The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1920-03-25
"A Gladstone
Day :
~0
lCopyright, 1919. by the Western News
paper Uniou.)
By GEORGE ELMER COBB

~ y
Whatever are you doing, Ezra?"
The call came from downstairs, an
Ezra Boyden guiltily snatched u
Z something from the little leather-co'
cred box upon the bureau in which hi
wife kept odds and ends.
He had been fumbling over its cor
tents in hurried suspicious way s
long that Martha had challenged hi
unusual hardness in reaching tn
breakfast table. ..
Looking for something I couldn'
locate right away" he explained.
"One Of those troublesome cola
buttons, suppose" surmised Mrs. Boy
den in her mild pleasant way, and tn
incident passed and Ezra was relieved
and as he got free Of the house late
felt in his pocket and produced worl
gold ring with an empty setting. I
had held a small diamond thirty year:
back when he had given it to Martha
She had never taken it off her finger
through twenty-nine years of welded
life until the little sparkling stone was
missed one day. She had grievec
lover the loss, but the most persist
.ent search failed to disclose any trace
lof the diamond.
"Poor thing!" solloquized Ezra. She
took it to heart terribly, although she
said little. Martha always looked up
ION diamond ring as sort of certif-
;1cate of responsibility. Then, too, she
knew it meant 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
The hummed CHEEKY little snatch of
"a song and smiled to himself.
J Martha hasn't mentioned it," he
,soliloGuized, because she is afraid that
II can't do much for her, but this is our
ithirty-fifth wedding anniversary. Well,
I'm glad can provide a 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 ont enough to fix up
that ring if it does make me hard up
for year to come. I wish I could
make it 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
IA tremble as she quivered over faint,
frightened rendition of Loves Old
Sweet Dream" How the longing notes |
revived the past with Ezra! What a !
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 travelling sales
man, was exhibiting some stores
spread out upon sheet of delicate
white tissue paper. Mr.. Drake came
out promptly behind the showcase.
II want you to fix up this ring with
a smoderate-priced diamond" spoke
Ezra and went over its history. Then, ;
the food gates Of feeling wide open,
he descanted tenderly. upon Martha
and her piano playing. ''What will a
stone cost me-" he questioned. 'I'll
pay a little down and the balance
along" I
''Hold on-don't you know me?" K
The stranger, rubbing his coat sleeve 6
across his eyes, came forward. Ee k
confronted Ezra, who gave a great
gulp and fairly lurched into the arms i,
Of the other. n
RANDALL" he cried. ooh! what will |
mother say! Ny boy my boy! Back
home and safe, and on such day
Dur ttirty-ffth wedding anniversary" I
Yes, father, it's me, and I've got +
half hundred diamonds for you to !
pick from. I was just trying to sell t
some. FIRST. though, We'll select the a
very finest one for mother. They rep. I
resent my luck in the Trausvaal dis.
trict. And about a piano, now fix .
.l,Fngs 10 right.' n
Just before noon messenger a
brought Mrs. Boyden Il small package, ?
It contained the old ring adorned with q
/ dazzling. glowing diamond 0
Her breath nearly left her. "Frcm t
-ocH. loving husband" read an accom-. d
sanying note. viii bring a friend +
lone to supper with me-" and Martha II
at down and cried. u
Liter there arrived piano. and as ~
Iartha opened 1t card lying upon a
lie keyboard read: "All yours-from p
friend" !,
Just at dusk Ezra and Randall near G
d tome Through the lighted parlOr B
Sint,ow they cc'il'l note wife and moth
II seated at the piano., picture OF W
a.itiirs grace and beauty. y
~. r, II;