Smyrna times., 1905-05-31

ly to the fire. Somewhere in the FL
ture there may be man who is all
that Jack is and more. And what if I
should meet him?'
Her lips parted. Half unconsciously
she drew off the ring. Its pressure had
suddenly become unbearable. 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 |
Rcquiesce mildly in such q proceeding. |
She laughed Historically. She could |
imagine him under sufficient provoca- |
ton informing her that there were Just |
as good fish to be found en- 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 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 as if
it were lottery in which to a million
tickets there was but one prize and
she owned the tenth of a ticket.
With a 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 ''any man to any woman" look that
| always got upon her nerves. She stared
at it long and fixedly and then jumped
to her feet and dashed across the room
, impuls1vely, sitting down at the writ
/ ing desk between the windows.
With nervous haste she pulled some
! paper from pigeonhole, took up the
pen and dipped it deep in the ink, as
= one always does in moments Of intense
r feeling. Then she pushed the pen back
t and forth across the paper in those
: long, scratching strides that character
= ize the writing of the modern woman
2 and the sound was as balm to hel
r nerves.
you'll laugh and call it nonsense
t she wrote, 'but Jack, I'm not sure
:, And of course must be sure, mustn'
/, I-sure beyond any doubt, beyond an!
d possible man that may come TOWARD
/ me out of the future? And so I'm send
l. ing back the ring
K She was interrupted by a commC
d ton in the street, where two rival TO
st horns seemed at first to be vying wit
IL each other. A moment later her daze
10 ears disentangled the sounds and sh
"a made out from the fearful din the on
n word "Uxtra! Uxtraw She pushe
s. up the window and leaned out.
i'd Dreadful smashup ON tn 'L!" roare
Of the bigger of the paper boys, holdin
up a black lettered sheet invitingl,
er and Katherine nodded her head
to vigorous assent and flew down to ii
a door, her heart beats keeping tin
Mt with her footsteps. Accident on Il
a a." and Jack always went up al
TO down that way! 1t must have ha
10. pened, too, at just about the hour
M would have been going downtown
nd be in print now.
n She fairly snatched the paper fro
nd the boys hands, not even waiting
81 close the door as her eyes clutched
No the print ravenously. A moment lat
lid she was at the telephone
fe ''O31 John! Quick, centralv And
INF second later the thin, strident voice
ar the Office boy was in her ears. 81
Iov Mr.. Langley there% And the answ
,er came, Nav, hasn't been down
ROT day" She leaned Imply against t
nh telephone and there a moment lat
the maid found her.
,ro "Mr. Langley, miss"
ae eyes, what of him" She turn
toward the maid with staring, expe
bis ant eyes, and the latter looked ba
~ at her in amazement.
80 Hes in the drawing room.
"a wants to see you," she stammer
out.
.4h He was alive then! For one L
90 ment she stood still trying to real
a. the beautiful truth of it. Then witt
80 queer choked laugh she ran lightly
80 the stairs and, snatching up the
ro carded ring, kissed it rapturously
10 put it on her finger.
any