2
The Missing Ring.
'fcT"EAR mo, Diobe, art you aslocp?"
- JlJ said my mother, in a tone of ex
asperation. "Hore's your father down
sick with the rheumatism, Dick has cut
his hand nearly off, the dressmaker's in
the sitting-room with a dross to fit, and
nobody to fit it to ; there isn't a mouthful
to eat in the Iiouho, and there's all his folks
from Newburg coming to tea, and you go
about as if you were dreaming, and the
world wasn't upsido dpwn ! This comes of
your sitting up so lq nights last week with
Reuben Iladdara. I thall go distracted !"
If I had boon asloep, I was fairly aroused
now, and rushing into the kitchen, I exert
ed myself to tho utmost in trying to bring
the world bock to its feet again, and relieve
the overburdened mind of my material
relative. Dick's cut a slight scratch on
the wrist, nearly hiddon from view by a
coating of tears and maple sugar was
speedily dressed, and what consolation the
sufferer needed in addition to the sugar
was duly administered. I peeped into the
bedroom, but found father quietly sleep
ing, and mother was furnishing the de
sired "somebody to fit to" to the deprived
dress-maker; so I went into the pantry and
busied myself for the next hour In prepar
ing the wherewith to replenish the bare
cupboards. I baked pies, fried doughnuts,
made tarts, and baked a plum cake large
enough to furnish an army of giants. The
chimney roared as if it were in anticipation
of Thanksgiving day, the kitchen was
scented like an Indian spice garden, and
the fire burned in a delighted, determined
way, as if it hod more than ordinary in
terest in the good things it was cooking to
such a lovely brown. Mother, tearing her
self a moment from the dressmaker, re
lieved her soul with a satisfied sigh.
"Miss Crafts says she knows a beautiful
way to make your now blue merino," said
she with an air of penitence, at the same
time tasting one of my light golden-coated
doughnuts.
But just then, for a wonder, I was not
particularly exercised about my new me
rino ; and as it was still on the shelves of
some Dalton store, and so, by no means,
ready for Miss Crafts' beautiful pattern, I
could not affect any enthusiasm.
"If your pies, and cakes, and tarts are
as good as these doughnuts," she began
again, " Mrs. Perkins won't be likely to
turn her nose up at them, though all his
folks think that nobody but themselves can
cook anything fit to eat, and Mrs. Perkins
is more conceited than any of them. What
I suffered from that woman when I was
first married is not to be told !"
" I wanted to ask you whether you'd
have your trimmings cut bias or straight
way, Mrs. Curtis," said Miss Crafts, ap
pearing at the door ; and away went moth
er again.loaviug me to proceed still further
in my efforts to bring the world to its feet,
and battling Dick's effort to keep it still
struggling upside down. His wrist pained
him so that be needed entertainment to
keep his mind off of his troubles, and to
that end, he stood on his head in my nicely
buttered baking-pan, just ready for the
cake, and was pulling out bits of the deli
cate dough with which to make mittens
for the cat. Whereupon I boxed his ears,
and be went into the sitting-room with
suck pain in his wound that mother feared
mortification, and was anxious to sond for
old Dr. Stevens.
I enjoyed being left alone with my own
thoughts that day, for they wore very hap
py ones, and I could work now as well as I
had dreamed, to the tune of them. I was
young and foolish, you see, and had ouly
known since last night that Roubeu loved
roe. To be sure,I had a little idea that he
liked me better than he did any other girl,
because he always came home from church
with me, and from spelling-school, though
Ilitty Wright, the squire's only daughter,
who had been to boarding-school in the city
because the village academy wasn't fine
enough for bcr, shook her curls at him,
and called him Mr. Haddam In her most
fascinating lisp. Then of late he had been
at our house three or four times in a week
and I hod supposed it was to see me,
though he always asked ' for father, when
he knew he was sick in bed all the time.
" Why, you know father couldn't get np
and see you when he was sick abed. Moth
er says you come to see Phehe I" remarked
Dick, pleasantly, to him, when he came
last night ; and Reuben's face was as red
as mine, for Miss Crafts was there, and
Mrs. Stevens, as well as mother herself.
