Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-01-06
Il wasn't meaning you at ALL" he said

Il WISH IueduluS you dI ill, he SsiIu
bluntly.
She laughed a little Earring laugh.
| "Oh, Matilda, of course! Nobody is
like Matilda now! But come, Mr.. lived
die, you're not going to stand there and
tell me that this wonderful Matilda of
yours has hands no bigger than thosey'
'She has been endowed with quite
remarkable small hands," said he; you
wouldn't believe it without seeing. 1t
so happens" he added suddenly, that
/ can give you fair ideer Of the size
they are, for I've got a ring of hers in
my pocket at this moment. It came
about this way. My aunt (the same
that used to let her second floor to
James, and that Matilda lodges with
at present., my aunt, as soon as she
heard of our being engaged, nothing
would do but l must give Matilda an
old ring with a posy inside it, that was
in our family, and we soon found the
ring was too large to keep on, and left
it with old Wider, near my place of bus
mess, to be made tighter, and called for
it on my way here this afternoon, and
fortunately enough it was ready"
He took out the ring from its bed of
pink cotton wool and offered it to Miss
Parkinson.
You see if you can get it on" he
said try the little finger" She drew
back offended. Il don't want to try it,
thank YOU" she said (she felt as if she
might fling it into the bushes if she
! allowed herself to touch it,. IF you
must try it on somebody, there's the
statue. You'll find no difficulty in get
ting it on any of her fingers-or
thumbs" she added.
you shall see," said Leander. MY
belief is, it's too small for her, If any
! thing
He was true lover, anxious to vim
dictate his lady's PROJECTIONS before all
the world, and perhaps to convince him
self that his estimate was not eXagSer-
| ated. The proof was SO easy, the
statues left hand hung temptingly
within his reach; he accepted the chal-
lenge, and slipped the ring up to the
third finger that was slightly raised as
/ if to receive it. The hand struck no
chill, so moist and mild was the even
ing, but felt warm and almost soft In
his grasp.
There" he said, triumphantly, lit
might have been made for herr
Well" said Ada, not too consistent
| ", Il never said it mightn't!'
Excuse me-" said he, ''but you said
it would be too large for her; and, If
you'll believe me, it's as much as l can
do to get it off her finger, it fits that
close"
"Well, make haste and get it off, Mr..
Twcddle, do" said Ada impatiently;
"Tve stayed out quite long enough"
I'm one moment" he replied; its
quite job, declare, quite job"'
"Oh, you men are so clumsy! cried
Ada" let me try"
mo, nor he said, rather irritably, Il
can manage it, and he continued to
tumble.
At last he looked over his shoulder
and said, ITS singular circumstance,
but l can't get the ring past the bend
in the finger"
Ada was cruel enough to burst out
Mr.. Tweddle," she cried.
You dared me to it" he retorted; 1t
isn't friendly Of you, l must say, Miss
Parkinson, to set there enjoying Of it
it's bad taste"
Well, then, I'm very sorry, Mr..
Tweddle; l won't laugh any more; but
for goodness sake take me back to the
hall now"
ITS comingI' he said: I'm working
1t over the joint now-it's coming quite
easily"
But l can't wait here while 1t comes"
she said; do you want me to go back
alone? You are not very polite to me
this evening, l must say
What am l to do?" he said distract
edly; this ring is my engagement ring;
it's valuable. l can't go away without
it."
'"The statue won't run away-you can
come back again by and by. You don't
expect me to spend the rest of the even
ing out here? l never thought you
could be rude to lady, Mr.. Tweddle."
NO more l can," he said. Your
wishes, Miss Ada, are equiyocal to
commands; allow me the honor of re-
conducting you to the Baronial Hail."
He offered his arm In the best man.
ner; she took it, and together they
passed out of the enclosure, leaving the
statue in undiSturbed possession Of the
ring.