The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-04-24
THE RING AND THE MIRROR,


here a few nights ago." said the propri-
etor of M uptown hotel in New York,
"who W their first meeting to an Incl
dent, or rather a series Of incidents,
which occurred in the very room they
occupied last night. It's q very pretty
story, I'LL told, and will lay over any or
binary feat ofthe imagination. Through
pure luck and active reasoning faculties
a young fellow has won the pretties.
little sweetheart one could wish He is
himself smart and handsome, and holds
a responsible position as agent for o
large hardware firm in the West. He
has stopped at my house when he was
in town for three years and over.
"The first act in the romance I am
telling you occurred about year ago,
and the scene was laid in room No. 26,
second floor, front. A bell boy came
to me on the evening in question and
SAID the gentleman in No. 26 wished tc
see me at my convenience. l went up.
stairs and found Jimmy-we always
called him by his first name here. ]
found him sitting on his sofa admiring
a neat little diamond ring, which flashed
in the gaslight like an electric spark. II
was a lady's ring and must needs have
had a very slender little finger to ELI 1t.
It occurred to me that the ring was fo1
his intended, and that he was going tc
tell me all about it. 1t is quite natural,
you see, for m enthusiastic young love,
to make a confidant of a friend. II
somehow boils over in EN- and will out.
Why, / had a man old enough-but
never mind that. I'll finish the first story
before I begin another.
IT smiled, first at the ring and then
at Jimmy. 'Ahr said I, ALLOW me to
congratulate you > and was about to
ask who the fortunate young lady might
be. He laughed pleasantly, said he vas
cut out for o old bachlor, just as all
fellows do. Then he went on to explain
about the ring. Itseemed he had drop
ped some loose change upon the sofa
and it had slid down into the lining.
In feeling around for it he had fished
out the ring. We examined it for some
mark of Identification, but found nothing
except a simple letter rs" engraved on
the inner side. That was certainly
rather q small clue to the owner, but
we used it for all it was worth. We
searched our register for over a year
back, taking every name opposite room
No. &c which began with an S. We had
about q dozen Smiths, two or three
Shorts, a Shank, and other names to
the number Of thirty or more.
wrote to each to know if they haG
lost a valuable ring. and asking then
to write and describe it if they had
none of them had lost q ring.
Jimmy went from here to Philadel
phia, and then to Washington. 1t wa'
about three weeks before he showed III
at the hotel here again. OF course, h
inquired about the ring the first thing
If we ever discover the fair owner h,
said, as he started for room No. 26 pre-
ceded by a bell boy with his satche
and pitcher of ice water, if eve we dis
cover the fair n of that ring, l shall
claim the privilege of PERSONAL.
presenting it to her"
"~"Twenty-six,' said the clerk to a DO.
who stepped up in response to %electri
call from one of the rooms. 1t wa
after II o'clock, and 1 was smoking IN
customary goodnight cisarin the office
The boy came back down stairs
minute later, two steps at a tine. II
said 26 acted q little wild and wante
me to come up aight away. Befor
T could start Jimmy came runnin
down himself.
"Have you got your register 70
1882? he asked, n%ervously. l said tina
l had.
Then we'll soon know who that rim
belongs to- he added.
We got the 1882 register and h
turned to June 3, running his eye hun
ried!y up and down the numbers {
rooms. james Shepard, wife an
daughter, was scribbled opposite room
Nos. 25 and 26, with the address in full
q large manufacturing town in one {
the New England States.
"'The letter S in that ring stands fc
Shepard shouted Jimmy. hilariously
"You see, before going to bed tlEs
evening he made preparations to shaw
The mirror before which he was I
perform the operation reflected tt
light of a gas Jet on either side. Plat,
ly cut in one corner of the glass
caught q sight of the Inscription
june 3. 1882 From the il
scription to a diamond was an cas-
step In a train of thought, and from
diamond to the jeweled ling found
the same room was another. 1t W
but a natural conclusion that II
diamond in the ring was the same tn;
had cut the glass, and still mo
natural that the date on the glass w
} the date of the cut. 1t then BEGAN
almost u certainty that the person wi
occupied room No.26 on June 3, 1873
and the owner of the ring were Il
same.
"WelI, Jimmy started East the ne
day, and took the ring with him. lg
a letter from him q few days later sa
ing that Miss Shepard was the own
of the ring and of a pretty face al
most charming manner as well. II
} parents, he wrote, were very gratef
for return of the ring, and had nvit'
4, him to call again when in town.
) hadn't heard from the boy since till
: stopped here on his wedding trip Ia
| week. His charming young wife wo
, that diamond ring on the daintiest
l little fingers. AS 1 said at the outs'
i they would have none but room No.
| Or the mirror just beneath the June
1882 they left February 3, 1886
their wedding day."-New York Time
Taking Leave.