The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1900-10-05
THE LOST RING,

The LUST RING.
1t was only a little brass ring with
crystal setting, but when bird few
away with IL that meant the loss of
his happiness to Jim Smedley, and Its
discovery was as the beginning Of a
new life. Alice Lane, too, is just as
glad, and she doesn't try to hide her
joy. Only the bird that carried off
the ring might be sorry, but he is
dead, and his last chirps on the SUBJ
ject are not recorded. Alice Lane says
that when she is Mrs. Smedley she
will wear the bird on her hat for a
constant reminder of how pride came
near making her miss happiness.
Jim Smedley is farmer who lives
on the river road mile or so above
the old water works. Smedley is
young in years and fortune and rich
only 10 his love for Alice Lane. She
is the daughter of another farmer,
both old ana rich as farmers go.
Smedley seemed in love with the
whole family. About the 1st of last
May he won the girl. The elder Lane
was willing.
Less than two weeks after they had
become engaged Mr.. Lanes sister, who
lives at Brownsboro, fell i'll and sent
down for her niece to nurse her. The
night before she left the lovers sat out
in the moonlight. He had given her
diamond ring, and In return she
drew from her finger an old brass one
with a crystal setting and slipped it
on his.
Its my lucky ring" she said "As
long as you keep it you may be sure of
me. Ifyou lose it, l won't marry you
until you bring 1t back to me again."
ut will be my lucky ring, too," he
told her.
The next morning Miss Lane went
to BrownSbOro.
Two days after that jim Smedley
sat playing with gay blackbird that
he had caught. 1t was Il soldier bird.
with the red markings on its wings
just beginning to show. Smedley took
the crystal ring from his finger and
slipped it over the birds head to see
how the gold color and glass would
contrast with the red marked wings.
Then as he handled it carelessly the
little bird hoped from his hands and
flew to bush ten feet away. Smedley
arose lazily and went to get him. The
bird flew to the branch of little tree
20 feet of. The man ran after him
with a long stick and tried to knock
the fyaway down. The soldier bird
hoped out of reach and then took a
wavering, wabbling fight to another
tree.
Wild with anxiety, Smedley follow
ed. Again he was unsuccessful. Then
the man ran Qnickly to the house for
his gun. When he returned, the sol.
dier bird had disappeared with his
happiness.
A week after Alice Lane came home.
Jim Smedley met her, and almost her
first question after the greeting was,
Where is my lucky ring"
He told her how lie had lost it, aud
she laughed at him. She said that II
he allowed a weak old bird to take her
ring from him she was quite sure that
any other man could take her away.
She said the engagement was "ofl'
until he brought back the ring.
Then Of a necessity Jim Smedley
became hunter. His farm and crops
wero neglected, his home ran to disor'
der. Every morning before daybreak
the man, his double barreled shotgun
oveahh shoulder, trudged out to kill
sd - birds. The fellow who looked
n kedle In haystack had an easy
tim Dside Smedley. Soon there was
| a potll lDable falling of In the number
OF spldler birds. Hewould shoot one,
ru6 TO 1t eagerly, feel gently at it,
neck asd then throw the dead body
aside with q snort Of disgust.
Early yesterday morning Smedley
started for his regular days hunt. HI
thought he would try the marshes
down nr~ahe old water works. II
was d y daylight when he reached
there. The blackbirds and the delt