Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1912-09-26

THANK you, yes" He raised his ha
and Millicent went into the well-flled
theater.
A moment before the curtain arose
she knew that he had come in and
that he was sitting beside her. MILL
cent felt peculiarly aggrieved that he
had not so much as looked at her.
She found herself losing interest in
the actors and watching every move.
ment of the long, shapely hands Of the
man. Occasionally she stole a sur
reptitious glance at his profile.
The success of the play had come,
not through any hectic love affairs
with another mans wife or any great
financial crisis. 1t was merely a pref.
ty, domestic drama told by well bal
anced, healthy-minded people. There
were no scheming politicians and no
wan eyed heroines.
The hero was big and broad-minded
and the girl he loved was sweet and
she was not Jealous nor catty when
her handsome lover danced with the
dark-eyed Suzette.
Millicent felt suddenly very small
and Insignificant and unloved.
at is only play girls who are so sim,
pie minded" she argued with herself.
She glanced at the man beside her.
His eyes were following the girl on
the stage and Millicent fancied there
was more than the theater-goer's ad.
miration in his face. She bit her lips
to still their trembling and turned
again toward the stage.
"Girls are not like that in real life,'
she told herself vehemently.
The curtain went down on the sec.
ond act. The man beside Millicent
again went out and in her vivid inag'
ination she pictured him as buying
great clusters of American beauties
and sending them to the stage heroine
She wished now that she had not
seen the play nor the man. Way down
in the depths of her nature something
had stirred. Was 1t the play or was it
the man beside her whose personality
seemed to have overpowered her?
Whatever 1t was Millicent waited
with rapidly beating heart for his re
turn.
The light went down and she began
to think he was not coming.
"How perfectly ridiculous and silly
of me to feel this way" She laughed
scornfully at herself and ended with
'wistful eyes.
/: Against her will she turned toward
the back of the theater. Yes he was
standing there. A moment later he
came down and took his seat beside
; her.
The last act was drawing to close
when resolution suddenly became ap.
! parent in Millicent. The color crept
| slowly UP to the shadows beneath her
eyes and her lips smiled.
! With q very gentle almost unfelt
movement she leaned nearer the big
man and slipped her hand through his
arm. A sudden hungry little Jerk was
! al the reward her efforts brought
forth. He did not turn his head but
, Milhcent watched his jaw set. A mo-
J ment later her fingers closed over the
ring that dangled from his watch
chain.
Sull the man remained as II carved
| in stone.
Millicent struggled softly with the
clasp that held tight to the chain and
finally the ring was in her own hands.
The big diamond flashed in the semi.
{ darkness Of the theater and Millicent
drew a long breath of contentment.
She looked lovingly at the ring for a
moment then up into the big mans
face. Her voice was only whisper.
"Billy dear-I want my ring back.
II you still--love me-" In that little
eager whisper was all the love that q
hungry man longed for and his hand
closed swiftly over her own. 1t was
az II he had folded her within his
arms.
II have never ceased to love you,
sweetheart of mine," he told her and
slipped the ring back on her finger.
"See how completely surrendered" "
she said happily. 81 had my ticket all
the time"