Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-09-28

might interfere with his work among
the natives. Did you ever hear any
thing so absurd2'
Abbott leaned back weakly. "He
made her give up all her rings2" he
gasped. "How many did she have, in
heavens manner"
-Four" said Della, beside yours and
the missionary's."
And were they all engagement
rings?"
Il presume so. At any rate, they
were all engraver with inscriptions sim
liar to this. One of them said H. X
to ]. b. Another, M. G. to ]. b. and
another-well, 1 forget what the in.
itials were on the other two, but, any.
way, they all looked suspicious"
what did she do with them {" asked
Abbott. Did she give them all to
you?"
"Oh, no." explained Della, volubly.
she gave them to four other girls.
You see, there were six of us girls
who had been great cronies from our
school days. A long while ago, when
we were still little. girls, we made an
agreement that as each of us got mar
ried she should divide her engagement
rings and other presents among the rest
Of the team. If one of us happened not
to have rings enough to go round, they
were to be given to the girls who owned
the least jewelry, so as to try to even
up our stock. Fortunately she had just
rings enough to treat the crowd, so no.
body can complain Of being sighted"
Abbott Strengthened up with sudden
interest. II don't wish to appear too
inquisitive," he said, "but l should like
to know If you are fixed so that you
could take care of your friends with the
same impartiality in case you took no.
ton to run off with foreign mission
aTy?"
"Oh, no." declared Della. 81 couldn't
do thing for them. am not engaged
not even once"
I'm that case" said Abbott, ~ sup
pose you mean to hang onto the ring?"
II should like to. Josie expected me
to. 4 send you this little trife, she
said"
"TrifeT" calculated Abbott. "That
ring trifie? Good Lord. Why, it cost
5000"
"YOu were very foolish to pay that
much" returned Della, severely. zone
hundred dollars is as much as any man
ought to pay for an engagement ring,
no matter how much money he has, and
then, if the girl runs away with anoth-
er man, he won't be out such a tremen-
dous amount. Josie evidently did not
realize how eXtravagant you had been,
because that is just what she said, 4
send you this little trif1e, she said, and
hope you will treasure it and think of
me lovingly And l am sure, Mr.. Abb
bott," added Della, tearfully, that you
couldn't expect me to give up the ring
after that. 1t would be unkind of you
to ask it. 1t is the only thing l have
to remember the dear girl by"
THAT is more than I've got" said
Abbott. What do you suppose 1 am
going to remember her by?"
EALs Jul yOu nave your broken
heart" said Della, consolingIy.
"Quite true" assented Abbott, saw
&gely. Il suppose ought to get along
very we'll with that"
why shouldn't your? said Della.
"All the rest of the men are going to
make that do. At any rate, they haven't
asked for their rings. You are the first
man l ever knew who raised such
row over little matter of this kind"
Somebody has to establish a precc-
dent" growled Abbott. ut may as we'll
be me as anybody. Beside, l need the
ring. I'll be getting engaged again my
self some day before long, and it will
come in handy"
Della looked at him reproachfully.
Men are very fickle," she said 81
am glad am not a man. am afraid
l should be as vacillating as the rest
of them. 1 am disappointed in you.
Somehow l had fancied you were going
to make yourself very unhappy about
Josie for a long time"
"Oh, If it is my unhappiness you
are WOFhlIlS TOT, l may possibly satisfy
you by achieving more misery through
the latter process than by burying my
self in grief for faithless JOSIE" Abbott
replied,
but don't want you to be unhap-
py," protested Della. "That is one rea-
son l don't want you to get engaged
again. You will be sure to make a
mess of it. / don't want you to do
that. l take quite an interest IN you
and would like to see you do we'll the
next time you make an attempt at mat
rimOny. l want to help you, and in
order that may promote your general
welfare l promise to give you back
your ring on one condition. AS soon as
you find a young woman to whom you
would like to engage yourself, please
let me know. so that 1 may make a
study of her and let you know what
kind of a girl she is. l ana a good
judge of girls. They can't fool me. 1t
will take me only a little while to find
out whether she is suited to you or not.
If l think she is not, l will not give
you your ring, so you will either have
to give up the girl or buy another