The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-06-04
The LUCKY OLD RING
ithaca, N. T., Jan. a. l90-
BY JOSEPH e. SMITH.

everything that I thought would ten
you how 1t happened
OF course It's Jim's sister. You ~
member Jim. He was one Of the
boys in the old frat back at Yale
You know We we're both on the slev'
en- for old Ell, and It made It no end
Jolly that when ! got It for coach
here he should get It for trainer. too
At first l liked Edith because she
was Jim's sister. / took her to things
and tried to give her . good time
Pretty soon, I got to like her for her
own sake, and then finally It hap
pened-only after I had made . thou
sand fools Of myself
You see, since Jim and I were such
chums, l got to know Edith pretty
we'll, and We became great friends.
II it hadn't been for the ring, Il
might never have happened. It was
. heavy Egyptian scarab. with an en-.
graved setting. It was q particular
thing in the frat, and you know you
couldn't let . girl wear It unless you
were engaged. A scarab Is supposed
to bring luck. and mine certainly did
One night I had come back home
from taking Edith to Z reception. J
glanced down at my hand and saw
that my ring was gone from my lit
to finger It upset me considerably
Not that the ring was valuable, only
fellow hates to lose anything like
that. ! could not see any way that
could possibly have lost It After
had hunted everywhere I gave It up
I was out Of town for . week or 70,
but the next time l saw Edith. you
can imagine what I felt when I saw
my ring on her finger. It Knocked me
nat with surprise. At hrst couldn't
think Of any way that she could have
gotten It, until At last It came to me.
that the night Of the reception she
had asked me to hold her muff for .
moment Ny ring must have slipped
Of In It then, and the next day she
probably found 1t.
It was the fact that she wore Il
that gave me courage to speak At
last. AS long as she was Jim's sister,
I knew that she must know what II
meant for a girl to wear that ring
and so l was In . FOOLS heaven Of
happiness.
1t was good weather for sleighine
and 80 l took Edith out the first
chance I got. Nothing seemed Il
come right to bring up the subject
until she took her glove of, for some
reason or other. 1t happened TO bt
on the hand that had the ring on.
looked at 1t and said:
."You know what that ring means
don't you. Edith"
She looked rather surprised
"Of course"
We were way out In the countr!
and l guess my happiness went to m!
head and made me all kinds Of ,
presumptuous fool. She pulled he
hand away with a jerk. The air ha,
brought the color to her face. but 1
was not the air which made It deepen
She did not say q word. but jus
looked at me.
But the ring" stammered.
What has the ring got to j
with"
why, you know what It meant
and thought you understood"
She stared at me incredulously.
Jack, what do you mean? I don
understand at all"
It was my turn to stare at her.
"Why, didn't you find my ring 4
your num-"
"Your ring in my mum! Ho,
should It come there?"
Il lost my ring the night Of the r.
ception, and when l saw you wit
that on, I thought you had found 4
Your wearing it gave me hope 70
something I had never dared dreaI
Of. You must know that T."
Edith looked at me q moment IN
then she laughed.
This ring! 1t has always had
fascination for me. have tried I
persuade Jim to let me wear It an
he never would. So when l found
on his dresser last night I appropria
cd It,"
Then all Of q sudden It came ovi
me what a fool I'd been. migi
have known 1t was Jim's. but I VI
20 ready in my conceit to think
was mine that never stopped to 90
slider anything else.
II don't suppose there's anything
can say. am sorry to have made
fool Of myself and have spoiled ever
thing"
There was . long Silence altar
had headed the horse around.
thought Of all the things might -
and didn't
Il must have been the cOuraEo
despair that made mo ask:
. Cant we keep on being frisnt
only In another way"
And then Il happened. I could hal
" believe that Edith could care for
fellow like me.
I'll But Dad. here's where I como
the. Joke Of the thing. The next tir
: had on my evening coat, It was CO
y and dug my hands deep into .