Gilpin observer., 1913-07-17
The LUCKY OLD RING
Ithaca, N. Y. Jan. ~. 1so-
BY JOSEPH e. SMITH.

been such awfully good friends about
everything that thought would tell
you how 1t happened.
OF course It's Jim's sister. You re-
member Jim. He was one of the
boys in the old frat back at Yale.
You know we we're both on the elev-
en- for old Ell, and it made it no end
Jolly that when got it for coach
here he should get 1t for trainer, too.
At first 1 liked Edith because she
was Jim's sister. l took her to things
and tried to give her a good time.
Pretty soon, I got to like her for her
own sake. and then finally it hap
pened-only after had made a thou
sand fools Of myself.
You see. since Jim and were such
chums. got to know Edith pretty
well. and we became great friends.
II 1t hadn't been for the ring, It
might never have happened. 1t was
heavy Egyptian scarab, with an en-.
graved setting. 1t was a 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 had come back home
from taking Edith to a reception.
glanced down at my hand and saw
that my ring was gone from my lit.
tie finger. 1t 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
bad hunted everywhere I gave it up.
was out of town for q week or SO,
but the next time l saw Edith, you
can imagine what 1 felt when I saw
my ring OIL her finger. 1t knocked me
fiat with surprise. At first l 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 a
moment. My ring must have slipped
off in 1t then, and the next day she
probably found it.
1t was the fact that she wore II
that gave me courage to speak at
last. AS long as she was Jim's sister
! knew that she must know what II
meant for girl to wear that ring
and SO was in a FOOLS heaven OF
happiness
1t was good weather for sleighing
and SO / took Edith out the first
chance l got. Nothing seemed to
come right to bring up the subject
until she took her glove off, for some
reason or other. 1t happened to be
on the hand that had the ring on. j
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 country
and l guess my happiness went to my
head and made me all kinds Of
presumptuous fool. She pulled heI
hand away with a jerk. The air had
brought the color to her face, but II
was not the air which made it deepen
She did not say word, but just
looked at me-
But the ring" stammered.
What has the ring got to &c
with"
why. you know what 1t means
and l thought you understood"
She stared at me incredulously.
Jack. what do you mean? / don't
understand at ALL"
1t was my turn to stare at her.
"Why. didn't you find my ring In
your mum"
Your ring in my mum! How
should it come there?"
Il lost my ring the night Of the re
ception, and when / saw you with
that on. thought you had found IT.
Your wearing 1t gave me hope foI
something I had never dared dream
Of. You must know that l."
Edith looked at lse q moment ana
then she laughed.
This ring? It has always had o
fascination for me. I have tried te
perxuade Jim to let me wear 1t and
he never would. g.. when l found II
on his dresser last D.ght appropriat
ed IT,"
Then all Of a sudden 1t came over
me what a fool I'd been. might
have known 1t was Jim's. but I was
SO ready in my conceit to think II
was mine that 'fnever stopped to con
slider anything else.
II don't SUPPOSE there's anything !
can say. am sorry to have made
fool Of myself and have spoiled every
thing"
There was long silence after ]
had headed the horse around. u
thought Of all the things I might say
and didn't.
It must have been the courage oh
Aoapolr that rnado yno aak.
Cant we keep on being friends,
only in another way?"
And then 1t happened. could hard.
ly believe that Edith could care for o
fellow like me.
But. Dad. here's where I come to
the. joke Of the thing. The next time
I had on my evening coat, 1t was cold
and I dug my banda deem into my