They all laughed as if tbey thought it
cunning, but I do believe if only Reuben
had been there, I should have boxed his
ears soundly on the spot. Mother says
Reubeu is dreadful bashful, and I suppose
he is, though he isn't clumsy, and awk
ward over it, like Bam Davis. ' liut when
he has been alone with me sometimes, be
has blushed and stammered dreadfully, as
if he wanted to say something Important,
but couldn't for the life of him get It out.
1 couldn't think what it was then, but I
have a suspicion now, for last night he loft
a little note in my hand when he left me,
asking me to be his wife, lie said that he
bad loved me a long time, but couldn't
make up bit mind to tell me 10 from want
of courage ; and inclosed in the note was a
beautiful pearl ring, which had belonged
to bis mother, and which, if I returned his
love, I was to wear when he came to-morrow
night that was to-night. If it was
not on my finger, he should know that it
was all over between us.
1 could hardly sleep all night my head
was in such a happy tumult, though I said
yes in my mind, ns soon as I read his ques
tion ; and the course of our true love was
likely to run smoothly enough, for father
and mother both set great store by Reu
ben, and he had no relatives whose inter
ference would affect us in any way. Mother
didn't think very much of his aunt Miss
Dehby Haddam, because she said that the
butter that came from our house always
had streaks of buttermilk in it, and was a
perfect old gossip besides. And Miss
Debby didn't think much of me, because I
didn't do all the extra work in hay time.
She said we would nil go to rack and ruin
and a servant-girl was so expensive, and I
had just enough learning to make me
hoity-toity and good-for-nothing. You
see I bad been one year to the academy,
and she thought we couldn't afford to
spend our money in that way. I had
hoard that sho had said Reuben had too
much sense to think of marrying a silly
chit like mo, and if he did do such a thing
he'd have none of her property; she'd leave
the old place to the town before she'd have
one of the Curtises wasting what she'd
slaved for ! But Reubon was well enough
off without the " old place," as he had tho
finest farm in Waterford county of his own,
and bank stock besides, which was left
him by his mother ; aud it seems that she
had been unable to influence him against
me, after all.
By four o'clock the cakes and pies wero
out of tho oven, the gooseberry tarts, mado
with an especial thought for the taste of
Uncle Isaiah, were filled to the tap of
their flaky rims ; one of mother's best com
pany tableclothes was brought from tho
great chest upstairs ; the preserves were
poured from their sealed jars into glasses
as clear as their own juice, and everything
looked nice enough to set mother's mind
at ease, even with regard to the critical eye
of Aunt Perkins. But 1 had worked pretty
hard to bring about so much in so short a
space of time, and the great three seated
wagon drove np to the door, bearing the
expected company, while I was' filling the
last tart. Dick was at the door before I
had time to seize and extricate him from
his coat of tears and sugar, and Aunt Per
kins saw me with my sleeves rolled up, and
in a dark calico gown, at that time of day ;
so mother's sunshine was dampened by a
cloud at this early hour.
"Sakes alive 1 you don't say that poor
John's laid up with the rheumatism
again ?" said grandmother, all the happi
ness of meeting gone from her dear good
natured old face. "Seliua," turning o
Aunt Perkins, " we hod bettor go straight
over to Ethan's, and make our visit there
first Sally and Phobe must have their
hands full, without taking care of com
pany." "Just as you Bay, mother. I suppose
Sarah does feel the exertion of taking care
of John. Rheumatic people require much
attention," said my aunt, with the little
pucker which my mother called politeness.
" Not to-night. I'm going to see John,
and cheer blm up a little !" said hearty
Uncle Isaiah. "Here's little Phebe, she
won't call it trouble to look after her old
uncle's supjier and breakfast. ' By the way,
I heard that Phebe bad a beau, Tom I lad
dam's son. There's no noed of growing so
red over it, my dear ; bis father's son could
not help being a likely follow ; and to be
mistress of that Lynde farm is what no
body need be ashamed of !"
"Rube Haddam is Phebe's beau," ex
claimed Dick. " He comes over here about
every night, and squeezes Phebe's hand in
the door. I see him. He gave her a ring 1"
. I gave that precocious youth a look
which be understood, and lied up stairs to
my own room.
