The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1905-06-08

Tier lips parted. kfdlI uucOtfsclOuSiy
she drew Off the ring. Its pressure had
suddenly become unbearable. How
could she wear 1t without knowing
without feeling sure In her own heart
that 1t meant finality in the matter Of
choice, meant that with all the world
10 choose from she would have him and
no other2
And how could she know that? She
might send back tie ring and wait.
but meanwhile what of jack? 1t SEEM
cd scarcely probable that he would
ncquiesce mildly IN such a proceeding.
She laughed Historically. She could
imagine him under sufficient provocn-
ton informing her that there were just
as good fish to be found In the sea as
bad ever been caught-aye. and find
Ing them tool She WINGED as IL 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 a lottery marriage really
Is. she had heard that trite phrase
many times, but it had never seemed
significant before. Now she felt as II
1t were Il 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 impaticntly. She
had no sympathy for any p~erplexities
save her own.
Again she held the little bejeweled
ring up before her with the tips of two
fingers and gazed Mt 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 nerve She stared
at 1t long AMI ixedly 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 Il ~pigeonhole, took up the
pen ard 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 1t nonsense"
she wrote, but Jack. I'm not sure!
And of course l must be sure, mustn't
I-sure beyond any doubt. beyond any
possible man that may come oward
me out of the future? Aud SO I'm send
ing back the ring
She was interrupted by q 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 d~isentangled the sounds and she
made out from the fearful din the one
word "Uxtra, Uxtrar' She pushed
up the window and leaned out.
Dreadful smashup on tn II" roared
the bigger of the paper boys. holding
up q black lettered sheet inviting.y,
and Katherine nodded her head i'll
vigorous assent and Jew down to the
door, her heart beats keeping time
with her footsteps. Accident on the
a." and Jack always went up and
down that way, 1t must have hap
pened. too, at just about the hour be
would have been going downtown to
be in print now.
She fairly snatched the paper from
the boys hands, not ever waiting to
close the door as her eyes clutched at
the print ra~venously. A moment later
she was at the telephone.
.031 John, Quick. centralr' And q
second later the thin. strident voice of
the Office boy was in her ears. rs
Mr.. Langley there?" And the answer
came. Nav. hasn't been down to-
day" She leaned Imply against the
telephone and there a moment later
the maid found her.
Mr.. Langley. miss"
YES. what of hlm?" She turned
toward the maid with staring. expect.
ant eyes, and the latter looked back
at her in amazement
Hes in the drawing room. He
wants to see you" she stammered
out.
He was alive then. For n mo-
ment she stood still trying to realize
the beautiful truth Of It. inen with a
queer choked laugh she ran lightly I'M
the stairs AMI. snatching up the dis
carded ring. kissed it rapturously and
put il on her finger.