The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-11
The
Lost Ring
A Story Containing an
Easter Lesson
By REGINALD ID. HAVEN
By REGINALD d. HAVEN

remember that on one occasion at a
meeting of our assembly, an associa-
ton formed for dancing, when, having
been absent from the city, l had not
secured partners, Marjorie deliberate
ly turned down two men on her list
and gave their places to me. Neither
of them grumbled. for she was consid-
cred as my best girl.
When Lent came and all gayety
ceased l took Marjorie to theaters and
other amusements, and the only rea
son I didn't propose to her was that
l didn't quite see my way clear to sup
port a wife. | thought l would best
let the matter run on as long as l
could manage to do so without mis-
understanding or danger of losing her,
for I had made start in my profes
sion and expected my clientele and
my fees to steadily increase.
One of our set, Ed Darby, invited a
dozen Of US to spend the week end, in
Guiding Easter Sunday, at his fathers
place in the suburb of Enfield, Mario
RE and l to be of the party. Easter is
a fayorite season with me, as it is
with most persons, especially when
the spring opens, as it usually does at
Easter, for after q long winter, when
the days are very short and the sun
stands small and low in the south, the
opening OF spring is delicious. l love
it best when certain green things, like
the crocuSes, break through the last
snow left on the ground, as though
they couldn't wait for it to get out of
the way. So we all anticipated a joy
full three days at Darby's.
I arrived about oclock-too late to
dress for dinner. Ed sent me to my
room, where l tidied up a bit. and,
passing n lavatory on my way down
+ stairs, l concluded to go in and get the
dirt off my hands. While standing by
the bowl / saw on the slab a diamond
ring
How many are there of US who have
not at some time or times done some
thing that afterward made us Won
der how in the world we could have
been so foolish? l was or believed
myself on the threshold of a delightful
visit l had just made very large
had decided to propose to Marjorie,
who, did not doubt, would accept me
for a life partner. and I was trimming
over with happiness. Some girl had
left her diamond ring in the lavatory,
and l would take it, keep her on the
anxious seat for time, thinking it had
been stolen. then spring a surprise on
her by producing her ring
/ admit that in nine cases in ten, or,
if you like, ninety-nine in a hundred,
such an innocent joke would come to
no harm. But it is to be remembered
that during the time of taking the
property and producing it something
may happen to place the joker in the
position of a thief. One wouldn't think
of taking a thousand dollar bill at a
bank for sport and he should no more
take diamond ring in the same spirit
/ slipped my find in my vest pocket
and went down to dinner A jolly com,
pany was assembled, and after salut,
ing and being saluted by them waited
for some girl to suddenly start and ex.
claim, Good gracious, where's my
ring?" But the dinner proceeded with
out any intimation that the property
was missed, and after awhile the mat
ter slipped my mind. During the even
ing it occurred to me several times
that l would better not wait for the
ring to be missed before producing it
but on each occasion something oc
CURED to distract my attention. The
consequence was that when we sep
arated for the night and went to my
room l found it in my vest pocket
where l had placed it before going
down to dinner.
Then for the first time it occurred t.
r me that perhaps the loser of the rim:
might have gone to the lavatory 70
, it, had not found it and, supposiny
? some one had appropriated it. withou
) publishing the fact had taken steps t
: detect the thief. | have never sine
, ceased to wonder why ] did not go a
q once to Darby's room, hand him tn
ring and tell him how / had found il
e | would surely have done so, but
. didn't know where his room was
> What has since surprised me is why
, didn't rouse the whole household rath
. er than go to sleep with a piece O
= property in my possession that | wa
liable to be accused of having stolen.
!, Had / known what had occurred
would have been in terror. Miss Ash
ton. the owner of the ring. remember
ed while at the table of having take
J. 1t off her finger in the lavatory Will
she washed her hands, and 1t occurre
n TO her that she had not put it on agar
Feeling for it. she found it not in ii
IS place on her finger; but, being one c
t those girls who are timid about dom
J. anything unusual. she refrained froI
/. leaving the table TO go for her propert
b till after dinner. when she did so an
,r founi ii gone,
After thinking the matter over sh
r. reported the loss to Darby. He, SUI
d pecting that the ring had been Apr,