, 1885-04-08
A LITTLE ROMANCE.
INTERESTING STORY or A RING AND
A MIRROR.
A Novsistts In a Nuisien-The NarratIvs
Related by a New York Hotel Pro-
prietor-Romnncs Of Room
M No. "a.


New York Times IntervIewI
There was a bridal couple put up here a
few nights ago. said the proprietor OF an
uptown hotel In New York, "who owe their
rrst meeting to an incident, or rather a
series Of incidents, which occurred in the
very room they occupied last night It's Il
very pretty story. all told, and will lay over
any ordinary feat Of the Imagination.
Through purs luck and active reasoning
faculties a young fellow has won the pref
test little sweetheart one could wish. lie Is
himself smart and handsome, and holds a re-
spondbla position as agent for a large hard
ware firm in the west. He has stopped at
my house when be was in town for three
years and over.
-rhe first act in the romance 1 am telling
You occurred about a year ago, and the
scene was laid in room No. &c, second iioor,
'front.'. A bell boy came to me on the even
ing in question and said the gentleman in
No. &c wished TO see me at my convenience.
l went upstairs and found Jimmy-we al
ways called him by his first name here. 1
found him sitting on his sofa admiring a
neat little diamond ring, which flashed in
the gnslight like an electric spark. 10 was a
lady's ring and must needs have had a very
slender little finger to fill it. 1t occurred to
me that the ring was for his intended, and
eAa hr WA bonhb W . ~ All Aboul IT, II
is quite natural, you see, for an enthusiastic
young lover to make a confidant of a friend.
1t somehow boils over in 'em and viii out.
Why. I had a man old enough-but never
mind that III finish the first story before |
begin another.
Il smiled, first at the ring and then at
Jimmy. 'Ahii said ] ALLOW me TO congrat-
ulate you and was about to ask who the
fortunate young lady might he. He laughed
pleasantly, said he was cut out for a bnche
Tor, just us all young fellows do. Then he
went ON 10 explain about the ring. 1t seemed
he had dropped sonl- loofe change upon the
sofa and II had slid down into the lining. In
feeling around for il he Lad fished out thi-
ring. We examined it for some marx OF
id. Indication. but found nothing except the
simple letter rs" engraved on the inner side.
That was certainly rather a small claw tc
the owner, hut We used Il for all it was
worth. We searched CUR registry for over a
year tank, taking every name opposite room
No. &c which Logan with an s We had
about "a dozen Smith, two or three Shorts. q
SLanks, and otIar names to the number OF
thirty or more. We wrote to each u know
II they had lost IA valuable ring, and asking
them to write and describe it II they had.
Only about half u dozen answered, and mono
Of them had lost a ring.
Jimmy went from here to Philadelphia
and then to Washington. 1t was about
three weeks before he showed up at the hotel
here again. OF course. he inquired about
the ring the first thing. If we ever dis
cover the fair owner, ho said, as he started
FOR room No. 20, preceded by a bell boy with
his sachel and IA pitcher Of ice water, II
ever we discover the fair owner OF that ring
1 shall claim the privilege Of personally pre-
eniing il to her.
'T~wenty-six, said the clerk to u boy who
stepped up in response to an electric call
from one Of the rooms. 1t was after IL
o'clock, and | was smoking my customary
good night cigar in the office. The boy
came back down stairs a minute later, two
steps at a time. He said % acted "A little
wild and wanted me to come up right away.
Before | could start Jimmy came running
down himself.
e Haye you got your register for lss2r be
asked, %nsrvously / said that had.
Then we'il soon know who that ring be
longs TO. he addict
We got the 1882 register and 10 turned 10
June ., running his eye hurrledly up and
down the number OF rooms James Shep-
ard, wife and daughter was scribbled oppo-
site rooms Mo-. % aud u, with the address.
in full, "A large manufacturing town in one
Of the New England states.
6 The letter S in that ring stands for
Shepard. shouted Jimmy, hilariously.
you see. before going To bed that evening
he had made preparations to shave. The
mirror before which he was to perform the
operation reflected the light Of a gas jet on
either side. Plainly cut in one corner Of the
glass be caught sight of the inscription.
June 2. 1889. From the inscription to 6
diamond was an easy step in a train OF
thought, and from a diamond to the jewel
found In the same room was another. 1t
was but a natural conclusion that the dia-
mond in the ring was the same that had
cut the glass, and still more natural that the
date on the glass was the date OF the cut. II
then became almost a certainty that the
person who occupied room No. &c ON June
3, 1889, and the owner of the ring were the
same.
Well. Jimmy started east the next day,
and too. the ring with him 1 got Il letter
from him a few days later saying that Mis-
Shepard was the owe or of the ring and OF a
pretty face aud most charming manners "a
well. Her parents. he wrote, wore very
grateful for the return OF the ring, and had
invited him to call again when in town. !
hadn't heard from the boy since till he
stopped here on his wedding trip last week.
His charming young wise ware that diamond
ring on the daintiest OF little white fingers.
AS | said at the outset, they would have
none but room No. 20. On tie mirror just
beneath the June ), 1852 they left 'Fehru.
airy 3, lss5'-their wedding day