Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-07-06
The Ring of Gold.

AioNOuiooe LINZ uaHy duOtutI
miner in the far west, he had made
money and lost it. He imagined
sometimes that the clouds had a sill
yer lining, but the storms always
came sooner or later. He medited
thus as he lay under the tree and fin
ally, more dead than alive from
want and exhaustion, fell asleep.
Two men passed along under the
brow of the mountaln by the tree.
They were tall and straight, and
from their dark hair and skin it was
easy to perceive their Indian blood.
THE white man is dead said one
of the men as he bent on his knee
beside the sleeper.
"No, there is twitching of the
eyelids," said the other. Gle is pale
and sick. I will take him home, and
Mimosa will care for him.
The conversation, although car
rled on in low tones, awakened the
miner.
"Come with US, and you shall have
food and shelter" said the friendly
Indian.
Scarcely able to bear his weight,
Martin leaned upon the arms of the
two men and soon found himself in
the Indian cabin.
"Mimosa, here is stranger. Take
care of him. Red Cloud never left
a human being to die. He will get
well, and then we will send him home
to his people,"
A shy, pale Indian girl came for
ward and did as she was hidden.
She did not speak, but looked very
pityingly out of her fawn-like dark
eyes.
When Martin had been placed in
the simple bed, she prepared food
and fed him as though he were
child, but doing gently the things
that only q woman's hands can do.
After q time the miner, still
young man, gained in strength, and
began once more to hope for a sue
cessful future.
"Mimosa," he said one day, 81
owe my life to you, and if l am ever
rich I will reward YOU"
Il shall miss YOU" said the girl,
shyly. "But I want no money. 1
shall be happy because you are we'll
again and happy"
~ shall find gold, Mimosa. | u.s.
ed to think l should be rich, and
then l became poor and sick and
lost heart. You wesr ring on your
finger and sometimes a chain about
your neck, both of beaten gold. Did
the metal come from near here 2"
"My father gave them to me-" she
replied, and nothing more could be
learned on the subject.
"Would you care, Mimosa, if 1
wore the ring until I went away
Perhaps l can find the place where
the gold came from"
"You may wear it till you como
back rich," she said, smiling.
Days grew into weeks, and the
time drew near for the miner to say
goodby to the girl who had become
his eomrade as we'll as deliverer.
Tears filed her eyes as they parted.
"You will forget Mimosa," she
said.
"No, l will bring back the ring,
and you shall give it 10 the man who
makes you his bride. l shall never
forget Red Cloud and his daughter.
Strong and hopeful again, Martin
took up life, obtained work and be-
lieved once more that he should find
gold. So sweet and blessed thing
is hope, giving luster to the eyes and
quickening the flow of blood along
the veins.
But he missed the Indian girl.
The pines on the snowy mountain
peaks whispered of her. The even
ings seemed longer than formerly,
the conversation of the miners less
interesting. He was becoming dis
couraged again. He even began TO
fear that Mimosa was married and
his soul awakened to sense of loss.
lie would go back just once and see
hnr aud IN h;o snY,rnox hoot~ In