The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-23
THE WEDDING RING
BL ANNE cHANNoN MONROE.
tcopyrisht, 1901. by Daily Story Pub. Col


 :. be fitting on your wedding ring: I sup, | pose you have forgotten the nttie golo circIet I gave you years ago-lets see l twas on your sixteenth birthday. My, II seems but yesterday, after all. Do you
 recall the day, May?
 Jack. We were on Jackmy hill (speaks | rapidly. The sun was just setting, the | bluebells, were all in bloom, the plros
 were singing good night to each other came bounding up the hill, Jack-I was I there ahead of you. Oh, a laggard in love, Jack, you always were. But re-
 member, you pulled the little ring out | of your vest pocket-it had small blue
 stone-I broke the stone, afterward, and how l cried about 1t. Then l(more rap | idly). do you remember, Jack, how to- gether we watched the sun go down, and Jack-Yes, I remember better the gold | in your hair-you had thrown your bon | net off. And the dimple near your mouth; | I always looked for that dimple: It was there only when you laughed. Have you | outgrown the dimpe, May? Laugh-let me see-ah-there 1t is-almost-smile at | me in the old way-I must see that dim pie again-for old-tmes' sake. (Touches her chin lightly; she lifts her face to him; he looks at her a moment; then drops his hand and looks away toward the window. Speaks slowly. Jackwy hill. I wonder If the children who go bo<nding over It looking Tor DiueDellS, dream now it gots it's name. What an absurd fancy of yours it was to put our two names together.
 May-You wanted 1t just mine, you re-
 Jack-Yes, remember. with a reck- less laugh). But you wouldn't have It that way; and now all the village call
 it Jackmy hill. It's-hs-a!l that IS visible, at least. Lord. May. how quick ly you blossomed out into young lady. What a rush you have been in to mar ry! I never dreamed of finding you like this.
 May-Pm twenty, Jack. Girls often marry at twenty. How long you stayed at West Point. Couldn't you have come home-sooner?
 me it would have been different-if had.
 Leans over her). Would 1t, little girl? Would 1t have been-different?
 May Qooks off to distance)-They said that you were going to the Philippines that you would not even come home for a visit-that you were all wrapped up In the army-that you had no thought of of-marriage.
 time to come back. thought you were still in school hammering away on your French verbs. I got special permission to stop, When I arrived, the first thing
 Arthur told me about the ,sW,edd wedding E. hands in his. Stoops over her). Why, here is the little ring with its little broken stone. Speaks exultantly). Oh, God, May, you do love me; and 1 love you just the same-more ten thousand times more. I meant you always to be my little sweetheart May, l can't give you up. Don't you see l can't? It's taking the life blood out of me; it will be the death of me-for you love me, May-dont deny 1t. Can't read? Ob, my little May, hold still in my arms, dear. You
 can't marry Arthur, It's impossible. Don't you see it is? Come with me.
 May (drawing away from him)-Oh Jack, Jack, you are too late!
 Jack-Too late? A thousand times no! I will not give you up. You are mine; you belong to mellow can l? Who knows so we'll as I do what May loves! I'll take you out in the sunlight. May, golden hair. I'll take you in the moon- light and the purity of the moons rays will be shadowed. Hand in hand we'll walk through the years and the fairies of gladness will waltz along our pathway. The very birds will sing for us, May. Oh, my darling, come, get your cloak-you hat-come
 (She draws away from him crosses, picks up wraps. At that moment Ar thur appears in doorway at left, Maid of honor appears at right, advances to- ward May).
 Arthur-Did the ring fit?
 Maid of Honor-It is time to go down. (Jack stands frozen to the spot May looks from Jack to Arthur; falters; starts; turns back; then to Arthur). ' May-I am ready. The ring goes on built was a little hard.
 (Four form into wedding party. We'd ding march heard from the distance. AS they pass off the clock strikes eighO. A ANKSGIvING," by wm J. Hampton.