The morning call., 1890-08-05
A LOST RING.

@<OMETIMES our losses prove our
gains. A broken ring can oe
US mended and happy marriage may
result from broken engagement.
So said Bob Sawyer to his friend, Phil
Duncan.
But Phil only shook his head sadly and
replied:
Never, Bob, never. Not this one. Not
this one" And Bob detected tears in PhiPs
voice if not in his eyes.
$50 you broke the ring, did you?" in
Quired Bob.
"Yes, l demanded it of her. l threw it
on the ground, and ground it under my
heel. 1 called her deceitful little mink
and said l was glad to be RID of her, aud
that it was fortunate that l had learned
her true character before had bound my
self to her for life. Then l turned and
came away"
"Came forth in the darkness, "iput in Bob.
at seems TO me that you are wasting
deal of emotion if she is as worthless as you
say; and if you are so glad to be rid OF her
why the deuce do you sit there with your
eyes in the fire and your fingers clutched
in your hair like iunatic. Now. when I'm
dance, and maybe 60 and takela drink. Wont
=" No." said Phil. 81 have drained my
cup in the dregs already. must now bid
you adieu, as / am going to Boston TO pur-
sue my art there, and forget the frlV0lltleS
and deceitfulneSs of woman in the excite
menI of a noble ambition.
And with that Phil Duncan, painter of
marines, strobe out Of the room. And be-
fore friend Bob could think of anything to
- Gid .aaC tor Inv
the-Sea, he was on his way to the metropolis
of New England.
Aud neither Manchester by-the-Sea, nor
sweet little Blanche WiuthrOw, who loved
him with all her dear little 1ankee heart,
saw him any more.
enough that he loved little Miss WlnthroW;
He was also, sure that Blanche loved
him as truly as any tender and hOmeSpun
New Hampshire girl ever loved anybody
And New Hampshire girls are not the
Stoniest-hearted creatures IN existence by
any MEANS
phil is too tOuchy," said Bob to himself.
He should have given Blanche an oppor-
tuuity to exculpate herself and not take
little overheard gossip between two girls as
dead proof. Let me see-hOw was 1t
Phil stood in the garden and heard Maud
Braiser and Sis talking. He heard Blanche
Winthrow mentioned and stopped like
Paul Pry and listened.
"'She told me- said one, that she didn't
care a snap for him, and never intended
really, to marry hin, but only took his ring
for the sake of getting ring to wear.
"'She was out late last night with that
actor. Ned Clifton reiOined the other
THAT was enough Tor Phil. Like an ar
row he speeds over to Blanche's house and
demands of her mother what time she got
in, the night before, and her mother tells
him, seeing that he Is afflicted with a severe
dose of jealousy, that she did not get i'll
until near morning. Then, seeing Blanche
out in the road, he ruShes out and demands
of her whom she was with the last night.
Blanche now couldn't tell, she hadn't kept
a memorandum of all her visits or callers.
Then Phil demands the ring. and this cpl
sode-Great Kelseyl That's a small matter
to leave a girl forl But some people lose
all sense when in love"
"To Think" said May Sawyer, his sister,
who had lust come in, and evidently had
the affair in her mind, that il was all
put-up Job of us girls to tease him. We saw
him coming down the garden path, and
ducked down in the bushes and said that
purpoSely to see what he would do, because
we thought that he was troubled with
jealousy"
well, then, think that you have done
despicable trick. and have wropged Blanche
viIlanously. None the less so because not
so intended" And big, burly Bob Sawyer
strobe out Of the house and down to Widow
hlDLHTOW dS lIldl dS 0dICu udIt anu
hardly knew whether to be the most angry
at his sister OF at Maud Braiser, to whom
he was almost engaged himself, or at Phil
Duncan, acting as he had done.
Bob kept on walking until he walked
straight into the WinthrOws' house, and
there found Blanche. looking the very in
carnation Of despair, toying with that
broken ring.
a strange pang shot through Bob Saw
yer's heart as he saw this gentle girl made
the victim of such contemplate joke on
one hand and of such fools rage on the
part Of him who should have been the
guardian of her feelings; and he said it
would serve both Maud ana Phil right ''if l
should take her myself"
Then he explained all to Blanche, and
promised to go and find Phil and bring him
back.
Then it was little BIanche's turp. She
got up on her dignity at this aud as Bob
was about to leave the house said:
mo, he has cast me aside as worthless.
Let him come back Of his own accord. The
ring is broken and has been thrown away"
What was it inspired Bob to say:
Love is love, and justice is justice. You
do not love ME, Blanche Winthrow. and |
know it, but | think it would be justice were
you and TO leave these and love one an
other"
Blanche looked up at the burly Bob in
amaZement. Firstshe turned cold and then
she turned hot once pale and then red. A
little tremor of fear came over her, for Bob
was so big. Then she felt like child in his
presence. aud laughed at this sudden turn
in the affair.
at is JUSTICE" repeated Bob. "nothing
but justice; justice first romance after
ward. What do you say, Blanche? And
it will take something more than gossip 10
drive me from such true little thing as -
But his mouth was sealed with Branches
kisses Of love. Justice prevailed as Maud
Braiser, the idle gossip, and Phil Duncan
the foolish, learned as they sat back in sep
arate pews and saw handsome Bob Sawyer
lead the lovely Blanche Wiuthrow up to the
altar in the old English church in Manches-
ter Globe