The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-01-18
TIE EVENING STORY

by Life Stevens. ]

NEary's Solitaire.
IBy Life Stevens.l
Moved by sudden impulse Mary
owen turned her little electric motor
into the driveway leading to her Ole
| home
She had rot entered the house since
| her uncle's death. two years before,
and the sight of it brought back MEM
cries.
~I-Lthought had forgotten" she
brought the car to a halt.
In daze she ascended the front
steps.
How silly am she thought. as
she realized that her hand was reach
ing for the doorknob. '-Of course it's
| locked Nobody lives here
She tried the knob To her aston
| ishment it yielded to her touch.
Well. I've got to go IN and see that
everything IS all right she decided,
aroused from her gloomy thoughts. L
suppose Cousin Ned forgot to fasten
it when he came over after that book
l wanted yesterday"
Mary stepped across the threshold
without the least sensation of fea-,
for she laid the unlocked door entire
ly to the carelessness of her young rel
ative.
The first room she entered was the
large, low-cellinged parlor. Once more
sad memories overwhelmed her as she
gazed about the familiar room with its
ShrOuded furniture, suffered windows
and general air of neglect.
It was here that her greatest hap
piness and her bitterest sorrow had
come to her. For Albert Watson had
proposed to her in this room. and it
was here they had 50 quickly had their
before, and she had not seen or heard
from him since.
How paltry the object of their quar-
rel seemed to her now. She had given
up her whole lifes hope Of happiness
for mean little suspicion. And all be-
cause of a diamond ring.
Albert had produced the ring i'm
mediately after being accepted. and
therein lay the seed of the whole trou-
BILE.
It had been a shock to Mary's pride
to learn that he had been SO sure of
her that he had come to her provided
with an engag cement ring.
This. however, had been quickly
superseded by shock number two, when
the ring proved to be too large
She had tried to think that this was
because Albert had had no measure and
had doubtless been unable 70 carry the
correct size by eye, but this had not
satisfied her.
When she was alone she had exam
ined the ring and had found several
tiny scratches upon the surface of the
gold band. which proved to her mind
that the ring had been worn
When Albert had next visited her
she had asked him if the ring was an
heirloom. He had replied with a de-
cided negative, but his manner had been
plainly embarrassed.
The matter had dropped until she
had overheard Florence Rogers, a girl
of her acquaintance, remark that Mary
owen needn't feel smart over her en-
gagen1ent to Albert Watson, for others
might have had him if they'd wanted
him..
With a sinking heart Mary had re-
membere1 that at one time Albert had
paid Florence considerable attention.
Florence had worn diamond ring,
The suspicion that she had not been
Albert's first choice had nearly brok-
en- Marys heart.
But I'll forgive him if he'll only
own up" she had told herself repeat
eddy during the long, sleepless night
that passed before she had the chance
to confront Albert with her charge.
But Albert had stubbornly refused to
explain matters.
Mary Immediately removed her ring
and. overcome by childish anger. had
thrown it upon the floor, declaring
their engagement at an end, after which
she had dramatically hounced out of
the room.
The following day Albert had come
to her begging her to trust him and
reconsider her haSty decision When |
she had refused to do this, Albert had |
angrily demanded back his ring Mary
had twitted him with having already |
taken II, since she MAD been unable to !
find 1t after his departure the previous |
day, while be charged her with pur-
posely retaining it.
They had parted in bitter anger
Business had taken Albert from the |
town, while Mary had gone abroad |
soon after her uncle's death.
Suddenly Mary found herself look |
ing down at the floor. 1T fell here !
by this table, but might have rolled /
in any direction" she sa-- half aloud. |
4 never -eally thought Albert took |
it."
She bent down and scanned the floor /
intently. Then she Strengthened up !
with q little laugh. How silly it was |
for her to expect to find that ring. |
There had been plenty of people about |
before her uncle's death-and after /
who might have picked it up.
All at once Mary was startled by /
the sound of footsteps in the hall out
side. She remembered the unlocked /
door. and her heart began to beat flu
riously. For the first time in her life
she was thoroughly frightened
Instinctively she looked about for
some place of concea1ment There /
was no chance of escaping, for the