Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-11-07
M8&&KKHAMEoNs.
Recovering a Ring.

virginia asked me TO take her out
for row. SO of conrse tucked a
big red cushion under each arm and
straightway went down to the boat
house, for Virginia had promised
herself to me in marriage, and
perforce obeyed her always and i'm
plicitiy, as is the custom in such
cases.
/ had been staying for some weeks
with her people, who had country
house on the western shore Of Lake
well the name doesn't matter
We had heen together a great deal,
and l had learned to read Virginia's
moods from the expression of her
adorable little mouth. On this par
ticular occasion her lips were pressed
tightly together, which symptom
meant in my code that a storm was
brewing, and so, after her ladyship
had settled herself comfortably
among the cushions, /, saying moth
Ing, sculled steadily away from the
shore for some minutes. And be-
sides 1t was one of those gorgeous
autumn afternoons that make one ST.
lent. Little will-o'-the- wisps of
sunlight we're dancing with the rip
pies on the surface of the lake. The
trees on the shore, like coquettes
who are conscious of having lost the
full bloom of their beauty, had
dressed themselves in gaudy suits
of scarlet and orange, as if hoping
by brilliancy of color to hide the
tragedy of decay that makes autumn
30 Infinitely pathetic. Ever and
anon an adventurous trout would
spring out of the water to look at
the deep blue line of the sky, and
great golden bumblebees went buzz
Ing over our heads in their transit
across the lake in search of fresh
plunder.
Watching these things, I was al
most unmiDdful of Virginia's pres
euce, and l started when she said
sharply, YOU'RE not very amusing
this afternoon.n
/ smiled an answer, whereupon
she Immediately cleared decks for
action, and said, with a fine air of
irony, "If only your dear Mrs. Car
ruthers were here, you would soon
find plenty to say. Pm sure the
way you went on with her at lunch
was simply disgraceful. Not that 1
am jealous of her. You needn't
think that!"
Mrs. Carruthers was a fellow guest
of mine who possessed a great many
Of the alluring qualities of young
widow.
"She's horrid fiirt!n
Virgie! !"
"She is, and you know it. You
can't call her prettyW
Well, dear, suppose you may
not, but / have heard lots of fellows
say they thought she was brick"
=" Brick or no brick, she's forty if
she's day."
"She probably is day, but forty
no. Shall we say thirty-nine ?n
This was Ingenious on my part,
seeing that Virginia and both knew
that Mrs. Carruthers was not yet 26.
Virginia flushed, and looked at
me with her lower lip quivering.
"George, when you are sarcastic I
almost hate you"
"Dear !" said /, reproachfully, ac-
centuating the vowel sound, to
make the little word seem more
caressing.
cit takes two to make a quarrel,
Virgie, and I'm sure Pm In the best
Of tempers."
That's the aggrevating part of it.
You sit there smiling aud ! can't
make you angry"
To my shame be 1t said, / burst
out laughing. The moment after I
was sorry, for the tears began to
gather In her eyes, and I can't bear
that, and more ominous still, she
was fdgeting with her engagement
ring. Now this really alarmed me.
AS arule, our engagement was broken
and recemented once q week. Only
the afternoon before we had gone
through the ceremony. If it were
going to happen once every day,
there were elements of danger In
the custom which 1t was desirable to
avoid.
But before had time to sue for
forgiveness Virginia took off the lit.
tie gold band and after mo-
ment's hesitation flung 1t into the
lake. And then she looked straigh,
at me, with brave show of defiance,
although the telltale mouth let me