The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-10-01
AN ERRATIC RING,

uOhS AeHA tASt bne uIu leI4oW LAS uOnt
| ltP
"No, not doneit, you know. He hasn't
keeled over yet, and 1 don't wish him
harm, Of course. can't DO in hurry
decently, but he's going to do 1t. He hal
nearer relatives, but he Is outrageous
against these; says that they have treated
him abominably,i and that, II | am only
second cousiu, | shall rake In the whole
pile some day II behave WE'LL"
"iFs doubtful II you do" retorted Light
field, with laugh,
Tilllngbury asked where his friend was
COINS.
ITO an auction will you Gomez"
"Why, yes; butI feel like buying every.
thing at irst-hand this morning"
"Oh, this is the widest kind OF a lark.
They are goinglto sell oil the unclaimed
packages at the - Express Office,
The fellows buy them under cover, YOU
know, and when the strings come of it's
sometimes rare fun"
Mr.. I. realized that here was an oppor.
tunity to safely give vent to the hilarity
OF his mood.
The Office was crowded, the bidding
lively.
He had a hearty laugh when q mau o
six feet untolded boys cap; when a sol.
emn old gentleman solemnly took off the
wrRppings about dramatically -ornamont-
cd parasol, which In It's cover he had de-
Cided must be walkinG.slick; when a
dude leaped back from sudden collision
with q "PunCh and Judy" unwSrily
sprung, and when young man noted for
extreme di6idenCe unsuspeCtingly dis
played to view an infants wardrobe.
"Try your luck" insisted LghtAeld,
and Tillingbury, quoting the saying about
precious things in small packages, pitched
upon what looked as II 1t might be a
small iewel.box.
"a vivid imagination" laughed his
friend, when he heard this suggestion.
1t ,cas a iewel'box. Tillingbury was
elated.
~ have the prizep he cried.
A curious and hali.envious group Clus.
tered about him rs he opened 1t with an
air Of pride.
What made him shut down the lid so
hurriedly, while the unmsnngeable blood
swept up to the roots Of his fair hsir, as he
heard a universal shout OF laughter go up
from all about him2 There was In the
box massive wedding ring.
But even Light6eld could not get Sec
ond glance at 1t, and 1t was until It's pur-
chaser was by himself that he looked at.
tentively at what had caught his eye
alone in the first hasty examination. In.
side the ring was date, 1928, and there
were letters. II was these letters which
had startled him, "B. r. to NJ. A. B."-
His own initials land whose.
A change came over Tillingbury-a new
wrinkle OF soma kind, bis friends said, and
they concluded that he was posing for his
future part Of Fortunstus. An old ad.
dress on brown paper was often In his
hands when he was alone. He had pick.
ed 1t up quietly from the floor OF the ex-
press Office; thread, "Miss Madge A. Bid.
die, Spruce street, Philadelphia"
Tillingbury's duty was evidently to re.
store the ring 10 Ito owner.
But no Miss, Mrs. or Mr.. Biddle lived
at that number oil Spruce street. To be
sure, he had the directory and 1t occurred
10 him to go through the list aud make
inquiries for tho young ladies, and he be.
gan to do 1t.
He found Miss Madge A. Biddle.
II think I'll tell my friend, and-ah-
well-and call again." he stammered,
looking ct the angular, red.heRded dam.
eel who presented herself IN unwilling
candidate for the waiting ring. Then he
asked II this Miss Biddle had over lived
at No. =, Spruce street. The next In.
nIank h Yallaf ,und tNUntkn aa1 10 anal
away as 1.-The lad MetCury's winged slip.
pers on.
But he would run no more risks OF du-
pliCRtes.
SIX months passed. 1t was August.
Tillingbuty was at watering place. There
be found two Miss Biddles. The frat
seemed very: wealthy. She had an air Of,
haughtiness and was surrounded by Ad.
mirers. +. learned that her initials were
NJ. A. B., but oven this did not open the
way to man OF his dilIident- tenp0ra.
ment. Miss B. looked upon him with
lofty scorn; she had also just become on.
gagged to Mr.. Daniels, who was always on
hand. How could she DO approached on
the subject OF a wedding ring2
II II had been the other; the little Miss
Biddle-but she was simply Annie. How
pretty she was, though; slight, graceful
aud delicate. II he had not vowed HIM
self to "Madge" he saw that II might have
been Annie; that lie, 80 far as his own will
could decide the matter. II was too late
for that, however, and Annie made the
incest friend. Perhaps she had q sister
Madge. Why was 1t that he never asked
herr
One evening It happened, as II often did,
that they were out upon the rocks togeth.
or. Ths twilight shadows added to the
feeling Of remotoness from others. Till.
ingbury's desire 10 Contldo his perplBxities
10 bis companion grew irreBistable.
"NLlsS Annie" he began, II have a great
puzzle, you know connected with some
IamEsake Of yours, q Miss -"
mAnnieT" suggested the lady.
"Ah, moi q Mics Blddle, lady who has
interested mo extremely for several
months"
"Ahw In icy tones.
~ mean, you know" foundered Till.
Inquiry, "who would interest me II l
knew her"
"Ah" with an almost inpsrceptible
thawing. "Then you have seen only her
photograph"
"No-fiot exactly that I've never seen
her at all, you know, but l--well-1 came
into posBesSion Of apiece Of property Of
hetS."
"0h r. genially. "And you want to re.
store H."
T0h-wsll-yes, but not Immediately,
YOU know. That Is, | want TO put II In
place.
n0i Coune."
There was o pause. MI. I. took The
little green box from his pocket and
opened II slowly. 49,.
dOhl a wedding rinsl And s for thll
lady you were speaking OIL How-hoW
interesting" -.
AnxiouBly.