The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-28
THE EVENING STORY
A Circling Flame.
Ry June GahanN

! the Lost and Found column that
particular morning. BalIister could not
! have told.
| He had been in San Francisco two
| days, after a year in the Philippines.
! He had not heard one word from
| Madge Dorrance since she had return
| ed his ring. 1t had hurt. He had
| stood staring down at it in it's little
| bed of white velvet, with the messen-
! ger boy cycling him curiously. A girl
! does not return mans ring the day
| before her wedding without good cause
he had assured himself, racking his
| brain to find Madge's cause.
You can take it back" he had told
the boy. Tell the lady I have no use
| for it."
Then he had called her on the tele-
phone. Her sister had answered for
or to talk to him. What was the
matter2
We'll, upon my word, Rolf Ballis-
ter, think IL any one should know
what's the matter, you should" Kate
had slammed back at him. IT know
that the invitations have been re-
called. and Madge hopes she will never
see you again.
she's just a little bit nervous nat
urally," Ballister had persisted cheer
fully. One may be very cheerful with
clear conscience in extremely try
ing situations Listen, Kate. Tell
her I'll be right over"
Then Kate had broken the news,
Madge had left for the east the night
before. She sailed the following week
for Paris. Two days later Ballister
followed the sunset to the Orient. He
was not an imaginative fellow, not
revengeful. There had been some hor-
rfbIe mistake, and Madge was only
kiddie after ALL he told himself-an
excitable, impressionable, adorable kid
die. There wasn't a ragged patch in
his whole Hfe's garment that any one
could have raked up to worry her over.
He knew that. He had seen service in
the islands for five years with the
engineering corps. Every day of the
time he could have laid open for her
inspection as lady of his destiny. And
yet she had let him go without even
q fighting chance.
He stared down at the advertise
ment and fel: the blood quicken in his
whole body.
Opal moth set in silver circling flame.
Valuable for old associations. Initials
inside, r. B. to NJ. D. Reward, and
no questions asked. Miss Dorrance,
Buena Vista road"
1t was their engagement ring de-
signed by Madge herself. Opals were
her birthstone She had said love
was the flame of life and moths its
fluttering souls. He remembered teas
ing her for daring to be at all tragic
or mystic in the very height Of happi-
ness.
BaIIister did two things when he
laid the paper aside. In ten minutes
he had sent out private orders to four
detective agencies to hunt the ring.
and he had inserted a little adj on
his own responsibility.
Madge uttered a cry of joyous in
credulity when it caught her eye the
next morning. Very mysterious it was
and fully baited.
eff the real owner of the moth ring
will wait at the corner of the Terrace
in closed taxi, sharp Friday even
ing, ring will be delivered
1T isn't safe to go, Madge," Kate
pleaded. Take Ben along, anyway"
"a brother-in-law on an adven-
ture?" Madge laughed. Indeed. I'll
not take him I'll take Bingo, instead,
and an automatic revolver"
So it happened that at o'clock a
closed taxi wheeled Ieisurely down
the Terrace drive and stopped near the
sea wall. 1t was dusk, with one last
Iow-lying streak of red along the sky
line. Madge glanced anxiously out at
the deserted drive, and patted Bingo's
head, on the seat beside her Even
a Boston bull may be a protector,
backed up by an automatic revolver.
1t seemed long waiting there alone.
She wished she had taken Hates ad-
vice. Perhaps if they had seen Ben's
six-foot-two, though, the persons who
had the ring would not have appeared.
Ben was rather formidable. She won
dered if they would thrust 1t at her
through the lowered window, or ask
for a written receipt, or would they
try to kidnap her?
And why had she felt she could not
live without that ring when it had
only brought her misery? She pressed |
both hands against her temples and |
closed her eyes, remembering the day |
when she had found out about Rolf. |
When she opened them Rolf was smil- |
ing at her through the window, his
hat off, his hand already opening the |
door.
Don't scream. dear" he turned |
to give directions to the chauffeur and |
stepped in beside her. II have the
ring"
pose. Rolf Ballister." She sat up
very straight and dignified. confront
shameiessly. ct thought you were
half way around the world
ct was until a week ago." he as
sured her. 81 saw your 'ad,' found the |
ring
"How?" with most aggravating in
credulity.
1--WE had seventeen men out look
where you've been for two weeks.
Finally located it at the bottom of a
waste pipe in Bens Office building.
Remember going there Saturday with
Kate, and washing your hands in his
private den before you two went to
the matinee? You had been signing
some checks and got ink on your
finger tips"
sTIow in the world do you know"
Didn't 1 say I've had seventeen
private detectives after you? You
see 1 had to get hold of the ring in
order to deliver it."
He drew It out of his pocket and