The San Juan County index. (Aztec, N.M.) 1890-19??, 1902-04-11

b The Ring or the Man 8
N by r. n. LANCASTER -
mmm@

The trouble an began In Gus Molden
doing the unexpected thing. Every
body predicted. and with reason. that
II Molly Cartwell got engaged before
the season was over It would be to
young Maxwell Barton. the broad
shouldered newspaper man from Mis-
sissippi. And up to that momentous
afternoon Il is fair to say that Molly
and Max shared the common convic-
ton. They were great friends. Every
body also said that It would be an ex-
cellent match. For Molly" some Of
The women added. But that was only a
squirt OF feminine meanness over which
the men shrugged their shoulders.
They knew the state Of Max's finances.
And now Molly had sent down word
that she was sorry, but that she would
not be able to 90 boating this after
noon, ana Max had swung of to the
wharf, covering his disappointment
with one OF Rightor's songs:
"Oh, my Mexican Juanita,
In the moonlight 1 will meet her,
Way down upon the silver Rio
Grande."
Molly heard. and the hand that held
the beautiful ring twitched %nervously.
What a voice he hadl And every
thing about him Is as big as his voice, A"
she added regretfuly. 81 wonder II he
would care. much. / would hate to
hurt him. He is such a happy hearted
fellow in spite Of his bad luck" Her
eyes went back to the ring.
For this was the unexpected thing
Gus Holden had done. He had written
Miss Molly Cartwell a business-like
offer Of marriage and backed up his
offer with a perfect love of a diamond.
II 1 see the ring on your hand to-
night, l shall understand that you
have decided to make me one Of the
happiest Of men" had been the formal
ending OF that formal letter.
Il suppose 1 will have to get mar
ried some day." she reflected. But Of
a truth, this was not exactly the way
she had intended to be made love to
by the man she would eventually mar
ry. Heaven knows what she had in
tended should happen. Most girls
crave a romantic love affair, and there
was no romance about this straight
cut and thrust letter; nothing but the
ring.
Oh, that ringl What a beauty it
was. How the other girls would go on
over It.
Everybody knew Gus Holden had
more money than he could spend.
That was all they did know about him.
The idea of marrying a man she had
not met a dozen timesl Why under
the sun had he taken it into his head
to be in such a hurryl
THE happiest Of men," How cold
1t looked on paper. No doubt he had
written it because he considered It the
correct thing, like the yours truly"
at the bottom of a business letter.
For a minute she gave place to pet
tishness and wished with all her heart
that Gus Holden had kept his old let
ter and his old ring to himself, and
that she was out on the water having a
good time with Max. Dear old Max,
with his huge head and deep voice.
and, best Of all, honest, happy heart.
All very charming attributes, no
doubt, but yet not much in the way Of
assets when looked at from the dollars
and cents point Of view.
And I'll have to get married some
day. Gracious knows 1 don't want to
be an old maid" She picked up the
ring and looked at it lovingly.
"You are a beauty, aren't you? Why.
Max would have to sell everything he
owns, down to his golf clubs, before he
could give a girl such a thing as this.
But, then, Max is a man. and he does
work hard. MY goodness, how glori-
ously he could make love to a girl, If
only he could afford it." And Molly
pushed aside the ring and dropped her
face into her hands, that she might the
better recall a certain delicious after
noon she and Max had spent together
tramplng over the hills with their
kodaks. The huskiness that had come
into that big voice OF his when he
thanked her for having given him such
a happy two hours. How strong and
tender he was always, always.
"Oh, bother, I'd rather wait for Max
half a lifetime than marry anybody
else. shall learn t~elegraphy or some
thing and turn bachelor girl. I'll write
20 Gus Holden and tell him so. And
IN eand hack-" The evouiqitc1v emf