The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-11
DEoUaRT BACK HER RING

| = s-.H
4 Strange Quest, on the Result Of
Which the Happiness Of Young
Smedley Depended.
Louisville CourerlJournal: 1t was
only little brass ring with a crystal
netting. but when bird few nwny. with
Il that meant the loss Of his happiness
to Jim smedley. and. It's recovery was
rs the. beginning OLA new life. ,SAlice
Lane, too, Is just as glad, and she
doesn't try to hide her Joy. Only the
bird that carried off the ring might be
sorry but he Is dead. and his last chlrps
on the subject are not recorded. Alice
Lane says that when she is Mrs. Smed-
ley she will wear the bird on her iiht
for constant reminder OF how near
pride came to making her miss happi-
ness. - Z ,5.lg,5,l.. =. Z,
Jim Smcdley.is q farmer who lives on
the river road mile or so above the
old water works. Smedley is young in
years and fortune and rich only In his
love for Alice Lane. She Is the daugh-
ter Of another farmer. both old and rich
as farmers so. Smedley Seemed In love
with the whole family. About the first
OF last May irvwon the girl. The elder
Lane was willing " stg-
Less than two weeks after they had
becom, engaged Mr.. Lanes sister, who
lives Mt Brownsboro. fell Ill and sent
down for her niece to nurse her. The
night before she. left the lovers sat out
In the moonlight. he had given her q
diamond ring. and In return she drew
from her finger. an old braEs one With 4
crystal setting, and slipped It on his.
'lts my lucky ring" she said. "As
long as you keep 1t you may be sure OF
me- II you lose II. l won't marry you
until you bring It back to me again.
sit will be my lucky ring. too" he
told her. slS. ". u Is, s sisE
Tho next morning Miss Lane went to
Brownsboro. MS
Two days after that Jim smedley sat
playing with ghy blackbrd that he
had caught. It was n soldier bird with
the red marking on Its wings just be-
ginning to show. Smedey took the
crystal ring from his finger and slipped
Il over the birds head to see how the
gold color and glass would contrast
with the red marked wings. Then as
he handled It icarelessly the little bird
hoped from his hands and new to 4 q
bush ten feet away. Smedley arose
lazlly md went to get him. The bird
flew to the branch OF n little tree
twenty feet or The man ran after him
with n long stick. and tried, 10 knock
the fly.nway down. The soldier bird
hoped out OF reach; and then took
waverlng. wobbling flight 10 another
tree. ~ ~ [.7r,Ts
Wild with anxiety, smedley followed.
Again he wns unsuccessful. Then the
man ran quickly to the house for his
gun. When he returned the soldier
bird had disappeared with his happl.
ntgs. va
a wacl: after Allc, Lane came homo.
Jim Smadlry met her. and almost her
first question after the greeting, was:
where Is my lucky ring" ft 81.
lie told her how he had lost II, and
she laughed at him. She said that II no
allowed n werk-o old bird to take her
ring from him she was quite sure that
any other man could take her away.
She said the enlargement was "offrsun-
ell he brought back the ring. .is.,
Than Of necessity. Jim Smedlcy bo-'
came hunter. His farm and crops
were neglected. his homo ran 10 disOr-
der. Every morning before daybreak.
the man. HIS. oubfe-barreied shot gun
over his shoulder, trudged out to Kill
soldier birds. The fellow who. looked
for needle In n haystnck had an easy
time beside Smedley. Soon there was
noticeable falling off In the number Of
soldier birds, He would shoot one. run
to Il eagerly, feet gently mt It's neck,
and throw the dead body aside. with n
snort of disgust. )
Early yesterday morning Smcdley
started for his regular days hunt. He
thought he would try the marshes down
near the old water-w0rks. II wns bare
~ daylight when he reached there. The
blackbirds and the field larks wera Just
beginning to .wnkc UP and tell each
other all about Il.
sricdley saw n little ncck OF rcd IN
tina grasE. He went toward It. Some
thing black and red spranB up sudden
~, and Smedlay saw q saidler bird go
Ing strnight away from him. The bird
seemed top-heayy and few n little low.
A thought nashnd through the mans
mind TINT made his hands tremble. For
tho hrRt time In weeks lie missed, The
bird turned TO. Tho left. and Smedlcy
raw something bright Elnhip IN the sun-
light. His muscles stiffened, Into stesl.
AT the shot tho bird foil straight down.
ward into the middle Of n pond. III
Dropping his gun, Smcdlcy went
straight for hlm1g The water md mud
came lip to his nrmpits, but he wnhed
right In. He saizcd the soldier bird, felt
Of It's neck, Gnd then splashed joSfqily
hhck 10 shorH. ...,E - + q (, ~ 80, 9,
Alice Lnns was cutting the bacon. for
breakfast when she heard the noise OF
some one running and the earnest bark
inE OF II dog. She looked out OF the
window TO sec Il man rushing toward
the house. s
1t wna Jim smodley bringing In his
bird. lie entered thc Kitchen, all radiant,
Trt. nnd out OF breath. Then he walk
ca IN to, the, girl md threw n dcad dol
der bird on the table bhforc her. 81
i"Allce,". he anId, i've brought you
your ring" ~. a