The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1907-03-22
Selert Misrellany~
Ruled by the Ring.
BY CHARLES STILLER.

Keeler stepped aside to let her pass,
and the girl favored him with smile
as she acknowledged his courtesy.
He went on up the stairs with a feel
ing Ct warmth about his heart.
Somehow the smile of the Girl Across
the Hall always affected him that way, ,
He had often wished that he might
venture to speak, but there was some
thing about her that held him back.
For almost year now they had
been fellow-tenants Of the old rockery
that masqueraded as studio building.
His name, neatly printed, adorned his
door, but there was not a sign of an
announcement on her own, from which
he inferred that she worked for some
concern and merely used the office as
a workshop.
He bent over his draughting board
all the morning, though the face of
the girl somehow got mixed up with
the side elevation of the building he
was planning, and he was glad when
the tiny clock struck -, and he had
an excuse for stopping for lunch.
He had not yet made his fame as an
architect, and lunch was an element.
ary meal a couple of sandwiches
brought down from the house and
cake of maple sugar that he had pick
ed up somewhere. He shipped off a
corner of the cake with bis eraser.
On the broken half a yellowish CLINT
caught his eye, and he further dis
sected his portion. 1t was a ring, a
slender band of gold with "T. H. to
A. G., 1904" engraved inside. Plain
ly some girls engagement ring, this.
Perhaps some little country girl was
bewailing her loss even yet. He
caught mp the box with its gaudy la
bel. It bore an address, and that
evening he posted letter addressed
to Thomas Gillespie, Wycoma, Vt,
in which he explained the discovery
of the ring and announced his willing
ness to return it On proper deserip-
tion.
| With his own little romance with
the Girl Across the Hall, Vance
Keeler felt interested in all romances,
and as he slipped the letter inte the
box he sent after it wish for good
luck.
But sometimes blessings, like curses,
come home to roost. He was begin
ming to fear that there would be no
answer to his letter; that perhaps the
label was but an evasion Of the pure
food law, when there came knock at
his door, and IN answer to his "enter"
there appeared the Girl from Across
the Hall, blushing rosily.
II believe that you are Mr.. Vance
Keoler," she began as Vance sprang
to his feet and busted off the company
chair.
"You have the advantage Of me-"
he suggested, "since | do not know
your name"
81 am Agnes Gillespre," she e1
planned. "My father wrote me to see
you about letter you sent him."
"And you were working right
across the hall at the timer he cried.
"Rather a roundabout way, isn't it?
| suppose you can describe it,.
at was a plain gold band," she
said. The initials were 'T. H. and
"A. G. and the date 1904"
"The initials are right" he agreed,
"but the date is wrong. It's l9O4.'
"That IS because the ring has been
worn so long, she explained, the red
suffusing her face. "The eight is
partly erased"
The blush convinced him and his
heart sank as he drew out the ring.
Perhaps she was bashful about admit
ting her engagement, but it was 1904.
He could swear to that.
Her face broke into smiles as he
drew it from his pocket and passed it
to her.
Il never thought that l should see
ii a2a'n,' she ran on. "Tt dropped of
Imy hand last year while | was helping