How did Dick know -that Reuben had
given me a ling, I wondered ? Had the
little wretch been opening my drawer ? He
frequently ransacked my room when I
was too busy to attend to him, but to-day
I had only missed him during the time he
was engaged in cutting his hund in the
woodshed. : But I had little room in my
mind to give to vexation, Reuben was com
ing to-night, and though the company
might prevent my seeing him alone in the
best room for one ' moment, it would be
happiness enough to see him, anyway ; and
what an eloquent recognition of my answer
his eyes would give when they foil upon
his beautiful pearl ring upon my engage
ment finger I I oould not help stopping in
the midst of my hurried doing of my hair
to look at the ring once more.'- It was so
precious I But when I opened the box where
I had stored it away so carefully, no ring
was there 1 My heart gave a great jump
of dismay. What could have become of it?
There were no thieves about, I was sure.
Dick, with all bis audacity, would hardly
have dared to touch it, and mother would
not have taken it away without speaking
to me. ' I must bave put it somewhere else,
though I could ' not remember doing so.
But no; I turned every drawer upside
down, I searched in every crock and crev
ice of the little room, I felt in my pockets,
even under my pillow, but there was no
ring to be found.
" Phebe 1" called mother at the foot of
the stairs, "Phebe, it's time to make the
tea ; aren't you tver coming down ?" -
"In a moment I answered, as quietly as
possible under the circumstances. I was
crying with fear and excitement, and there
was my hair all unbraided, and my dress
not yet changed.
The thought of Aunt Perkins came over
me with a dreadful sinking of heart as I
proceeded with my toilet.
" Phebe?" called mother again, before I
was half through ; and down I went with
out my cuffs on, and my hair fastened up
any way with a comb. Mother looked
aghast when I appeared in that style, and
Aunt Perkins puckered more than ever as
her critical eyes ran over my apparel. But
tea was over at Inst, the dishes washed and
put away. Father was better, and sitting
in a great chair by the fire, and the tea
had brightened everybody up, so they were
talking merrily. I stolo away unnoticed
to search for my ring again. Reuben
would be there in less than half an hour,
probably, and what should I do if I could
not find it before that time? In the first
place I had a private interview with Dick,
but he was all innocence, and declared that
he had never touched the ring.
" How did you know that I had any
ring ?" I questioned, angrily.
" Coz I saw it on your finger. How could
a follow help knowing you had one ?" he
Baid, stoutly.
" But how did you know where I got it?"
said I, suspiciously.
" That's telling I" said ho, escaping into
the other room with the most provoking
grin he was capablo of.
" Seems to me you're rather uneasy to
night, Phebe," said father. "Why don't
you sit down and talk like other folks ?"
So I sat down and tried to talk, but I
kept thinking about the ring, of course,
and answered grandma's qaestions at ran
dom, until mother looked at me as if she
thought I were crazy. And so I was, pretty
nearly. . I wondered if I had worn the ring
down stairs. I must have, else how could
Dick have seen it on my finger? But still
I was sure that when mother called me
down stairs at noon I took it off and put it
away in my box. She startled me so from
my dream, though, that I was not quite in
the possession of my senses, and I had
hardly recovered them for all day, what
with my work and hurry. The ring was
rather loose for my first finger, and I must
have lost it off, if I had worn it down
stairs. It was very strange, for how could
I have worn it without being conscious of
it, when it had been on my mind every
moment ?
At last Reuben came. I hoard his step
on the walk, and hastened to the door,
hoping to be able to make some explanation,
though my foolish heart was beating so
that I could scarcely speak. But Dick was
there before me, announcing in a loud
voice that "Phebe was at home 1"
Ho looked half confident, half anxious
when he came in, but when his eye fell
upon my bare hand, I could see a change
in his face. Uncle Isaiah gave me sly
merry glances, and talked to Reuben as if
he were already one of the family. I could
say nothing, and Reuben himself, though
he seemed more than ever at his ease, was
not inclined to talk much, and long before
nine o'clock rose to take his leave. Now
I should have a chance to speak, I thought,
for Dick was deeply engaged in a gymnastic
performance behind the scenes, and father
and Uncle Isaiah were getting so lively
over a political disoussion, that everybody's
attention was turned in that direction.
