The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-09-18
Daily Short Story
The Mated Rubies

The Mat
Come" said the man who was
cooking the bacon and eggs And the
man who opened the cabin door and
came In out OF the blazing sun said :
I'D like 70 trouble you for a drink
of water. We're putting in these
telephone poles in the hills here. and
my partners gone OF somewhere
with the water bottle"
Help yourself" said the prospec-
tor. motioning with mis- fork to an ice
box in the further corner OF the room.
Raise the lid. You'll find a bottle
against the ice
Ice" repeated the stranger. IT
am in luck, Didn't know there was
such a thing this side OF the saloon.
certainly picked out the right cabin
when came hunting drink of
water"
It's that ring" said the prospec-
tor. watching the hand that was pour
ing out the water. 1t had 10 find its
mate" He came over. and setting
down the platter OF bacon and eggs
laid his own hand. hack up. on the
oil clojh-covered table. There's its
mate" he said
Strange" said the other. putting
his hand beside IT,
on the little finger OF each CLEANED
n single pigeon-blooi ruby. The set
ting. too. were identical-of dead
gold, rldely hammered out by hand.
Mine has n flaw In it," said the
telephone pole man.
Il got mine in the hilipplnes." said
the telephone pole man: from by
bunkie. Won st in poker game"
And ! got mine where your bunkie
got H." said the prospector: from
our mother"
Then you're -
Joe Balton's brother Dave"
Gray is NV name said the other;
Harry Gray"
Next moment the two hands with
the 'wo ruby rings were clasping each
other In mutual greeting.
Poor Joe'" said GRAY. pouring out
some more water. Tie was killed
not long afterward"
Yes said his brother. putting
more dishes on the table. and we
had him brought home for burial
Put J often wondered what became OF
the ring. Sit down II we're going
10 be friends. We might as well com
mence now"
In the course OF the meal. Dave Bal
ton told Harry GRAY about the rings.
their mother. in whose family they
had been for many generations. gave
one 20 Dave and one % Joe. fondly
hoping that they might help keep IN"
boys together There was an old
tradition that wherever one ring was
the other WAS sure 20 show up sooner
or later. Dave said. quite seriously.
that the two rubies were always seek.
Ing each other. and never seemed 20
be satisfied unless they were together
Whittier the rings had anything 20
do with u or not. the wearers became
great friends When Harry Gray got
through with the telephone Job. Dave
Balton had him come and live in the
little cabin: and the two men went
pccting together. They we're in.
separable. Every now and then they
struck some thing. but no matter
/ which OF them found II. IL always be
. ,on- ID 10 the two
II wasn't long before the two
friends struck something worth while
I IL pat a few thousand dollars into the
q pockets Of each Of them
What are You going 10 do with
3 yours" asked Dave.
F "Oh. take another jolt around the
world" said Gray. I'm getting rcst
4 less Want 10 come along"
no" said Dave. I'm going bach
70 marry the sweetest girl In New
3 York"
And so they parted.
II
/ Dawes few thousand enabled him
! 10 open 2 BROKERAGE Office. where he
IA Hanf Of
h u" married the sweetest girl IN New
3 YORK. lived In an apartment in the
Flfticg. and kept on" maid lie was
20 happy thar - was hard 20 believe
any dead brother had ever figured m
: his love Affairs
He heard from his friend occasion.
ally postcard came from china
then one from Australia. then one
laying fraf no was trying go starr n
revolution IA Nicaragua. falling which
he was going down 20 Panama 10 800
! hat the canal was dug right That
! was tho last And when tho bahy
I came. nobody knew where 20 find the
would -randfather 20 acquaint him
with 'he event
Tn" baby was a girl but they called
- Harry. inst tho same She was
chri-'"rod Harriet
Lilil" Harry vas year old. an
could almost understand some ~ the
D. thing they tried 10 toll her about thu
godfather who was roaming tho world
vhcn h"r little life nirkcrcd and then
Z won't out entirely She wasn't the
only baby who dicI in Sew York that
-ur nor buy sho laf' an awful note
IN tho Halfon family
calm had settled on n after ~
hrsf grief that stupid calm Whtc1
makes people 20 about as II In =
dream To this condition. Dave was
turning OUT ~ Wall street when 10
ran into somebody
Look ou' vh"r" you're going
rrif Oh" unu
The next moment two hands win
ruby rings wore rlaepInP each other
. TO object Tomato greeting There were
D. tHnr- i1 both mems eyes as tho sor.
rowing one tried fp tell tie other IL
iie bereavement
Dave took Harry Gray home. and
introduced riw 90 Mr. Bniton who
i.at' ctrryftinr ae Pleasant ~ pos.
Joy" Tor hnr fusband'a friend
"" waE With them about three DAYS
"f"r r"S trouble happened Dave
tIirr'r nu Tho sidewalk ard broke BOZ f.
f.0' avn. ll. Hlf. wac fficphourG
FOR Hrl f1f 90 tho hospital almost as
quickly as hn did
IS IH H.i fhs. ds v.fh rlt t.rr ..
H.f. Hf .Ir.s .If 90 fIa nfs.
fh'' nf. r.fI.rd ffr hare frrr-. en-,
fF between ffr I..rrH. Hrr Irrtfrrr.
.H.' .' dear. Ful.rerrI hfe wife