Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-22

ing TO rs last night: Love VIII nnd QUE
the way By the Lord Harry! If there
isn't the very posy for the ring as pat as
can be: Love will find out the way!"
With such thoughts as these, the
happiest young fellow in England, with
one thought for himself and two for
others, shortened the way to lunches
ter, the county town. 1t was dull
place enough, except ON Thursday,
which was market-day. To-day, how
ever, wss Tuesday-the normally dull
est day in all the seven. 1t was there
fore with some surprise that, as he
went along Westgate street towards
the Cross, he came upon the tail of
little crowd, mostly Of boys and girls
from the back alleys, but with others
among them hurrying in the Same di-
rection as he, and shouting, while the
corners were blocked up by knots of
women, and the tradesmen were, by
one consent, standing at their doors.
'What's up to-dsy?" Stephen ssked
one of these.
''Oh, it's only the soldiers" answered
the man. "A regiment on the march
bound for foreign service against old
Boney, l hear say. wish, for my part,
they'd gone another road; the red
coats do q sight more harm than good.
unless they stay for q month-that's
another pair Of shoes. Do you want
anything in my line, this fine daya
Hark-there they go!''
As the shop-keeper spoke, flies and
drums far down the street shrilled and
ratified into the Tho British Gren-
adiers." Stephen could sec the glitter
ing points Of the bayonets; and the
ragged tail Of tho march broke out into
. cheer.
Poor fellowsr' thought he. "And
men among them with Patiences Of
their own, no doubt; it makes one
ashamed to be happy when ono thinks
of war. And might have had to beat
q drum or carry q musket myself II 1t
hadn't been for old Tom Blackthorn
To think that should have been able
to pay him back for half he's done-it
seems like dream. But for the better
half; no, that's beyond paying" He
stepped into the best matchmaker and
jewelers. in the town. "I want q gold
ring-quite plain" said he, with more
of shyness than man OF mark IN MILL
port ought to have felt when conde-
scending to make purchase in dead
alive Manchester.
But tho man did not smile. What
ever he might have felt once on hia
own account, he had become callous to
such things; even plain gold rings were
only in the way Of trade. So he pulled
out drawerful, large and small. real
gold and sham, thick and thin
Stephen had already, with his meas
uring tape. marked upon his own little
finger the point where the right ring
should 60 to fit the finger it was made for.
Having chosen the thickest snd tho best.
he was about to order it to be engraved
on its inner surface with tho posy be
had chosen, when his eye was caught
by another, which he had rejected for
being, perhaps, half shade less thick
than the other, and which happened r
to be already engraved.
He took it up to read. and - started
to see the words
"Lore sciu find ont Gke s0sy."
There was. Of course, nothing won.
derful to find any common posy on any
common ring. But it 20 singulariy (al
he fancied) leaped with his own thought
as he had come along the road. that thu
finger of Fate seemed to be pointing out
she one ring in the world for the hngsl
Of Patience Blackthorn. Tho voFJ
words he had thought cf-the words o.
her own very song; and a. it Wer'
writing themselves for him, withsut
going through the cold-blooded process
Of being engraved It was ~ thoagt
his own thoughts had flown before him
70 the shop, and had stamped them
selves, fresh from his heart upon thG
ring. Lovers are always finding such
adventures. and always thinking them
peculiar to themselves.
"I will take this" said ha The
jeweler, who seemed . taciturn fellow.
nodded, as if bridegroom's fancial
were matters Of course. and the pur-
chase was made.
1t was really . very wonderful
thing" thought Stephen 1T seems
too strange to believe-finding . ring
with Just those very words. I'm glad
there must be something out Of tie
common in this ring; just - there's
something out Of the common in the
whole story. I shouldn't have believed
such . story If I'd been told. Still.
though, when one comes to think Of h.
it isn't likely Patience Blackthorn
would be married with . common
ring"
That was the whole Of Stephens busi-
ness in Manchester that day. HsyiAE
had some cold meat and glass Of ale.
for his walk had made him hungry, he
set off to return to Legs Croft BY tho
not reached the fifth milestone whom it
occurred to him that, as he was taking
a holiday from his holiday, he might =
well 60 homo by way Of the church
where he was to be married OF course
he had seen the church Of his native
village many hundred times before;
but then it had been only common
steeple, now it was to become . sacred
building indeed.
To get to Leys Croft by way Il the
church one had to leave the road, a. I
have said, the fifth stone from the town,
and follow q path that led through some
open fields to the top Of some low hills,
whence ON one side one could
see tho lazy smoke and tho minister
tower of Manchester, and broad river
beyond; on the other, the network Of
low, wooded slopes and narrow valleys
in which were hidden Leys Croft and
Welstead, and many another ancient
farm! His back turned to the minister
and river SteDhan looked toward tha