The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-02-16
Mary's Solitaire

By EFFE STEVENS

Copyright 1917. by 4
Moved by a sudden impulse, Mar.
Owen turned her little electric motor
into the driveway leading to her ole
home.
She had not entered the house since
her uncle's death, two years before
and the sight of it brought back mem
cries.
T-I-thought I had forgotten" sh<
half sobbed, as she mechanically
brought the car to halt.
In a daze she ascended the front
steps.
How silly 1 am," she thought, ri
she realized that her hand was reach
ing for the doorknob. "Of course It'll
locked. Nobody lives here"
She tried the knob. To her aston
ishment it yielded to her touch.
We'll, I've got to 60 in and see that
everything is all right" she decided
aroused from her gloomy thoughts
Il suppose Cousin Ned forgot to faster
it when he came over after that book
wanted yesterday"
Mary stepped across the threshold
without the least sensation Of fear
for she laid the unlocked door entire
ly to the carelessness Of her young
relative.
The first room she entered was the
large, low-ceilinged parlor. Once more
sad memories overwhelmed her as she
gazed about the familiar room with its
shrouded furniture, suffered win
dows 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 so quickly had
their dreadful quarrel. That was two
years before, and she had not seen OF
heard from him since.
How paltry the object Of their quar-
rel seemed to her now. She had civ
en- up her whole life's hope of happi'
ness for mean little suspicion. And
all because Of diamond ring.
Albert had produced the ring imme
diately after being accepted and there
In lay the seed of the whole trouble.
1t had been a shock to Mary's pride
to learn that he had been SO sure
Of her that he had come to her pro
vided with an engagement ring.
This, however, had been quickly So
perseded 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 meas
ure and had doubtless been unable
to carry the correct size by eye. but
this had not satisfied her.
When she was alone she had ex
amined the ring and had found sew
eral tiny scratches upon the surface Of
the gold band, which proved to he1
mind that the ring had been worn.
When Albert had next visited he1
she had asked him If the ring was ar
heirloom. He had replied with de
cfded negative, but his manner hat
been plainly embarrassed.
The matter had dropped until sh<
had overheard Florence Rogers, a CIR
Of her acquaintance, remark thai
MARY Owen needn't feel smart ove1
her engagement to Albert Watson, fol
others might have had him II they'C
wanted him."
With sinking heart Mary had re
membered that at one time Albert hal
paid Florence considerable attention
Florence had a diamond ring, too.
The suspicion that she had not beer
Albert's first choice had nearly brok
en- Mary's heart.
But Ill 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 had Immediately removed he,
ring, and, overcome by childish an
ger, had thrown it upon the floor, Ge
claring their engagement at an ED
after which she had dramatically
flounoed 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 rims. Mary
had twitted him with having already
taken it, since she had been. unable
to find it after his departure the pre-
vious day, while he charged her with
purposely retaining it.
They had parted in bitter anger.
Business had taken Albert from the
town, while Mary had some 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 said half aloud
II never really thought Albert tool
it."
She bent down and scanned thu
floor intently. Then she Strengthened
up with a little laugh. How silly II
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