Willmar tribune., 1908-05-06
She Sent a Serpent.
(Original.]

Eben was light hearted. Within a
week the crop would he in. and then
he was going to take time to get mar
ried. There was something in the rat
tie of the machine. the singing and
twittering of the birds. that accorded
Now and again the shadow of Il cloud
would pass over the wheat and laZily
climb Il hill on which flock OF newly
Sheareu sheep We're browsing.
But Il prettier sight than this met
EbenS vision. 1t was Il young girl
coming through the wheat The sun
shone down on her pink calico dress;
her face was concealed by a sunbonnet.
When she came up she pushed the bCn-
net back and stood. with a troubled look
Oh her young face.
What on uirth's the matter, kate?'
asked Eben.
"'rhe ring; it's gone"
"Gone:"
"les. | left it at the we'll when
was washing my hands to go for
towel, and when came back it wasn't
there
Eben jumped down from the ma
chine and put his arms about her.
Katie Ball was slender and graceful
and very young, so young that this
was her first real trouble.
Never mind. sweetheart" he said
consolngly. ''Ill get you another"
"Yes. but it won't be that one"
"What do you mean, uaring:'
She couldn't tell him. She did not
yet know that it's the first sip of wine.
the first kiss Of love. the first BARN,
that's the dearest. He kept her in his
bra why arms as long AS he considered
it right to let the horses rest. then sent
her home but partly comforted.
An hour later Moll Tinker passed Oh
the other side of the fence She had
been to the store for a pitcher Of mo
lasses.
"Mornin, Eben," she said. She had
seen Katie visit her lover and wished
to know the reason. She wished to
know everything. She pumped Eben
TIL she got out Of him that Katie had
lost the ring he had given her.
ut beats ALL she said as she passed
on. "the confidence some people has"
What do you mean?' called Eben.
"Ole Balls farmhouse is in the cen
ter of a ten acre field. How could any
one git in to take Il ring off'n the we'll
house while Kate was goin' to git
towel without bein' SEEM
do you mean to say
He got no further. The woman paid
no attention to him and was soon out
Of hearing. But she had let loose a
snake that wriggled straight to Eben's
bosom, where it found a ready lOdg-
ment. Instead of going that evening
to console Katie for her loss he kept
away from her. The next day when
he was moving she came to him again.
She looked up at his sober face and
trembled.
"Eben"
"What is it:'
"The ring: | haven't found it yet"
"There's somep'n funny about that
ring" he said, without looking ut her.
"Eben"
"Leastways it's queer that any one
could "a come in and taken 1t while
you was gone for towel
She said nothing. She was choking
something back, looking at him appeal
ingly. He would not look at her. She
turned away. and Eben watched her
retreating through the wheat till he
saw her enter her fathers house. He
was angry with her, angry with the
woman who had put doubt into him
and most angry with himself. He re-
solved that he would go to Katie that
night and make it up. But all day he
sat on the machine trying to solve the
problem how any one could come
through the field up to the house ON
rise in the center and get away with.
out being discovered. He found the
problem unsolvable. He never went to
see his sweetheart again.
Kettles father was we'll to do. See
ing his daughter droop. he sent her to
her aunt in the city. There she re-
mained two years and came back to
the farm on her wedding trip with
bankers son. Eben heard she was
coming and kept out Of the way till
she had gone. He heard that she wore
large diamond on her finger. The
ring he had given her was plain gold
circlet
1t was June when she was at her ia
ther's, and early in July Eben was cut
ting the wheat. One morning Moll
Tinker passed by. Eben thought of the
morning she had sent the snake to him.
She had completely forgotten it.
"Evenin', Eben."
Eben nodded sullenly.
Had windfall at our house yester-
day. she went on. 'Y' know l got
lot O. birds O. different kinds. l got
tame blue jay and a raven and jack
daw. Them birds is the biggest depre-
datOrs | ever SEEN For a long while
we've been missin' things, and yester-
day my Ben saw the jackdaw tlyin'
with toothbrush in his mouth to a
place under the caves Of the barn Ben
got up there and found heap O.
things. Among EN- was ring That's
It," And she held up her finger, with a
plain circlet on it,
Eben turned pale. but he steadiet.
himself to ask, ANY writin' in it?'
Dunno. / haven't thought to look
Eben jumped down and strobe to.
ward her. She took OF the ring, and
he seized it. Inside was cut "E. G
date c. B."
Ten minutes later man passing
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