The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-06-27

ner jacket, felt little oblong pack
age. Withdrawing 1t, l took of the
paper in which it was enrolled and
found q pasteboard box with a jewel
er's name and address on the cover.
Opening the box and removing layer
Of cotton. there on another layer glis-
tened gold scarf ring.
How did the box get into my pocket?
pondered over the matter with no
success Then / remembered that l
had last worn the dinner jacket at
the theater on the night | had used
the mysterious ticket 1t occurred to
me that the young man sitting on my
right could have slipped it into my
pocket But why should he have done
SO? He was stranger to me and had
manifested no interest In me during
the evening. Indeed, he seemed to be
entirely absorbed with his companion,
very pretty girl, remembered.
The scarf ring was a plain band Of
gold with a peculiar setting Of FIVE
jewels. In the center of a square
was diamond.
One day while visiting a picture gal
lery, passing from one room to anoth-
er, met the street car girl face to
face. had my scarf ring on, and her
eyes fell upon it before they struck
my face. She raised them and at
once threw out the red signal. Bow
ing her head, she attempted to dive
past me. But l had had enough Of
this mystery and sprang directly in
front of her.
'You have returned the loan Of
Nickel" l said. with a theater ticket,
and you placed this scarf ring
Il did not"
II mean a young man who sat In
the next seat to me placed 1t there by
your request"
II wished to repay an obligation"
''You repaid it tenfold."
Then like an electric shock another
inference struck me- I determined to
risk all on hazard
"But you have given me something
more delicious than these" ! said, look
ing her in the eye. when was blind
folded
The blood in her cheeks that had
partly subsidized again famed up, and
she made another dive for freedom,
but headed her off. l knew she was
the girl who had kissed me.
Well, 1t was all out, and told her
that nothing would satisfy me but
full statement Of the case from the
time of the bursting of that gun at
the celebration that had suspended
consciousness within me and enabled
her to carry on this succession of sur
prises. She told me that / might call
upon her and she would satisfy my
curiosity. made the call without any
delay. and this Is the story she gave
me:
1.-THE house to which you were car
ried was and is occupied by my aunt
and uncle. | went there shortly after
you were taken in and, seeing crowd
about the house. was in dread lest
something had happened to some one
of the family. My aunt told me of the
explosion of the gun and your arrival.
A doctor was then with you. washing
out what had been blown into your
eyes, and when he left the room he
reported that You were in more crit
ical condition than afterward turned
out to be the case.
II volunteered to go In and look out
for your needs. and my aunt. who is
very nervous woman. was quite will
ing to accept my services In your be-
half. When saw young soldier ~
ing there grieyously injured looking SO
handsome"
''Cut 1t out" | interrupted.
She continued her story. smiling-"1
felt pity in my heart Then it oc-
CURED to me to puzzle you with that
kiss.
when met you In the street car
l pretended had no change that you
might pay my fare. knew where you
lived and sent the theater ticket as
return for your favor The young
man who sat on your right was my
brother and commissioned by me to
drop the scarf ring into your pocket
There. you have my confession. The
whole thing has been done for fun"
I concluded that girl who would
take all that trouble for fun might
not be hard to win by the object of
her amusement I-acted Oh this opin-
ion and found 1t to be correct