The Jennings daily record. [volume] (Jennings, La.) 1900-1903, 1902-03-24
oo4oaoo4~0ooo1~ ~ ~ m No. - ~
THE Ring or the Man q
& BY f. H. LANCASTER n
by Daily Story Publishing Company

- -
Copyright, 1902. by Daily 81
The trouble all began in Gus Modem
doing the unexpected thing. Every
body predicted and with reason, that
If Molly Cartwen 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 it is fair to say that Molly
and Max shared the common conVlc-
ton. They were great friends. Every
body also said that it would be an eX-
celIent match. For Molly" some of
the women added. But that was only
squirt of feminine meanness over when
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 go boating this after
noon, and Max had swung off 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."
the beautiful ring twitched nervously.
What voice be had. And every
thing about him is as big as his voice"
she added regretfully. Il wonder if he
would care. much. l would hate to
hurt him. He is such happy hearted
fellow i'll 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 Cartwen a business-lille
offer of marriage and backed up his
offer with perfect love of a diamond.
''lf I 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.
ct suppose I 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 q romantic love affair, and there
was no romance about this straight
cut and thrust letter; nothing but the
ring.
Oh, that ring, What q 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 times! Why under
the sun had he taken it into his head
to be in such hurry!
.The happiest of men How colo
it looked on paper. No doubt he hat
written it because he considered it the
correct thing like the Yours truly
at the bottom of a business letter.
For minute she gave place to pet
tishness and wished with all her hear
that Gus Holden had kept his old let
ter and his old ring to himself, ant
that she was ont on the water having
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. NJ
doubt. but yet not much in the way o
assets when looked at from the dollar
and cents point of view.
"And I'll have to get married som
day Gracious knows l don't want t
be an. old maid She picked up tn
ring and looked at it lovingly.
You are beauty, aren't you? Why
Max would have to sell everything h
owns. down to his golf clubs, before h
could give girl such thing as this
But, then, Max is man, and he doe
work hard. My goodness, how glori
ously he could make love to a girl.
only he could afford it, And Moll
pushed aside the ring and dropped he
face into her hands. that she might tn
Yer recall a certain delicious after
she and Max had spent togethe
ing over the hills with thei
The huskiness that had com
lat big voice of his when h
her for having given him sue
two hours. How strong an
Ae was always, always.
kother. I'd rather wait for Ma
feline than marry anybod
all learn telegraphy or some
burn bachelor girl. I'll writ
blden and tell him so. An
Jack" The eXquisitely CT
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