The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-05
The Two Rings.

and sounds that make the more popular
seaside place the heaven for children and
the purgatory for adults that it IS; bul
Il also has its drawbacks, and the Arch.
ers, being in their third year of natrl-
| mony, quite realized the fact that If they
had not been able TO induce the Max
wells to come here il might have been
! trying after, say, the first week But
/ the Maxwells had come at once and de-
| lightedly. and now casual observer
! would really have found it difficult tc
| decide whether the Archers lived at the
inn and the Maxwells at Mrs. Hobson'
! lodgings, or vice versa; both couples
| were perpetually in and out of both
| places, even sharing most of their meals
The friendship between the two women
| was built on a solid school foundation
| further strengthened by common wed
ding day, and fostered by prolonged alb
| sences; for the respective professions OF
their husbands (who had known each
other intimately long before either had
met his fate) had planted them in wide
/ ~ distant spots.
The two men rose early every morning
| and bathed in a remote part Of the land
scape where seagulls were accustomed to
circle undisturbed The two women, In
| striped atrocities, bathed together from
| the small beach later on. That was how
I the whole trouble arose.
They had stayed in the water for fully
! half an hour on this particular morn
ing, laughing and skirmishing over new
water dance invented by Mrs. Arches
(who was 22). and they had emerge
blue shot with violet, their teeth chat
tering gayly.
Mrs. Maxwell was the first to discover
the dire misfortune.
EsNEo
-gone!"
Mrs. Archer instinctively gripped her
own left hand.
Gracious heavens! Where's miner"
Yes, it was quite as absurd as. it was
tragic. Both rings were gone Each
must have pulled off the others III gam
boiling in the water just now. Their
fingers had shrunk, of course, with ong
immersion and but they must be
found-they must; it was too awful!
In less than an hour every soul in the
village knew of the double loss and sew
eral of the souls were engaged in watch
ing the tide recede TO allow of their
searching the Sands.
In less than six hours the two couples
were sharing miserable and tear stain
ed tea at the inn when nli :Grimwood.
the boatman, put his LEAD in At h= v in
dow and held up the TO rings
Mrs. Archer, who was an emo ,ionai
blonde, sprang to her feet with scream
Mrs. Maxwell being on Il Severer scale,
merely spread one hand over the front
of her blouse and got pink. And their
husbands, being commonplace, quiztl
settled the financial side Of the mat
ter to the satisfaction and subsequent
insobriety of old Grimwood and his pal
Choose your own said Archer, no d.
-.
on the palm Of his hand.
Come and help me, Lii; I really don't
know which is mine,'' said his wife; and
indeed, there was no difference 10 be
discerned. The two men had gone to-
gether 10 Streeter's to buy the rings
each having insisted on the moral sup
port of the other. and II was impossible
to decide which was who's, try and try
on as they might and did. There was
nothing for it ct last but to trust to
luck and inspiration. So each slipped on
a ring at haphazard, and that tea was
turned into a. memorable fest by the
worst bottle of chmpagne that ever des-
ecrated a British interior.
In the evening they all supped togetn-
er, and then strolled out together-no-
quite as usual. Generally the two vo-
men would lag behind with arms en-
twined and heads inclined to the con-
fidential angle, while the men would
shoot ahead goaded by some interesting
topic. But tonight Maxwell had fallen
behind with Mrs. Archer, and presently
the others were walking far on, two Just
observable black figures against a dark
blue sky with stars in it. And they
walked thus until the first couple found
themselves back at the inn DOOR where
they waited for the others in a some
no 81
was the first long and serious tete-a-
tete they had had
But the ensuing days brought many
repetitions and variations of this new
state of affairs. Maxwell was forever
finding some excuse for monopolizing
Mrs. Archer, whose blonde attractions
would seem to have struck him with a
strange suddenness, and Archer. for his
part, was equally busy making opportu-
mites for long talks with Mrs. Maxwell.
who, as he told his wife, had got ever
so much more in her than he had ever
dreamed-the sort of remark. however,
which he presently found it advsab Die to
leave unmade, since il was apt 10 be
received with fash and fushes suggest
i've of hitherto unknown possibilities IN
the way of scenes. Maxwell must like
wise have found discretion the better
part Of something, for he was becoming
singularly silent toward his wife. and
only shone now IN the undivided rays of
Mrs. Archer
The two women watched each other
with a cold and furtive mistrust.
Maxwell and Mrs Archer had been for
a long ramble inland. Archer and Mrs
Maxwell had BEEN for an equally long
ramble along the shore. When hey me.
for good nights at the inn there vas
another eye. The two men looked sheep
ish Mrs. Maxwell looked desperately
tragic, and Mrs. Archer looked hectic
When they were about to sort them
selves and part Mrs. Archer said quite
suddenly: Come Up to my room a min
ute before you go. Lii. IL want to
show you something
She showed her the carte-de-visite pho
tograph OF a cousins third baby, AMI
then remarked casually. Should you
mind. LII II we left a bit before our
time? II think We ought TO be getting
home. The workmen will never get out
of the house till were back and
I'VE may go next Friday" said Mrs.
Maxwell at once
But that was only the beginning Of an
Unfortunately long talk. during which the
two men smoked savaCely IN the Darlor
jew, atlO IfuIIlDIcJ Oh SoHtl AFRICA
II was Il O'Clock before relief came to
them. The door was opened rather shy'y
and apparently by bota women. who
came in holding each others hands
I'm ready now. dear" said Mrs Max
well 10 her husband. hiding her very red
eyes under the shadow Of her sailor
brim. And 70 erybody's Including his
own surprise. Maxwell said. Come
along. then. girlie." and kissed her then
and there behind the door The others
were not looking. anyhow. They we're
with corvergent heads in he
bay window. for Mrs. Archer vas ;e1l-
ing her husband that she thought tsev
had halter s-sv here for their f9lI strrn