The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-08-14
RECOVERING. A RING.

Virginia asked me 10 take her out Tor
a row. So l of course tucked a big red
cushion under each arm and straight
way went down to the boathouse, for
Virginia had promised herself to me in
marriage, and l perforce obeyed her al
ways and implicitly, as is the custom in
such cases.
I had been staying for some weeks
with her people, who had q country
house on the western shore of lake
we'll, the name doesn't matter. We had
been together q great deal, and l had
learned to read Virginia's moods from
the expression of her adorable little
mouth. On this particular 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, l, saying nothing, sculled
steadily away from the shore for some
minutes. And besides it was one Of
those gorgeous autumn afternoons that
make one silent. Little will-o'-the-wisps
Of sunlight were 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 10 infinitely pathetic.
Ever and anon an adventurous trout
would spring out of the water to look
at the deep blue of the sky, and great
golden bumblebees went buZzing over
our heads in their transit across the lake
in search of fresh plumber.
Watching these things, I was almost
unmindful of Virginia's presence, and l
started when she said sharply, You're
not very amusing this afternoon"
l smiled an answer, w~hereupon she
Immediately cleared decks for action,
and said, with a fine air Of irony, IF
only your dear Mrs. Carruthers were
here, you would o find plenty to say.
I'm sure the way you went on with her
at lunch was simply d~isgraceful Not
that l 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 a young widow.
"She's a horrid flirt !"
"Virgie!"
"She is, and you know it. You can't
call her pretty"
We'll, dear, l suppose I mayn't, but
l have heard lots Of fellows say they
thought she was a brick"
Brick or no brick, she's 40 if she's
a day"
"She probably is a day, but 4O-no.
Shall we say 39?"
This was ingenious ON my part, see
ing that Virginia and l 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 al
most hate you"
"Dear!' said l reproachfully, accen-
tuating thee vowel sound, to make the
little word seem more caressing.
Il wish / had never met you. l hate
being engaged anyway-and we seem to
be always quarreling."
lit takes two to make a quarrel, Nir-
gle, and I'm sure I'm in the best of
tempers."
That's the aggravating part Of it.
You sit there smiling and / can't make
you angry"
To my shame be it said, / burst out
laughing. The moment after 1 was sorry,
for the tears began to gather in her eyes,
and l cant bear that, and more omin-
GUS still, She was idgeting with her en-
gasement ring. Now this really alarm
ed me. AS a rule, our engagement was
broken and recemented once a week.
Only the afternoon before we had gone
through the ceremony. If it were going
to happen once every day, there We're
elements Of danger i'll the custom which
it was desirable to avoid.
But before l had time to sue for for
giveness Virginia took off the little gold
band and after a moments hesitation
flung it to the lake. And then she look
ed straight at me, with a brave show OF
defiance, although the ~telltale mouth
let me know that she was frightened a,
what she had done. l was more hurt
than words can say, and with q few
swift strokes turned the boats head
homeward. But l couldn't bear to leave
the ring behind, and l determined tt
dive for it. l shipped my oars and tool
of my coat. Virginia pretended to take
no notice. Then, watching her closely
l began to unite my shoe laces. Still
she pretended not to see. Then l tool
of my belt and shoes and placed tn,
contents Of my trousers pockets in
neat little heap in the bottom Of tn,
boat.
Virginia's eyes met mine, and sh,
said TREMENDOUSLY. What are you goin,
to do, George?"
"Dive for the ring, Virginia"
"Can you swim:'
"No."
I couldn't resist this fb. It woul
have spoiled it all if I had told her tina
], at Eton, had held the school cham
pionship for three years in succession.
George, dear, can't we let the me
dredge for it,"
"How should we ever remember til
exact spot where it went down? No.