The fates were against me, however, for
who should appear on the steps just as we
opened the door into the still moonlight
night but Miss Hibbard, coming to make a
call ? So I could only say good-night to
Reuben, who shook my hand in a strange
sad way, as if it wore a last farewell, aud
usher the lady Into the sitting-room aa po
litely as possible.
O, how much more sweetly I should havo
slept that night if I could only have said,
" I have lost the ring, Reuben, else I should
have worn it;" but then, he would have
thought me strangoly careless of his gift.
As it was, I slept very littlo, but lay awake
planning how I should send a note to Reu
bon. I would not send it through tho
post-office, because Mrs. Roberts the post
mistress knew my handwriting, and she
was such a gossip 1 I would not go to Reu
ben's house myself, of course, and I could
not send Dick, for nothing in the world
would keep him silent on the subject. At
Inst I concluded to go In search of Jimmy
Taylor a boy who did chores for us some
times, and who was as trustworthy and
faithful as the day is long. I would write
a note, and give him directions to give it
only into Reuben's hands. But, dear me 1
I didn't know the next day as ever I should
get time to write that note. Father was a
great deal worse; Aunt Perkins had the
neuralgia in her bead, and needed no end
of care; another aunt came bag and bag
gage, to spend a week with us; mother,
all worn out with sitting up all night to
take care of father, was quite overwhelmed
with trouble, and toward night Dick mys
teriously disappeared, and the house was
in a panic, I assure you, when nine o'clock
came and he was still missing, Sam, our
hired man, went one way and 1 went an
other in search of him. Somewhere in the
neighborhood of eleven o'clock I met him
ooming calmly up the road, but he was
bareheaded, and in a fearfully dilapidated
and dripping state. He had been Over to
see Tom Smith, a friend of bis who lived
five miles away. His friend entertained
him by giving free instructions in a new
gymnastic feat, which in some way led
them into the middle of the goose-pond, I
could not understand just how. I was ex
asperated to see mother kiss him and cry
over him. For my part, I thought he de
served a good whipping, and I had a littlo
private interview with him after I had
washed some of the mud from his clothes
and got him ready for bed.
The next day I was also in demand
every moment. My hands were not free
until late at night, and I cried myself to
sleep when my head did reach the pillow
at last.
Sam came in on the third morning with
a piece of news. Reuben Haddam had let
bis farm to Uncle Ethan, and had dismissed
his housekeeper, shut up his house, and
gone away.
"Gone where?" I found strength to
"I don't know. Somewhere out West,
I 'bleeve. I s'poBed you knew," said he, in
his bungling way.
Mother looked at me quite aghast, but I
managed to go on with my work as usual,
and for a wonder nobody asked me any
questions on the stibject. Father was so
sick that he neither thought nor cared any
thing about it, and mother was so busy and
worried that it slipped her mind also, I
suppose.
Two more wretched days passed, and on
Saturday afternoon Aunt Perkins suddouly
grew better, and was seized with a desire
to drive over to Uncle Ethan's, and Dick
and I must carry her there at once in the
wagon.
"Debby wolit be expactiug her," said
my mother to me in private, as we were
preparing to Btart, " and she's never pre
pared for company, and she'll be iu a
dreadful stew if she isn't now, for she's as
much afraid of that woman as I am. Sup
posing you carry over that loaf of cake we
baked this morning, and some of those
gooseberry tarts you made the other day.
You baked so many of them that they'll
get stale and dry bofore they're all eaten."
So I packed up the eatables, and Aunt
Debby was glad enough of them, for she
was an ailing, inefficient little woman, aud
as mother . said, never was prepared for
company.
" You and Dick must stay to tea, " said
she, patting me on the shoulder; " and by
the way, Phebe, Reuben Haddam is here.
