St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1910-04-23
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The Story of an Engagement Ring
By RAINY NIVLEM
copyright. 1909 by Associated Literary Press.)

,SOCAdlS0 LlLeEdTy fTGSS.)
looked up from his absorption to find
| that Miss Burling was busy setting a
| little table for two. She smiled in an.
swer to his inquiring glance.
'Oh. you're going to have supper
with me-" she said. Il haven't had
any company for long time, not since
| l have been living here. You see.
cook my meals myself except on Sun.
days and holidays: find it cheaper .
After their simple, dainty meal.
| which Howard enjoyed to the fullest,
| Miss Burling sang to him in sweet,
partially trained voice. some old love
songs and ballads.
| Lawrence Howard knew that night
before he left Miss Burling's little sit
ting room that he was more than In.
terested in her. He knew as he walked
home. happy in the memory of her
smile, that that smile was to, him
more than beautiful.
Summer had come and gone. Miss
Burling had returned to the Office
after a two weeks holiday. Lawrence
noticed that she still wore black, and
that diamond solitaire. She had told
| him, he remembered, that first evening
when he visited her little sitting room.
| that she had not had any company
since she had been living there. He
| adopted the plan of calling to see her
on Monday evening of one week, Tues
day of another, Wednesday Of another,
and so on, until he had assured himself
| that she had no regular and permanent
visitor. He had sometimes visited her
| unexpectedly and though he often
| found girls with her, never trace OF
her lover could he find
One evening when he called in the
early spring she was dressed in a soft
pink gown. Lawrence never had seen
| her in anything but black and he made
| no effort to conceal his admiration
| now.
"Oh." she said. coloring as she no.
| ticed his fixed gaze, Il felt SO queer
putting this on. But thought that
! just couldn't wear black clothes for an.
other whole year. and I can't afford
to buy any more new garments until
next year. l know mother herself
| would want me to do just this way
about it."
This was one Of her occasional and
charming bursts of confidence. and
| this time Lawrence found courage to
take advantage of her mood.
| 70 for 1{h r, ,,1r
TREMENDOUSLY.
yes, she died just two months be
fore | came to the Office She had
| been Ill for many years before she
| died, and that's why she could not save
so that l might have something after
she died. My mothers mother died
when mother was just little girl, and
| grandfather, when he was very old, af.
ter mother married, married a young
| widow with little boy. When he
died. he left his property to be divided
between his wife and my mother, with
the provision that mothers portion
should, at her death, go to this step.
son and his heirs. This my grandfather
did as punishment for my mother.
He had never wanted her to marry,
and he thought that my father, a poor
| musician, wanted her only for her
money. So he made this arrangement
in order that he should not have the
money after my mothers death. But
father died long before mother-long
before can remember. and his sudden
and horrible death was what shocked
mother so that she was always ad
invalid. So have nothing; the money
went to grandfather's stepson."
The girl paused a moment to collect
herself, and Lawrence thought that her
unusual mood of confidence was over.
But after little pause she began
again:
The night she died. remember so
we'll the scene-she called me to her
bedside and wept bitterly, because she
said l had to go out into the world
alone and make my own way. She was
always shrinking woman. and she
couldn't understand how l could get
along"
Here Miss Burling raised her hand
from the table and fingered her ring
fondIy.
But she gave me this ring, her en-
gagement ring, and told me always tc
wear it as some slight protection in
the hustle of business life"
The girl turned her head away and
dropped her face in her hands to hide
her tears. Almost at the same instant
she was aware of an arm around her,
supporting her. and she heard: "Qh,
Julia. then you are not engaged?"
The girl looked up with a startled
expression. Engaged? Why, no."
Then, Julia, love you. You are
willing to wear another ring, a ring
for my sake, Julia?"
"Yes, Lawrence, If you give me time
to think" she said, smiling.
The one serviceable, safe, certain,
remunerative, attainable quality, in
every study and in every pursuit, is
the quality of observation-disclosures.