Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1899-02-23
HIS LOST RING.

TO himself a. he guided his shaggy little
horse round the sharp turn of the road
and checked him under the shadow OF
the giant cherry tree whose broad
boughs were all sparkling with ruby
pendants and then walked to the house.
Hello" said the doctor.
He shaded his eyes with his hand and
looked in at the kitchen window. There
was the trim figure of his pretty daugh-
ter standing ut the table, her sleeves
rolled back. apparently deep in the sac
charine mysteries of piemaking.
That was nothing surprising, but DIR.
Gray could have sworn that minute
ago the apparition of young man was
manifesting remarkable interest in
the sliced apples, spice boxes and sugar
bowls. and yet, now that he looked
again. Kitty was trimming off the
edges of her pie crust all alonel He
walked straight into the kitchen.
kitty, where's Harton Browne p
Kitty cut little star in the center Of
the sheet of pie crust before she an
swered.
Il don't know, papa.
II supposed not II
And the doctor proceeded through the
hall into his office. where sat his hope
full student Harton Browne, deep in
the pages of medical dictionary.
Hard at work, ell? ?" said the old
gentleman, taking off his hat.
Eyes, sir, A" said Browne. I've writ
ten out that abstract You left and look
ed over the papers on fractures and -
"All right. You re most industrious
fellow said DIR. Gray. You don't
believe in stopping work on all sorts of
frivolous pretexts, do youg'
"No, sir -
"You are convinced that nothing but
steady perseverance will enable man
to succeed in the science of medicine ?"
eyes, sir, replied Browne. moving
uneasily on his chair
Very sensible, said Dr. Gray,
Struggling his shoulders. "And now
but what are you looking for Z"
my ring, sir. 1t was on my finger
but minute ago. You have not seen
it p
"No, not that / know of. -
Il hope it is not lost, said Harton.
Il value it very highly as my fathers
gift. Where can it have gomez"
Don't know, said the doctor.
''Give me that list of patients we ex-
pect this afternoon and then go and ask
Jane TO keep lookout for your trinket. 3"
"Confound It'll soliloquized the doc
tor petulantIy. 1T takes sharper eyes
than mine to see through a woman's
maneuvers. I'll ferret out the mystery
yet, though. Hanged if l don tl'
Somehow dinner tasted better in the
long shady dining room of the Gray
house than it did anywhere else, for the
honeysuckles at the window stirred so
pleasantly in the wind and held back
their green leaves to admit such deli
cious scents that the most delicate APP
petite could not help being tempted.
And Kitty looked so pretty at the
head of the table the color coming and
going on her cheek like rosy shadows.
No wonder young Browne looked at her
so often.
"I'll take another piece of that pie.
Kate, scid the doctor. Capital pie
where did the apples come from?"
Il believe Patrick gathered them
from the old tree that grows by the
south wall of the orchard. papa. and
baked the pie this morning"
Upon my word, you're getting to
be quite a little housekeeper. said the
doctor, chuckling. 1.-THE first thing /
know some young fellow will be-why
hello here-what's this2"
For DR.. Gray's teeth had struck
against some foreign substance under
the crust of the much praised pie. with
jar that set every nerve on edge.
''Do they make pie nowadays out Of
stonesY demanded the old gentleman
tartly. mo, I'm mistaken. 1t isn't
stone; it's a ring.
And the doctor quietly held up Har-
ton Brownies missing ornament Kitty
turned scarlet Browne looked con-
founded.
''How a ring should happen to get
baked in pie / don't know. said the
malicious old doctor, enjoying the con-
fusion of his companions. "Can you
tell me what all this means?"
Il can tell you, sir said Browne
valiantly, seeing that now or never was
the time. 1T means that am in love
with Kitty and that if you will give
your consent we will be grateful to
you.
Papa, whispered Kitty, "now be
good and say yes. / wanted to tell you
before. only II didn't dare. :
"Oh, said Dr. Gray dryly. II
thought should find things out by and
by. / wish, however, it mayn't be at
the cost of a toUthache :
MAY have her = pleaded Harton,
who had by this time got his arm round
Kitty's waist
''Well, said the doctor. Il don't
know that I've any objection Have it
your own way, young people. Only il
you have any more counting | beg you
won't do IT up over my apple pies.
Browne was rich man that July
afternoon He had two treasure troves
"A promised wife and ring. And the
doctor was happy. for he had found
something to tease Kitty about. Phil
adelphia Item.
Temperature of Boiling Water.