He's going to spend Sunday with us, and
is going to start for Chicago bright and
early Monday morning. What makes you
let him go away, child ? I was so surprised
when he came and told your uncle he
could have the farm if he liked, because
he was going to leave town 1 Your uncle
was too glad to get it, though, to ask many
questions. He's boen coaxing him to let
half of it for a good while. It joins ours,
you know, and ours is all run out, and not
half large enough for Ethan's notions."
My heart loaped for joy at tho thought
of seeing Reuben onco more, but I said
nothing, and Dick, for a wonder, behaved
like an angel, and made no remarks con
cerning that gentloman. I was dreadfully
Bcrvous, though, and when Reuben's sur
' prised eyes met mine, as he came in to the
supper-table, I blushed until my very ears
tingled, and I was afraid tears would drop
into my plate. Ho noticed my confusion,
I know, but he was as cool aud calm as
possible, called me Miss Curtis, and was
wonderfully polite. Ho sat directly oppo
site mo, and I am sure I didn't know
whether I was eating or not, nor did I
heed what any one was saying. I only
thought of Reuben that Reuben was go
ing away, and I must get a chance to speak
to him. He didn't seem to care much that
I didn't wear his ring, thought
Reuben was eating one of my gooseberry
tarts, wheu all of a sudden he looked em
barrassed, and his teeth came in contact
with some hard substance that sounded
like metal. O dear, I thought, what bad
got into my tarts? I thought I made them
so nice 1 That wicked Dick must have
dropped a pioco of coal or something of
the kind In them; and Aunt Debby would
be so niortillcd 1 He was taking something
out of his mouth, but I dared not look up
until Dick screamed out:
" Only see, Phebo, there's your ring that
Reuben gave you, and you made such a
time about losing. It got into the tart
some way when you were filling it. I guess
you dropped it into the jam-pot 1" And
he roared with laughter, as if he thought
It were a great joke. Aunt Perkins looked
horrified, Aunt Debby mystified, aud Un
cle Ethan laughed, and wanted to know
what it was all about. . . , , '
Reubon made him some answer, I didn't
hear what, aud then, to my, j-eliof, some
body called for Aunt Debby, and we all
rose from the t;ible. Nobody but Dick
had seen the ring, they bad only heard
what he said, and he was such a rattluhead
that they seemed to forget his announce
ment afterwards.
"Rouben," said I, r.ever heeding Dick,
who would not take hlnuelf away, "I
have something to tell you before you go.
You will come and see mo, won't you?"
" Why not toll me now, phebe ?" said
he, brightening. I looked toward the
other end of the room whore tat Aunt
Pcrkius watching us and puckering dread
fully. "Why can't we go aud take a littlo
walk ? It is a beautiful sunset. Won't
your aunt excuse you ?"
She did excuse me, and I didn't mind
her meaning smiles very much. So we
went to walk over tho rosy spring fields,
and everything was explained. Reuben
said that the world was beginning to look
bright again, though he never expected
it would do so; and I said that I had never
expected it would, either, for I thought he,
had gone away, and I should never see
him again.
Rouben did not go to Chicago, for Uncle
Ethan released him from his bargain in
letting the farm ; but when the roses began
to peep out In the front-yard, and the hon
eysuckles to blossom over the great old
fashioned windows, I took possession of the
farmhouse myself as Reuben's wife, and
the sun never shone on a happior bride or
bridegroom, I do believe. I wear the pearl
ring which caused me so much trouble to
this day, but the question as to how it
came in the tart is still unsettled. I think
Dick must have had something to do with
it, though he always declares that he did
not; but Reubon thinks that I myself must
have lost it off my finger iuto the jam, and
has had a piece taken out of it to prevent
another such catastrophe. Still, I can't
think that 1 wore tho ring out of my own
room, and mothor says that she did not
see it on my finger. However, an
engagement ring is rather a novel spice for
gooseberry tarts, and my children and
grandchildren nover tire of the story.
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Xeiv Milliner Goods
At Newport, Pa.
I BEQ to Inform the public that I have just re
turned from Philadelphia, with a lul assort
ment ot the latest styles of , ,
MILLINERY GOODS.
HATS AND BONNETS,
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DRESS MAKING done to order and In the la
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ANNIB ICKES,
Cherry Street, near the Station,
8 1 13 Newport. Pa.