Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1913-07-25
The
Lost Ring
A Story Containing an
Easter Lesson
By D. HAVEN

accepted my devotion. Indeed, her
preference for me was very plain. ]
remember that on ono occasion at a
meeting OF our assembly. an associa-
ton formed for dancing. when. having
been absent from the city. / had not
secured partners. Marjorie deliberate
~ turned down two men on her list
and gave their places 10 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 thenters and
other nmusements, and the only rea
son l didn't propose to her was that
/ didn't quite see my way clear TO sup
port a wife. l thought l would best
let the matter run on as long rs ]
could manage to do so without mis-
understanding oT danger OF losing her.
for l had made a start in my profes
sion and expected my clientele ant
my fees to steadily increase.
One Of our set, Ed Darby, invited q
dozen Of us to spend the week end, In
GLIDING Easter Sunday, at his fathers
place in the suburb Of Enfield, Mario
RE and I to be Of the party. Easter Is
a favorite season with me. as It is
with most persons, especially when
tho spring opens, as It usually does at
Easter, for after a long winter, when
the days are very short and the sun
stands small and low In the south, the
opening Of spring Is delicious. love
Il best when certain green things, like
tho c%rocuses, 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 al anticipated a joy
ful three days at Darby's.
arrived about Z o'clock-too late to
dress Tor dinner. Ed sent me to my
room, where I ti6ied up a bit, and,
passing n lavatory on my way down
stairs, I concluded TO 60 in and get the
dirt or my hands. While standing by
the bowl 1 saw on Che 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 havo
been so foolish7 / was or believed
myself on the threshold OF a delightful
visit I had Just made a very large
~fee-enough to furnish a house-and
had decided to propose to Marjorie.
who, 1 did not doubt, would accept me
for a life partner, and ! was trimming
over with happiness. Some girl had
left her diamond ring in the lavatory,
and I would take It, keep her on the
anxious seat for a time. thinking 1t had
been stolen, then spring a surprise on
her by producing her ring.
admit that in nine cases in ten, or,
n you like, n~inety-nine In q 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 q thief. One wouldn't think
OF taking a thousand dollar bill at a
bank for sport, and he should no more
take a diamond ring in the same spirit.
I 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
ring7" But the dinner proceeded with
out any intimatton that the property
was missed, and after awhile the mat
ter slipped my mind. During the even
ing Il occurred to mo several times
that / would better not wait for the
ring to DO missed before producing II.
but on each occasion something Oc-
CURED to distract my attention. The
consequence was that when we sep
STATED for the night and I went to my
room / found It in my vest pocket,
where l had placed II before going
down to dinner.
Then for the hrst time II occurred to
me that perhaps the loser OF the ring
might have gone to the ~laVatory for
It. had not found II and, supposing
some one had appropriated II, without
publishing the fact had taken steps to
detect the thief. I have never since
ceased to wonder why l did not go al
once to Darby's room, hand him the
ring and tell him how I had found II
I 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 tina go 10 sleep with a piece OF
property in my possession that | waG
liable to be accused OF having stolen.
Had I 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 taken
II on her hnger IN the layatory while
she washed her hands, and It occurred
TO her that she had not put II on again.
Feeling for It. she found II not in ia
place on her finger; but. being n Of
those girls who are timid about doing
anything unusual. she refrained from
leaving the table to go for her property
till after dinner. when she did so'and
found It gone.
After thinking the matter over she
reported the loss to Darby. He, sus
pectng that the ring had been apprO'
priated by a servant and not caring tc