Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1894-07-05
A LOST RING.
The Old Story Of Woman's Love
and Mans jealousy.

The Old Story Of Woman's Love
and Mans jealousy.
"A diamond, Jack? A real diamond
Oh, how bright it is, like spark OF
WHITE fire! Like star, dropped down
out of the sky! Inever saw diamond
before; and to think that it is mine!
Dear Jack, l couldn't possibly love you
any more than did before, but l do
love you, oh, SO much!'' ..
The little bit of love-making took
place under the frost-bound apple
trees of the Back Orchard, where
Esther Elmford was standing, with a
white WOODEN hood wrapped tightly
over her curls and a black-and-scarlet
plaid shawl EMBEDDING her, mummy
fashion. She was tall, rosy-cheeked
girl, with a complexion born of noun
tain-breezes and eyes that shone with
ruddy health-no ideal sylph, but
rather rosy, wholesome, dimpled
human girl like Wordsworth's her
Not too sweet nor good
For human natures daily food"
And as she looked at the tiny, glitter
ing stone, the sparkles under her eye
lashes were a dead match for it.
But you must not wearit every day,
Essie, you know" said John Jefferson.
"Why not?" Her countenance fell
You wanted our engagement kept
secret, you know"
80 did. Anything but the gossip
of the whole combined neighborhood"
cried Esther, with moue of distaste.
well, anyhow, l can put a black
velvet ribbon through it and hang it
around my neck!'
But you haven't paid me for it yet"
paid you, you mercenary fellow!'
''One kiss, Essie! I don't often get q
chance to claim it, you know
She poised herself on tiptoe to accord
the demanded royalty, and then ran,
laughing. away toward her home.
How generous he is!' she kept re-
peating to herself. "A real diamond!'
When she got back to the kite hen Of
the roomy old farmhouse, where Mrs.
Elmford was frying crullers in an
atmosphere of fragrant blue smoke,
that lady cast disconnected glance
at her
''Seems to me you've been long
time getting that spotted calf into the
barnyard," said she.
WAS l long, mother? But he got
clear down the lane, and the orchard
gate was open," equivocated Miss
Esther.
The Striker gals stopped here for
you. They was goin' up to the Maple
Sugar camp with lot O. fresh baked
bread and pies for Tom and Leonidas,
and they waited for you till they was
clear out O. patience" added Mrs. Elm
ford, fishing another tin skinner full
of crisp brown beauties out of the
bubbling mass of fat and landing
them in the blue stone jar, afterward
to be literally sprinkled with white
sugar.
''Oh, mother, can go?" said Esther,
eagerly. "Im sure I could overtake
them in five minutes"
1--WE no objection" said Mrs. Elm
ford. "And you might take basket
of these ERE crulls to your Uncle
Peter He's dreadful partial to fried
cakes, and he thinks there amt none
like them l make arter Mother Elm
ford's receipt"
Esther was right. In less than the
specified five minutes she had managed
to overtake Alice and Jessamine
Striker, with their basket of fresh pro-
visions to the jewellers in Maple Sugar
camp. on Giant Hill, where the SUI
premse process of "sugaring off, was
just then in full blast. But in the two
minutes during which she put on her
fur bordered hood and fieece-lined nit
tens upstairs, she had slyly slipped the
diamond ring on the first finger of her
left hand.
II shall be wearing it," she said to
herself, land no one will be any the
wiser"
ously.
Its SO nice to have you," said
Alice. "Jessamine declared you would
not go, but"
"Why shouldn't I go?" said Esther.
Don't go up every year when they
are sugaring. otf?"
Jessamine Striker began to giggle.
YES" said she, "but our Leonidas
has never been there until this season,
and Mr.. Jefferson has never been SO
particular in his attentions to you be-
fore"
Esther crimsoned to the roots of her
hair.
what ridiculous nonsense!' said
she.
''Oh, is it, thought retorted Jessa-
mine. "When all the world knows
that Jack Jefferson is as jealous as
Othello."
Esther walked on, with silent dig
nifty. In her secret heart she was be-
ginning to regret that she had put her
self out to accompany these silly girls.
Don't mind Jess, DEAR" said good
humored Alice Striker, slipping her
hand through Esther's arm. ''She will
giggle at everyt hing-it's her nature.
Isn't this a charming morning?
heard bluebird in the swamp down
by the river, and there's lot of yellow
jonquils in bloom in Anne Rebecca's
window box. The snow is thawing in
the sunshine, but the walking is good
yet. and Leon says the maple trees
have never given a better yield"
Up at the sugar camp, all was life
and animation. Blue threads of smoke
wound upward to the sky from the
chimneys of the two or three board
shanties, matched with strips of bark
and trusses of straw, where the
hands kept house in a gypsy fash
ion. The great kettles where the sirup
was boiling down to the requisite solid
ity, were watched by select deputa-
tions, lest the fires should slacken or
the saccharine masses scorch, while
others were attending to the inn