t WAS gone. That
was the end of it.
Betty sat down and wept bitterly.
All the country people of that day were
anperstitious. The ring had disap-