St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-15
A LOST RING.
BY BIO.

gains. A broken ring can be mended
and happy marriage may result from
a broken engagement
So said Bob Sawyer to his friend PHI
Duncan.
But Phil only shook his head sadly
and replied:
"Never, Bob, never. Not this one
Not this one." And Bob detected tears
in Phils voice if not in his eyes.
$50 you broke the ring, did you?' in
quired Bob.
Yes; l demanded it of her. I threw
1t OH the ground, and ground it under
my heel. called her deceitful little
mink, and said that was glad to be rio
of her. and that it was fortunate that
had learned her true character before
had bound myself TO her for life. Then
turned and came away"
"Came forth to the darkness" put in
Bob. ut 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 a lunatic? Now, when Pm
glad over anything I whistle and sing
and dance. and maybe &C and take a
drink. Won't you?"
NO" said Phil. 81 have drained my
cup to the dregs already. / must now
bid you adieu. as l am going to Boston
to pursue my art there, and forget the
frivollties and deceitfulness of woman
in the excitement of noble ambition
And with that Phil Duncan, painter
Of marines, strobe out of the room.
And before friend Bob could think OF
anything to say to keep him still in old
MancheSter-b -the-Sea, he was on his
And neither MancheSter-by-t he-Sea,
nor sweet little Blanche Winthrow. who
loved him with all her dear little Yam
kee heart, saw him any more.
Bob was sorry for Phil. He knew
Well enough that he loved little Miss
Winthrow. He was, also, sure that
Blanche loved him as truly as any ten
der 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 him.
self. He should have given Blanche
an opportunity to eXculpate herself and
not take little overheard gossip be-
tween two girls as dead proof. Let me
see-how was it? Phil stood in the
garden and heard Maud Braiser and
Sis talking. He heard Blanche Winth-
row mentioned and stopped like a Paul
Pry and listened.
"'She told me- said one, that she
didn't care snap for him, and never
intended really to marry him, but only
tOnty hic yinu for tho COLO Of rnffirn q
ring to wear
"'She was out late last night with
that actor, Ned Clifton. rejoined the
other.
THAT was enough for Phil. Like an
arrow he speeds over to Blanche's house
and demands of her mother what time
she got III the night before, and her
mother tells him, seeing that he is
afflicted with severe dose of jealousy,
| that she did not get in until 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
episode-Great Kelsey! That's small
matter to leave girl for! But some
people lose all sense when in love-"
$50 think" said May Sawyer, his
sister, who had just come In, and evil
IDENTITY had the affair in her mind, ''that
it was all put-up job of us girls to
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 jeal-
ousy."
"Well, then, l think that you have
done a deSpicable trick, and have
wronged Blanche villainously. None
the less so because not so intended"
And big, burly Bob Sawyer strobe out
of the house and down to Widow Winth-
rows as mad as March hare and hardly
knew whether to be the most angry at
his sister or 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
incarnation of despair, toying with that
broken ring.
A strange pang shot through Bob
Sawyer's heart as he saw this gentle
girl made the victim of such contempt
FOOLS rage on the part of him who
should have been the guardian of her
feelings; and he said it would serve
both Maud and Phil right Elf l should
take her myself"
Then he explained all to Blanche
and promised to 60 and find Phil and
bring him back.
Then it was little BIanche's
turn. She got up on her dignity at this
and as Bob was about to leave the house
said:
mo, he has cast me aside as worth
less. Let him come back at 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 1 think it would be
justice were you and / to leave these
and love one another"
Blanche looked up at the burly Bob in
amazement. First she 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. and laughed
at this sudden turn in the affair.
SIT is justice, repeated Bob, nothing
but justice; justice first, romance after
wards. What do you say. Blanche?
gossip to drive me from such true
little thing as"
But his mouth was sealed with
Blanche'S kisses of love. Justice pre-
vailed. as Maud Braiser, the idle gossip,
and Phil Duncan, the foolish, learned
as they sat back in separate pews and
saw handsome Bob Sawyer lead the
lovely Blanche Winthrow up to the
altar in the old English church in Man