The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-03-25
A Gladstone
Il Day A..
o0 l..
By GEORGE ELMER COBB
tcsDyfisht. 1919. ~ the wsst.rs N,vs-
paper Uaioa)

Whatever are you doing, Errar
The call came from downstairs. and
Ezra Boyden guiltily snatcheu up
somsthins from the little leather-sov.
cred box upon the bureau in which his
wife kept odds and ends.
He had been fumbling over its con-
tents In hurried, suspicious way 50
long that Martha had challenged his
unusual hardness In reaching the
breakfast table.
Looking for something I couidn'e
locate right away" he explained.
"Ons Of those troublesome collar
buttons, I suppose" surmised Mrs. Roy
den In her mild pleasant way, and the
Incident passed and Ezra was relieved,
and as he got free Of the house later
felt In his pocket and produced q worn
gold ring with an er2ty setting. II
had held q small diamond thirty years
back when he had given II to Martha.
She had never taken II on her finger
through twenty-nine years Of wsddsc
life until the little sparkling stone was
missed one day. She had grisved
over the loss, but the most persist
ent search failed to disclose sny trace
Of the diamond.
Poor thing |" soliloquised Ezra. She
took II to heart terribly. although she
said little. Martha always locked up
on diamond ring as q sort of certAf-
| icate Of respectability. Then. too, she
knew II meant a lot Of scraping and
saving to get 1t In the old days.
These days had not been any better
~ to worldly gain fot the faishfsl
ploddins pair. Many q time Ezra had
thought Of ying to replace Ne lest
diamond. bu could never quite spare
the necessary amount. Now. however,
he hummed CHEEKY little match Of
= song and smiled to himself.
Martha hasn't mentioned It." he
soliloquized. because she is afraid that
I can't do much for her, but this 10 our
thirty. fifth wedding anniversary. Well.
I'm glad / can provide little surpTtBs
for her. with our two married girls
living three states away aud Randall
tossing on some distant ocean, or wan
dering In Asia, or worse. Martha waats
something to break the monotcny. Tn
going to squeeze out enough to AZ up
that ring II II does make me hard sp
mske II a piano. too. How Martha
longs for one. and the other night just
set me all stirred up"
Upon that "other night" At Q neigh
bore for perhaps the hrst time n
twenty years Martha had beea induces
to touch the ivory keys. She vas al
q tremble ~ she quivered over . faint.
frightened rendition Of Loves Ole
Sweet Dream" How the longing notes
revived the past with Ezra what .
delicious hush crossed the gentle ~
fined face of Martha As he thought
Of the old CHEEKY psrlor organ st homo
with its wheexy bellows and broken
keys he alnoet cried.
Ezra dropped into the village jewel
~ store. Its proprietor was seated at
a table In the rear room upon which q
stranger, suggesting a travelling sales
man, was exhibiting some stores
spr& - out upon a sheet OF delicate
white tissue paper Mr.. Drake came
cut promptly behind the showcase.
II want yeu to hx up this ring With
q moderate-priced diamond" spoke
Esra and went over its history. Then.
the food gates Of feeling wide open.
he Asscanted tenderly upon Martha
and her piano playing. what will O.
stone cost me-" he questioned. "fh
nd tl,A ksls
along"
"Hold on--don't you know mer'
The stranger. rubbing his coat sleeve
across his eyes, came forward. Ne
confronted Ezra, who gave \ great
gulp and fairly lurched Into the arms
of the other.
Randall" he cried. "Ohl what will
mother say! Ny boy my bog Back
hsme and safe, and on such q day
our thirty-nfth wedding anniversary"
"Yes, father, It's me. and I've Got
half a hundred diamonds for you u
pick from. was just trying to ssR
some. FIRST, though, wen select the
very finest one for mother. They rep
resent my luck in the Trsnsvasl dis
trict. And about a piano. now nx
things up right |"
Just before noon messenger
brought Mrs. Boyden a small package.
II contained the old ring adorued with
. dassltaE, glowing diamond.
Her breath nearly left her. "Froaa
your loving husband" read an accom-
panying note. "will bring a friend
home to supper with me-" and Martha
sat down and cried.
Later there arrived a plano. and ~
Martha opened II a card lying upon
the keyboard read: "All yours-fron
q friend"
Just at dusk Ezra and Randall near
ed home. Through the lighted paricv
window they could note wife aud moth
er seated at the piano, a picture of
mature grace and beauty.
Her face was radiant. To the sweet