Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1912-10-30
RINGLESS THIRD FINGER
Reconstruction of a Heart Not
Always Painful.
BY KATHERINE HoPsoN.

BY KATHERINE HoPSoN.
TT isn't my heart so much as my
pride that is hurt, but either way, it
means readjusting my whole life; and
reconstruction is always painful"
| thought Judith Cameron as she looked
| down at her now ringless third finger,
where for seven long years, Don Bar
lows diamond had sparkled
They had been classmates in col
| lege, and had become engaged the
I summer after their graduation. The
! following fall, Judith had accepted a
| position to teach in the high school
| of her home town, and Don had en-
( tered law school. Both were deter
mined that he should become estab-
lished in his chosen profession before
their marriage. After Don finished his
| course, he secured through his fathers
| influence, good position in the office
of an old family friend. But here. in
spite of his fine opportunity, Don had
failed, as get, to make good.
At the end of seven years of patient
waiting, judith was forced to admit
that he lacked true ambition and the
manly elements that make for success.
| 1t was this fact, more than the rumors
of his surreptitious attentions to the
| pretty, frivolous sister of his law part
ner, that caused Judith to suggest
I breaking their engagement, which Of
fer Don accepted with ill-concealed re-
! lief
Shortly after this, through the inf1u-
! ence of friends in Oklahoma City, Jul
dith was offered position as teacher
of science. Longing for the relief of
new environment,ss she decided to &C
! cept
But I'm afraid l chose an unfavor-
/ able time to come as far as seeing the
country is concerned" she thought as
! she rubbed the steam from the car
window and peered anxiously out at
the flooded landscape. cit looks as if
! it had always rained and always
would" With a SILVER she watched
the steady downpour.
! Almost even with the track flowed
| the red, clay-stained water; and tele-
! graph poles were already halfway
! submerged. Here and there, on some
/ high elevation, showed ruins of corn
( or cotton crops, and, occasionally,
persimmon-tree lifted it's fruit-laden
branches out of the sea of water, like
a spectral Christmas tree.
| With a sigh, Judith turned away and
| wrapped herself more closely in her
travelling coat, closing her eyes with
/ the determination to shut out all
/ sights and sounds.
! The train seemed fairly to crawl
! over the ties, and, every now and then,
was obliged to stop, while the track
! ahead was being tested.
1--WE can't possibly get to Oklahoma
| City before midnight at this rate. That
will be cheerful indeed with no one to
| meet mel" thought Judith, and the
| frown of perplexity deepened between
| her eyebrows. 81 must have lost my
nerve somewhere out there in the
rain" she added with a rueful little
! smile.
The other passengers were looking
at magazines or sitting in attitudes of
| by the delay.
! At last the ceaseless beating of rain
! against the windows had a soothing
| effect, and resting her head against a
| pillow, Judith closed her eyes. For
! some time she slept, till she was
awakened by a harsh voice of the
/ brakeman calling "Tulsa!" Many of
| the passengers streamed out to pat
ronize the clearinghouse, glad of any
| diversion.
Several new passengers entered the
train, and Judith watched them idly,
without interest. AS one man placed
his suitcase across the aisle from her,
she glanced at him carelessly, then
something about the shape of his head
+ seemed strangely familiar. She leaned
forward in amazemnt.
He looks like Frank Leedford that
is certainly who it isl" she declared.
She had not sssn him since their
high school days, when his general
| trustworthiness and pleasant manners
had made aim a general favorite in
spite OF his poor surroundings and
humble parentage. He had been
obliged to stop school and go to work
before finishing his course, and had
obtained work in distant city where
she had lost track of him. Judith OBJ
served that he now had the bearing of
one who had succeeded, and she felt
glad as she remembered his early
struggles.
AS he turned, she noted the manli-
ness of his face, and at the same mo-
ment he observed the smiling gray
eyes opposite, and his own lighted up
with recognition and pleasure.
Judith Cameron, by all that is
lucky" he exclaimed, and crossed the
aisle to shake hands.
Where did you come FROM he
asked as she made room for him in
the seat beside her.
.sErrnnn the old homo hack in Ohin >,