Show I 1 his G olden golden wedding by CHARLES SLOAN REID M i l H l IH i i ij I 1 t 1 i ml i i ti r silas elwell walked with a OLD long start staff ula bent beat form showed a decided hump on his back setting its ills head well forward on ills hla shoulders ue he wore a flowing gray beard and the hair on big head was almost white evidently the village was taking a holiday old silas stopped occasionally sio nally to gaze about him wondering what unusual thing was inking place in morgantown Morgan town the main store of the town was closed and tacked against the front door was a a sign ign taking one of 0 the most important holidays of my life aleck 1 I Stone ciphers go gone n 0 a bishin commented silas to himself i as ai he be slowly spelled out the wo words ads of the sign well by heckl heck I 1 I 1 wanted to buy a pair of wool cards an I 1 reckon Stone ciphers is the only store in town as has lem em 11 El wells legs lees had grown wobbly from age and the walk from the mountain a distance of tw twelve miles ve ales had tired him he sat down own upon po the e doorstep in front of store A few villagers passed him with a nod or sword a word of greeting Ll hello ello uncle silas aint a to get into the store are yuh it was Stone ciphers clerk who asked the question silas looked up well I 1 did want to get in elwell admitted but lit heeln as how it was closed I 1 jest set dawn here to rest 11 said ns as how he had sell his daddy it if he be badone bad one anything out 0 this store today hes taken a hollday holiday so I 1 seed by the up he doln so Imper important tant IW why h y tills this heres Stone ciphers golden goiden weddin day an him an the old ladys havin a big dinner a roasted pig an a sli sheeks head with dump tills an all the fix figins ins do tell I 1 an what does the golden weddin be why jort you know when a couples been married fifty year to the lie very day any an both of em ein still klegin why they call thet their golden weddin day silas elwell dwell suddenly stood erect or us its nearly so as ills bent form would allow what day ol 01 0 the month Is this galbreath Il hits lits saturday the twenty third 0 tiny may but im lr ir on the weddin today an I 1 must hurry along silas elwell eewel sat aown again presently lie he wiped two tears from his eyes then he thrust ills his hand into his a trousers pocket 1 I reckon ill look around a bit he be said to himself celli gelta g to his feet once more he start started ed down th the street estreet two or three shops were not observing pliers wedding day although he w ans as the chief man of the town into on one e or of these be betook retook himself and at length came out and turned his bis footsteps 11 directly toward the county jall jail two blocks aft away ay reaching the sher lits ills office came to the object of his bis visit without lelay leay sheriff iff fT he began you an mes me been good tood friends a long time yes tes we no have haie uncle silas the sheriff agreed voted toi for yuh clean ever time y yuh uh run 1 I know you have sheriff I 1 want to borry ten dollars I 1 got a bearlin yearl ln fifteen an ill give ye e a mortgage agin the yearl tn ln 1 all right uncle silas you shall have it come over to the lie magistrates an well fix up the papers the sheriff led the way and soon elv El wells ells quivering guttering hand was making it a capler api dpi er at the holtom bottom of a legal form which stood for bis big signature ri ibre shore a friend 0 mine mice sheriff Sherl tf dont mention lt Uncle silas silas turned away twenty minutes litter later he be had begun the lung long tourney lourney back home ills his step was wag acore elastic and tie he hold held his head just a little littie highel than usual it was almost sunset sumet when silas reached the crest of the on which his cabin stood ono one hand he had carried in his bla trousers pocket most of the way from town it clasped a small package which contained the he sole purchase for the day susan elwell wits was busy with her meat br broiling and culled called to silas from the leanto lean to at the back did yuh got get them cards silas no susan I 1 Stone ciphers was closed for the land sakes what for ile he was a holiday lord them rah kind kin have holidays I 1 reckon after afler supper susan sat at one side of lip wide hearth knitting while elwell sat at the opposite side aide halt half dreaming drean ang orly ocly the lie light from a faggot in the fireplace serit sent n dull glow throughout the room Ire bently lilly silas was ou on his knees before bustin lord silas she exclaimed what has gone wrung 7 Not Noth liln lre let loose for a minute susan in a moment trembling fingers and a gnarled thumb were slipping a plain gold hand band over the end of a shriveled third finger its the ring I 1 promised i ye fifty year ngo ago co come in s tills this susan its our golden weddin sweetheart same as Stone ciphers you meic ber lord hep bep yore time silas Sila sill 1 en came e from susans lips and a sob modulated m her tones |