Thomas County cat., 1886-11-18
THEY SHARED IT.
The Property Which Depended
Upon q Wedding Ring.

Upon a Wedding Ring.
'.Express-train, Tillingbury? If it's
the last Cunarder you're after, you
needn't hurry SO tremendously, that's
just off; I've come from making my
adieux to friends
Tillingbury laughed and waited for
the next speaker. Pm bound for no.
where in particular" he said; Il was
only thinking
Thinking, were you? never knew
your thoughts to race so before.'
Il never heard before that l was to
be heir to million
Lighttield uttered an exclamation.
''You don't mean that the old fellow
has done it?''
mo, not done it. you know. He
hasn't keeled over yet, and l don't
wish him harm, of course. l can't be
in hurry decently, but he's going to
do it. He has nearer relatives, but he
is outrageous against these; says that
they have treated Kim abominablv, and
that, if | am only second cousin, shall
rake in the whole pile some day if 1 he
have we'll"
ITS doubtful if you do." retorted
Lighttield, with laugh.
Tillingbury asked where his friend
was going.
''To an auction; will you come?''
'Why, yes; but l feel like buying
every thing at first-hand this morn
ing"
20, this is the widest kind of lark
They are going to sell off the un-
claimed packages at the - Express
Office. The fellows buy them ulider
cover, you know. and when the strings
come off it's sometimes rare fun
Mr.. L. realized that here was an op-
portunity to safely give vent to the hi
larity of his mood. The Office was
crowded, the bidding lively.
He had a hearty laugh when man
OF six feet unfolded boys cap: when
4 solemn old gentleman solemnly took
off the wrappings about Enthusiastically
ornamented parasol which in its cover
he had decided must be a walking
stick; when a dude leaped back from a
sudden collision with punch and
Judy" unwarily sprung; and when a
young man noted for extreme diff
dence Unexpectedly displayed to view
an infants wardrobe.
Try your luck" insisted Light
field, and Tillingbury, quoting the say
ing about precious things in small
packages. pitched upon what looked
as if it might be small jewel-box.
"A vivid imagination. laughed his
friend, when he heard this suggestion.
1t was a jewel-boN. Tillingbury was
elated.
ii have the prizcr' he cried.
A curious and half-envious group
clustered about him as he opened it
with an air of pride.
What made him shut down the lid
SO hurriedly. while the unmanageable
blood swept up to the roots of his fair
hair as he heard universal shout of
laughter 60 up from all about him?
There was in the box massive we'd
ding ring.
But even Lightfield could not get
second glance at it, ard it was not un-
til its purchaser was by himself that he
looked attent.vely at what had caught
his eye alone in the first hasty exam
lnation. Inside the ring was a date,
1925, and there were letters 1t was
these letters which lad startled him. the
''B. L. to NJ A. b. his own initials
and whose?
A change came over Tillingbury-a
new wrinkle of some kind. his friends
said. and they concluded that he was
posing for his future part Of Fort
unatus- An old address upon broevn pa
per was often in his hands when he
was alone He had picked it up ~4uiet-
ly from the floor of the express stfice:
it read: Miss Madge A. Biddle,
Spruce street. Philadelphia.
Tillingbarys duty was evidently to
restore the ring to its owner.
But no Miss. Mrs or Mr. BidJle
lived at THAI number on Spruce street.
To be sure he had the directory. and 1T
occurred to him to go through the list
and make inquiries for the young
ladies. and he began to do it.
He found Miss Madge A. Rdddle.
IL think I'll tell my friend. and
-ah-well-and call again. he stam-
me-ed. looking at the angular. red
headed damsel who presented her
self. an unwilling candidate for the
waiting ring. Then he asked if this
Miss Eiddle had ever lived at No. -
Spruce street. The next instant his
relief was infinite. and he sped away
as if he had Mercury's winged sip
pers Oh.
But he would run no more risks of
duplicates. Six months passed. 1t
was August Tillingbury was at a
watering place. There he found two
Miss Biddles. The first seemed yerv
wealthy; she had an air of hautiness
and was surrounded by admirers. 7. |
learned that her iniL;als were NJ A. |
d. Tut even this did not open the way :