The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1908-06-04
Ilic Ecree::-.::::: c. To
CT Tatc's Currents.
[Original.l


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[Originall
A woman lay dying. No one was
with her except her son. boy of ten
years. She looked at shelf over q
fireplace and tried to speak. The boy,
knowing she wished to speak Of some
thing on the shelf, took up various ar
ticles OH it. at every one Of which his
mother gave a negative sign till he
came to small lacquered box, at
which she began to mutter. He took
down the box, went to the bedside, put
his ear close to her lips and tried to
distinguish what she wished to say to
him. But he failed. The mother died
before she could make herself under
stood.
After all was over and the dead had
been laid away the little fellow closely
examined the lacquered box. 1t was
locked, and he had no key to open it.
Taking 1t to locksmith, he procured
q key and unlocked the box, but found
4 empty.
The boy was left with nothing and
Was obliged to make his own living.
The few articles Of furniture were
sold, realizing only a few dollars. His
home had always been in the country,
and he sought an abiding place and
work on farm.
Farmer Simpson agreed to take him.
1s was to do chores and such light
1arm work a. boy Of his age might
- able to do, such % feeding the
stock, milking the cows and wedding.
He was permitted TO 20 to school for
. portion Of each day, though this was
IN his employers % well % his own
beneht, for little Belle Simpson, seven
JsaEs old, was sent to school, and the
boy was her protector over the two
nl1es between the farm and the school.
house.
And 20 Benny Rengeralt grew up the
protector Of child who came to be q
woman. Strange that her father should
not have expected that the two would
pass from the friendship Of childhood
% the love Of youth. In truth, be never
sealised that his daughter had grown
% womanhood till after It was too
hate. Then when he began to consider
which one Of the neighboring we'll to
do farmers sons she would take for q
husband he discovered that she and
Ben were welded together. They might
be parted, but it would be like tearing
up two clinging plants by the roots.
Nevertheless he resolved to do so.
Ben was twenty-five years old and
had accumulated nothing. Indeed, he
had never been paid anything to accu-
mulate. He was told to go, and there
seemed nothing for him to do but get
work as farm hand wherever he
might. But he had been an apt scholar
and was fairly we'll educated. He re-
solved to go to the city and seek
business situation. When he parted
from his sweetheart she told him that
she would never marry unless at some
future time she might marry him.
Five years passed. Ben was receiv-
ing a small salary. Neither he nor
Belle had married, but Farmer Simp-
son was as memorable as ever.
Fate works in strange grooves.
While all this was passing one of her
other currents was flowing on to meet
the one recorded. One day a woman.
seeing red flag before house. en-
tered and found an auction. She
bought several knickknacks, including
m old lacquered box. 1t was coming to
pieces, and she secured 1t for is cents.
Some months after this purchase one
OF Ben Rengeralts friends called his
attention to personal advertisement
which concerned him. It said that If
he would call at certain street and
number Of certain town he would
hear something to his advantage. He
was naturally very much surprised
and went at once to the place desig-
mated. He was received by an elderly
lady.
Are you Benjamin Rengeralt?" she
asked.
II am"
did you ever see that box?" point.
ing.
Ben looked at the box.
"No," he said. II never saw it be-
FORE"
She saw that he was endeavoring to
recall something and gave him time
That quick springing plant memory
had taken root in his brain, and while
seconds were being licked away it was
growing 1t had been excited by the
box, which he had not seen for nearly
twenty years. Again it stood on the
shelf over the fireplace. Then he saw
his mother looking toward 1t, her ef-
forts to tell him something concerning
It, her failure.
'Yes," he said. 1T belonged to my
mother. When she was dying she
tried to tell me something about it,
but her voice failed her before she
could do so. Where did you get it?"
Il bought it at an auction, intending
to use it for trinkets. But it was com.
Ing to pieces, and tried to glue it to-
gether. Failing in this, tried to fas-
ten 1t with nails. Under the hammer
ing 1t broke apart and revealed false
bottom. See."
She took out the upper bottom and
disclosed n small nanor Iooly xri%I, n