The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-08-07
TEN MINUTES
WIN TM
Short Story
Writers
GOLD BEADS
(By ella NJ Bangs

dora Goodrich. looking up over hei
spectacles TO her niece across the
room What do You think Rebecca
But listen to this II is written from
| Cleveland, Ohio:
Miss Eldora Goodrich Dear Ma
dam:
II am informed that you have IN
your possession a string Of goldbeada
| engraved with letters forming the
name, Rehecca Danforth No doubt
| their story Is as familiar 70 yon as 70
myself. though possibly parts OF II
are omitted In your version, SO you
| viii pardon me for repeating what you
! already know for the sake of what
you. perhaps, do not. Ninety or a
hundred years ago stephen Danforth
of Massachusetts gave to his young
wife this string Of beads engraved
with her name. TWO sons were born
to them, stephen Ir., and William the
| former removed to what was them
way out west The latter remained
| int Massachusetts After the. death OF
| Mrs. Danforth her husband promised
l't0 give the heads 10 the first grand,
| tialEhteraborn named Rebeccaf-'
IN course Of time daughter came
to William Danforth, she was duly
Ebspiized Rebecca, dnSd to her was Civ
Fen the gold beads A few months la
ter word was received that daughter
had also come to the family Of Steph-
en- Danforth, that she was named Re
beeca and therefore laid claim to her
grandmother's Beada Now httwever,
though the birth OF this Ohio Rehecca
antedated that of her Massachusetts,
cousin by several weeks, she never re.
ceived the beads
f"This Rebecca Danforth was the
grandmother Of the writer of this let
ter Her daughter, my mother died
six months ago ! promised her that
would hunt up the beads, gain pos
session of them, if possible, and give
them to my wife, as she felt that they
should have come to our branch Of
the family. They have been traced to
,xplgga1 at Hilltop. If you still have
thai1ls and are Mllingt to 6agt vftH
them | Will gladly pay any reasonable
sum to possess them.
Kindly let me hear --pnli ,sotfssaad
oblige, Your distant gcousin II
Stephen Danforth ,Modfeg
Pretty, pink-cheeked, hazel-eysd Re-
becca Norton had listened attentiyely
to the reading of the letter, and as her
.Aunt paused exclaimed
N My beads Why, | never thought
that anAone elseihad the aeast claim
Mpon them. f
" 'seeitifsr nave they Indignantly. i
shall write this distant cousin that the
beads have been in this branch of the
family for three generations, and L
rather think they will stay here. Pos
session Is nine points OF the law any
way, and if Stephen Danforth Moore
wants to give gold beads to hfs wife
ae can dry some new ones"
The girlfreached for the letter and
read it over. bow nuch8do you sup
pose he would pay foresthem?" she
asked g A
"Not nznie'h fige dollafs probably.
Was ths fcornftr reply. NO" she
added, We may need money but not
badly enough for you to sell your
beads We can tell him there are no
Esaus in our branch Of the family
Miss Eldora smiled grimly at her fit |
ting smile.
Rebecca knew it would be hard to |
part with the beads. but as her aunt |
had suggested, they we're in need of |
money They lived IN the house |
where they both had been born, a |
plain two-story building OF red brick,
with green front door, over which |
WAS a fan-shaped window 1t was
sadly insneed Of repairs, and after
milch thought on tae subject the girl |
one day wrote the following letter:
81 Dear cousin Stephen You have
peobably received a letter from Aunt
HldQra before this SAVING that we
;puMs not give Up the Danforth beads
are mine and although my 1
punt does not know that / am writing II
his, want to ask how much you
would 9e Wiling to pay for them. II
hey really belonged TO your grand
mother, / think you ought TO have
hem, especially when YOU are willing
@ buy them. I just love those beads, Il
nut We are poor and YOU can't think
low much this old house needs re-
airing, parts OF the roof leak, as
Sunt EldOra says, like a riddle sieve, II
you know what that is, So. If YOU
'ant the beads enough TO pay what
ou call . reasonable sum 1 VIII lei
on have them. Very truly, your dis.
ant cousin,
"Rebecca Danforth Mormon.
A few days after this was mailed,
amt Eldora remarked.
~ guess stephen Moore thinks he
lay as we'll give up the beads, we
ont hear anything more from him. /
link I did out it to him good and
lain
A satisfied nod accompanied this re-
lark but Rebecca made no response.
be was however. conscious OF a gull
little ilutter OF her heart.
A week passed and then one day the
lund of the brass knocker rang
trough The old house. and Rebecca
loned The green door 10 a man whom
ar quick glance took in 10 be young
irk-eyed and broad shouldered. Hat
hand he inquired:
~ fgfaSpg toi Aiiss Reoecea
"You are"
Upon this the stranger reached ont
s hand with an irresitahle smile and
e announcement. ! am your cous-
stephen Moore
With cheeks ike twin roses. Rehec-
went 10 tell her aunt OF his arrival