The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-04
THE STORY or A HING.

IT had rained all day Not n dis
agreeable drizzle, but q steady down
pour. The members Of the house partv
had been restless and irritable. and
had not known what to do with thom-
selves FOR the 1St twelve hours The
evening had come at last and they
were nil sitting around tho open fire.
place telling stories. Everyone had
told his story except Max Chc,win.
The party was now waiting eagerly for
him to begin, for he could tell a tale
IN way that would delight everyone
II was n pleasure just TO watch his
expression, just to hear his melodious
voice Everyone liked and admired
Max, and said truthfully that he was n
man out OF million.
He sat looking into the Are with
sad, dreamy look In his eyes, and
then nc said slowly.
Il am going To tell YOU a story that
have never told before. 1t is a story
Of ring"
He'.paused for second and then
hogan:
This ring WINS n small one, just tho
size 10 fit the third finger on the left
hand Of lady Is 1t necessary to say
| that this ring had only one set. and
that that Il diamond? II lived in
Il jewelers. shop until one afternoon a
That evening he slipped il on a slim
little finger Of n beautiful lady. She
kissed IL, and so did he. ! know it
must have been filled with Joy, for IL
seemed 10 nestle happily OF her finger
| The man and the lady were very very
happy. too. lie would go to see her
very often, and they would spend hours
planning u little homo that would some
ony belong to them.
But he fell In with some rather
wild young men, and he began to be
as reckless rs they. At first it was only
a game of cards 90d :, social glass.
| but soon they q II gambling and
drinking harder. At so he won't from
/ b. - worse. She begged him to stop.
/ but no laid little or no attention to
her pieadings. He hardly ever drew n
sober breath.
/ "of course, the ring WAS sent back
! 10 him. He went to see her, but she
! had left town. This sobcred him for
/ !. few days. but he soon went back to
| his former compa mons.
Several years passed in this way
| He heard one day that the lady was
| sick, and the doctors had little hope Tor
/ her. For y wonder he had not been
\ drinking that day, he dressed In
1 mis- best clothes ana went to see her.
I At first they wouldn't let him come in,
I hut he begged SO hard and rs she
wouldn't 1.-Two through the day they let
I hin SOC her.
/ When he entered she was lying so
! still and looked so much like an angel.
! so beautiful so white that he thought
| she had already passed away. fiut as
! he came nearer the bedside he could
I sc TINT she was barely breathing. lie
ten on his knees beside her.
/ oh. Judith, was all he could say.
/ she was too weak to speak, hut
| she smiled family. y terrible loath :
| ing for himself cnmc over him. lie
| AJAX Ell her to forgive him IL she could.
! and he promised that he would be-
! como Il man again and meet her in
1 heaven Again she smiled. Then lie
/ 9aked her if she would let him slip
/ the ring on her finger again. Once
! moro the smile crossed hcr face, and
| she seemed trying TO raise her left hnnt,
to him. lie took her hand and slipped
| the ring upon her finger.
Then she passed out OK this world
| forever. but even in dcatff the smile
fingered on her still, cold face"
| Not q sound broke the silence that
! followed Max's story. He seemed 10
have forBotten about the rea* OK 10