The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-10-14
from, but they won't be able to do 30.
They can sell it, II they want to, for

reSiStlDle, lnnuenCe which. Is supposed
to draw murderers to the scenes o1
their former crimes, seften to their own
undoing, Ashton was gsauntefing past
Packard's jewelry store, when one OF
the clerks hailed him with: "Mr
Packard wishes to see you a moment u
With sinking heart Ashton meckly
followed the clerk into the store.
Mr.. Packard locked at Ashton sharp
ly through his spectaeles, as he in
CURED: This is your ring, isn't it?'
Ashton's face grew very red under
the keen scrutiny of the old man.
"Yes," be stammered. pretending to
examine the too familiar ring which
Mr.. Packard held cut to him. Il
lost it." &
"Huh!" CALCULATED the jeweler
Looks more like theft. 1T came to
US by mail. knew IN a-minute it was
yours, for we never made another one
like it" and he pointed to the pc
culiar setting.
Ashton groaned inwardly at the poor
memory which had caused him to for.
get that he had had the ring made to
order from a speciaFdesign of his own,
at this very place. 3
Outwardly, however, he made the
best of the matter, and took posses.
sion of the property which refused to
be lost.
He resolved to make just one more
attempt to dispose of the opal. If that
proved as great failure as his previ-
Gus efforts had been, She would keep
the ring come VIZ at might.
At two o'clock that afternoon he
made his way to the Shirley theater
where there was to be popular priced
matinee for children. AS he had ex-
pected there was large crowd collect
ed before the entrance. Into this
seething pushing mass of humanity
Ashton forced his way by slow de-
grees. ls
1t seemed an ideal place to lose any
thing, whether one wanted to or not.
When he could advance no farther,
Ashton slipped the ring from his fin
ger, and without so much as g1ancing
at those about him, slyly let it fall;
then he backed out of the crowd as
rapidly as he could, and hurried from
the scene.
Early that evening, as he was smok-
ing lonely pipe, and congratulatjng
himself upon the fact of his having
at last lost his unlucky opal, the door
was flung open and Ted, the curly
headed young brother of Marion HUI
bert, entered.
Door was open down stairs so just
came right up," said Ted nonchalantly.
Got note from SIS" and, making a
sudden dive into the depths of his
trousers pocket, he drew forth a
crumpled note, which he tossed to Ash
ton. -. =. - -
Ashton opened it with trembling fin.
gers and read: FEE
please come to me this evening.
wish to restore to you something Of
value which you have slost. Marion" ;"
He got rid of Ted in short order, and
then struggled into evening clothes.
Poor little g.rl,p he thought COM
miseratingiy, as he fastened his prep
arations, she's had as hard time of
1t as have had. and now she's given
in and sent for me to tell me that
she wishes, to make up and restore
herself to me. It's tough for her
to have to own up that she's been in
the wrong, so III make things as easy
for her as I can, by acting as if moth
ing had come between us"
So, when he entered the Hulberts'
parlor, Ashton, not noticing or heed
ing Marion's embarrassed demeanor,
sprang forward and clasped her unre-
sisting form in his arms. The quarrel
was speedily thing of the past.
1t was not until b triumphant Ash
ton was bidding blushing Marion
goodnight, that that young person re-
membered to say: There, / came near
forgetting to give you your lost prop
erty."
Il supposed. that you had already
returned it, Ashton replied with a
meaning smile. -
''Of course not" Marion pouted. 81
wanted to give you your opal ring"
Where on earth did you get it?" de-
manded the amazed Ashton.
Il took my small niece to the thea
ter and when reached home found
it caught in the pleats of my skirt.
recognized it as yours and sent for
you. OF course saw you near me at
the entrance though you didn't conde-
scend to notice me-"
Now his opal is Ashton's most treas
ured piece Of jewelry, and when any
one says anything about an opal's
bringing bad luck to the wearer he af.
firms stoutly that his has brought him
the best possible luck a man could
have; but he has never thought 1t nee
essary to explain to his wife just how
he happened to lose the opal that day
at the theater entrance when she
found 1t.
Americans, as Usual, to the Fore.
In order to raise the $4,000 kronen