The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1909-10-28

Il want you to keep it until you
Gle. Millie." he had said Il don't
blame you. Your mother doesn't think
l ~ your social equal. and | guess she
Is right II were sure | could make
you happy I'd run away with you
But Pm not sure. You are so far
above me. dearest"
So Miss AlilIicent through all the
stress Of poverty had kept the ring
And 1t seemed Il sacriIege to sell il
now. But the need was urgent. She
must not take bread from the mouths
OF Sarah kendalrs children
On Monday. therefore. Miss Mill
cent for the first time in her life en-.
tered little secondhand jewelry shop
and when she came out there was d
roll of bills tucked away in her small
bag.
With shrewd intuition she knew
that she must not let AMOS know that
she had any money. He would not be
satisfied until he had it in his posses
sion. and he would spend it as reck-
1CoSiH a. it uiu 1lIS wages
So ii happened that mysterious pack
ages began to appear at the Kendall
mansion. One week it would he a lit
tie pig ready for roasting. the next a
leg of lamb with greens. Again it
was Il basket of gi', cries a bucket OF
oysters. and on Thanksgiving appeared
a turkey.
There" Sarah said triumphantly as
she showed the turkey to Amos. you
can't complain now hat you've got too
many to feed
Its no credit to her." Amos grum-
bled. that we get the things
well. I'll bet it is Sarah said.
"Some of her old friends are probably
doing for her that way They don't
want to hurt her pride by offering it
openly"
But if the Kendalls had observed
closely they would have seen that Miss
Millicent rarely partOok of the luxuries
that graced their table. To her sensi-
tive soul it was blood money that she
had taken for John Tremont's ring.
neighbors. We had spring lamb yes
terday." or Not many people can eat
strawberries at this season."
Miss Millicent spent recklessly. She
wanted to make Amos good natured.
and she had found way.
But she was not happy. The possess
sion of the ring had seemed to bind
her to her old lover. She did not know
where he was. whether living or dead.
but he had seemed to be in her life
until she had sold his ring.
Daily she went to the little jewel
the ring was displayed. Inside the
golden circle were the words ITO Dear
est" She wondered if some other
lover would buy it and use that in
scription secondhand.
One day as she stood. little fragile
figure with faded curlS falling in old
fashioned style over her thin. white
cheeks. a man stopped beside her.
'Millicent." he said softly.
She flashed up at him startled
glance. "Oh. John. john" she gasped.
II had to sell it,
''Sell what?'
"My ring-the ring you gave me-"
1t all came out then-her story of
poverty. his story of work and ac-
quirement Of wealth in the far west.
And l guess I'm good enough to
take care of you now. Millie." he said
triumphantly as he finished
But I'm such poor little old
thing" she faltered.
Don't" he said quickly. You are
young to me. and what's forty-fve?
Why, we've Il long. long life ahead of
us yet, dearest
And with that he went in and pur-
chased another ring and also one of
plain gold. and in the morning they
were married. with Sarah Kendall for
matron of honor
After that the Kendalls lived on a
wave of prosperity. for John fremont
never forgot Sarah's kindness to MILL
cent
And whenever Amos Kendall grum-
bled about his work or worries Sarah
always stopped him. You just re-
member how you used to fuss about
Miss Millie." she would tell him, land
all the time she was an angel un-
AWARDS"