Evening journal., 1909-01-09
She Sent
A SERPENT

lOrginal.l
Eben Grabble was sitting on a NOW
ing machine cutting the July wheat
Eben was light hearted. Within a
week the crop would be in, and then
he was going to take time 20 get mar.
ried. There was something in the rat.
tie Of the machine, the singing and
twittering of the birds. that accorded
well with the fields and the forests.
Now and again the shadow Of cloud
would pass over the wheat and lazily
climb hill on which a flock of newly
sheared sheep were browsing.
But a prettier sight than this met
Eben's vision. II was a 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 bon.
net back and stood, with Stroubled look
on her young face.
"What on airth's the matter, KatieT
asked Eben.
''The ring; it's gone"
"Gone?"
'Yes. left it at the we'll when ]
was washing my hands to so for a
towel. and when l 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
opd t-orv xvoupO cn roupc that ftfc
was her first real trouble.
''Never mind. sweetheart" he said
consolingly. 'I'll get you another"
''Yes. but it won't be that one"
"What do you mean, darling?"
She couldn't tell him. She did moi
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
brawny arms as long as he considered
1t right to let the horses rest. then seni
her home but partly comforted.
An hour later Moll Tinker passed OF
the other side Of the fence. She hao
been to the store for a pitcher Of mo
lasses.
"Mornin', Eben," she said. She haC
seen Katie visit her lover and wished
to know the reason. She wished t
know everything She pumped Eber
till she got out of him that Katie haC
lost the ring he had given her.
"It 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 ten acre field. How could any
one git In to take a ring off'n the wei
house while Kate was goin' to git ;
towel without bein' seen?'
do you mean TO say
He got no further. The woman paii
no attention to him and was soon ou
Of hearing. But she had let loose c
snake that wriggled Straight to Eben':
bosom, where it found a ready lodg
ment. Instead OF going that evening
- console Katie for her loss he KEEP
away from her The next day wher
he was moving she came to him again
She looked up at his sober face anC
trembled
"Ebenw
"What is it,"
"The ring; haven't found it yet"
There's somepn funny about tha
ring" he said, without looking at her
"EbenT'
"Leastways it's queer that any one
could "a come in and taken It while
you was gone for a towel"
She said nothing. She was chokini
something back. looking at him appeal
ingly. He would not look at her. ShI
turned away, and Eben watched he
retreatng through the wheat till HI
saw her enter her fathers house. HI
was angry with her. angry with th'
woman who had put doubt into hin
and most angry with himself. He re
solved that he would so to Katie tina
night and make it up. But all day h'
sat on the machine trying to solve thu
problem how any one could com'
through the field up to the house on ;
rise in the center and get away with
out being discovered He found tn
problem unsolvable. He never went 4
see bis sweetheart again.
Katie's father was we'll 10 do. See
/ AiAb MS udhbhttA hAovpf nS ethN hNA "
her aunt in the city. There she re
manned two years and came back t.
the farm on her wedding trip with ;
bankers son. Eben heard she wa
coming and kept out of the way I'll
she had gone. He heard that she wor'
a large diamond on her finger. Th
ring he had given her was plain gol,
circlet.
Ii was June when she was at her ia
TIERS. and early in July Eben was cut
/ ting the wheat. One morning Mol
Tinker passed by. Eben thought of th'
morning she had sent the snake to him
She had completely forgotten it.
! "Evenin'. Eben."
! Eben nodded sullenly.
] "Iad a windfall at our house xeste-