The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1920-07-15
A Gladstone
Day
40
BY GEORGE ELMER COBB
Copyright. 1919. BY tho Western News.
paper Union.)

something from Tie llLLlc lcdtNcE-COF
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 sc
long that Martha had challenged his
unusual hardness in reaching the
breakfast table.
Looking for something couldn't
locate right away" he explained.
Zone Of those troublesome collar
buttons, suppose" surmised Mrs. Boy
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 worn
gold ring with an empty setting. 1t
had held a small diamond thirty years
back when he had given it to Martha.
She had never taken 1t off her finger
through Twenty-Five years Of welded
life until the little sparkling stone was
missed one day. She had grieved
over the loss, but the most persist
ent search failed to disclose any trace
Of the diamond.
"Poor thing!" soliloquized Ezra. She
took it to heart terribly, although she
said little. Martha always looked up
on a diamond ring as sort of certif-
icate of responsibility. Then, too, she
knew it meant a lot of scraping and
saving to get it in the old days.
These days had not been any better
as to worldly gain for the faithful
plodding pair. Many time Ezra had
thought of trying to replace the lost
diamond, but could never quite spare
the necessary amount. Now, however,
he hummed CHEEKY little snatch 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 is our
thirty-ffth wedding anniversary. Well,
I'm glad can provide little surprise
for her. With our two married girls
living three states away and Randall
tossing on some distant ocean, or wan
dering in Asia, or worse, Martha wants
something to break the monotony. I'm
going to squeeze out enough to fix up
that ring if it does make me hard up
for a year to come. wish l could
make it a piano, too. How Martha
longs for one, and the other night just
set me all stirred up"
Upon that "other night at neigh
boris for perhaps the first time in
twenty years Martha had been induced
to touch the ivory keys. She was all
a tremble as she Quivered over faint,
frightened rendition Of Loves old
Sweet Dream" How the longing notes
revived the past with Ezra What
delicious flush crossed the gentle re-
fined face Of Martha! As he thought
of the old CHEEKY parlor organ at home
with it's ,wheezy bellows and broken
keys he almost cried.
Ezra dropped into the village jewel
~ store. Its proprietor was seated at
a table in the rear room upon which a
stranger, suggesting a travelling sales
man, was exhibiting some stores
spread out upon a sheet of delicate |
white tissue paper. Mr.. Drake came
out promptly behind the showcase.
II want you to fix up this ring with
a moderate-priced diamond" spoke
Ezra and went over its history. Then,
the flood gates Of feeling wide open,
he descanted tenderly upon Martha
and her piano playing. "What will
stone cost me-" he questioned. "I'll
pay a little down and the balance
along"
Hold on-don't you know me-"
The stranger, rubbing his coat sleeve
across his eyes, came forward. He
confronted Ezra, who gave great
gulp and fairly lurched into the arms
of the other.
"Randal! !" he cried. ooh! what will
mother say! My boy! my boy! Back
home and safe, and on such day
our thirty-fifth wedding anniversary"
Eyes, father, it's me, and I've got
half hundred diamonds for you to
pick from. ! was just trying to sell
some. FIRST, though, We'll select the
very finest one for mother. They rep
resent my luck in the Transvaal dis
trict. And about piano, now fix
things up right"
Just before noon messenger
brought Mrs. Boyden small package.
It contained the old ring adorned with
a dazzling, glowing diamond.
Her breath nearly left her. "Erom
your loving husband" read an accom-
panying note. "Will bring friend
home to supper with me-" and Martha
sat down and cried.
Later there arrived piano, and as
Martha opened it card lying upon
the keyboard read: "All yours-from
q friend
Just at dusk Ezra and Randall near
ed home Through the lighted parlor
window they could note wife and moth
er seated at the plano, a picture of
mature grace and beauty.
Her face was radiant. To the sweet
notes Of Loves Old Sweet Dream"
the diamond glow shot hither and
thither. She cane to the door as Ran
dial knocked. 1'ha anging, gladstone
cry Of a woman glOsded rang out as