New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1905-05-10

~ to the fire. Somewhere In the fu-
tare there may be man who is all
that Jack is and more. And what if
should meet him?''
Her lips parted Half unconsciously
she drew Off the ring. Its pressure had
suddenly become UNDESIRABLE. How
could she wear it without knowing
without feeling sure in her own heart
that it meant fnality in the matter of
choice, meant that with all the world
to choose from she would have him and
no other?
And how could she know that? She
might send back the ring and wait,
but meanwhile what of Jack? 1t seem
ed scarcely probable that he would
acquiesce mildly in such proceeding.
She laughed Historically. She could
imagine him under sufficient provoca-
ton informing her that there were just
| as good fish to be found in the sea as
had ever been caught-aye, and find
| ing them too! She WINGED as if some
| thing she regarded as wholly hers were
slipping away from her.
| Moreover. suppose she should break
her engagement because of the uncer-
tainty as to whether he was her final
choice and the future should bring no
| other What then?
| She frowned in bewilderment For
| the first time she realized with a gasp
just how big lottery marriage really
is. She had heard that trite phrase
many times, but it had never seemed
| significant before. Now she felt ais If
| it Wepa lottery in which to million
tickets there was but one prize and
| she owned the tenth of a ticket
| With sudden swish the rain washed
smoothly down over the outside Of the
window pane as if the surcharged sky
could no longer control itself Kath-
crime turned her head impatiently. She
had no sympathy for any perplexities
| save her own.
Again She held the little bejeweled
ring up before her with the tips of two
fingers and gaZed at it solemnly, but it
seemed to have lost all meaning. 1t
was no longer a ring ordered by Jack
and designed especially for her. 1t had
the amy man to any woman look that
always got upon her nerves. She stared
| at it long and 1iXedly and then jumped
to her feet and dashed across the room
impulsively, sitting down at the writ
ing desk between the windows.
With nervous haste she pulled some
paper from a pigeonhole, took up the
pen and dipped it deep in the ink, as
one always does in moments of intense
feeling. Then she pushed the pen back
and forth across the paper in those
! long, scratching strides that character
ize the writing of the modern woman,
and the sound was as balm to her
nerves.
you'll laugh and call it nonsense
she wrote, but Jack, I'm not sure!
And of course / must be sure, muslin
I-sure beyond any doubt, beyond any
possible man that may come toward
me out of the future? And SO I'm send
ing back the ring
She was interrupted by a commo-
ton in the street, where two rival fog
horns seemed at first to be wing with
each other. A moment later her dazed
ears disentangled the sounds and she
made out from the fearful din the one
word "Uxtra! Uxtraw She pushed
up the window and leaned out.
dreadful smashup on tn Lr Z" reared
the bigger of the paper boys, holding
up a black lettered sheet invitingly,
and katherine nodded her head in
| vigorous assent and flew down to the
door, her heart beats keeping time
with her footsteps. Accident on the
L. and Jack always went up and
down that way! 1t must have hap
pened, too at just about the hour he
would have been going downtown to
be in print now
She fairly snatched the paper from
the boys hands, not even waiting to
close the door as her eyes clutched at
the print ravenously. A moment later
she was at the telephone.
'.031 John! Quick, centralr' And a
second later the thin, strident voice of
the office boy was in her ears ''Is
MIR. Langley thereY' And the answer
came, Nav, hasn't been down to-
telephone and there moment later
the maid found her
"Mr. Langley, MISS
/ Eyes, what of him?'' She turned
toward the maid with staring, expect
ant eyes, and the latter looked back
at her in amazement
/ He's in the drawing room. He
wants to see you,' she stammered
out
He was alive then! For one mo-
ment she stood still trying to realize
the beautiful truth of it. Then with a
queer choked laugh she ran lightly up
the stairs and, snatching up the dis
carded ring, kissed it rapturously and
put it on her finger.
More ExDenaiye still