The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-04-17
Married Life
the Third Year


stood still! Numbly she stared at her
bare finger. Her engagement ring!
1t was gone! e.. '..s5.s
She clutched at the finger as
though hoping her eyes had tricked
her and that she would feel 1t there.
But there was only the faint depres-
sion where the ring had been.
Dazed and tremulous, Helen felt
about her dress, shook her skirts and
looked blindly around
She had been Strengthening the
work basket, and as she wound up
spool of thread her glance had fallen
on the finger where always sparkled
her engagement ring.
Snatching a newspaper, she trem-
blingly emptied on it the contents OF
the work basket. Feverishly she look
ed among the spoOls and buttons. For
one brief second she thought she saw
the flash of the diamond-but 1t was
only rhinestone buckle.
"Maggie-Maggie-Oh Maggie!' she
called Come here a moment! Oh,
I've lost my ring" excitedly. my d1a'
mond ring! Come help me look"
Helen was already turning up the
rugs and searching about the room.
But Maggie, who was not OF an ex-
citable nature, asked stolidly.
when did you have it last, m ann"
"Oh, l just missed it now-just this
moment" turning up the same corner
of the same rug for the third time.
But when d you remember seeing
it last?"
TRYING TO'THiNK.
Helen stared at her blankly. When
had she seen it last? She could not
think. Did she have it that morning?
Last night? She must have had 1t or
she would have missed it before this.
For the next hour they both search
ed. OF one thing Helen was certain
that she had not left it on some wash
stand. for she never took it off to
wash her hands. 1t had never been off
her finger since Warren placed 1t
there four years ago.
Yet It seemed almost Incredible
that 1t could have slipped Off. She
had known that she was thinner, the
scales when last she weighed showed
that-117, when her usual weight was
1870. But would only three pounds
less make any difference ir her fin
gers? They did not seem thinner and
she had not been conscious that the
ring was loose.
Il can't look any more now, mann,
I'll have to see about dinner. If It's
here-you'll find it. I'll look good to-
morrow when l sweep"
"Oh, the carpet sweeper, Maggie!
Maybe you swept 1t up this morning.
Empty it now! It'll only take min
ute"
Maggie brought the carpet sweeper
and emptied it out on a paper With
a long pencil Helen ginserly turned
over the mass of dust matted with
hairs, threads and pins.
Folding up the trash in the paper,
Maggie hurried out to the kitchen. But
Helen kept on looking-it must be
somewhere in the house. She had not
been out at all today. YESTERDAY, al
terEoon she had made dinner call on
Mrs. Thurston, had stopped at drug
store and at the cleaners, but she mad
not had her gloves off once.
The day before she had been shop
ping, but her mind refused to concede
that she could have lost 1t SO long
ago She felt certain that it had been
on her finger at breakfast.
VERY SUPERSTiTiOUS.
In many ways Helen was very su
perstitious, and besides the heart
breaking loss of the ring, there was
also the dread that it was bad omen
Could it be a foreboding of some trou
BILE between Warren and her? Oh
she must find it-she MUST find 1t!
Not until time to dress for dinner
did she stop her search. And even as
she dressed she would dart off every
few minutes as some new place to
look occurred to her.
She could not tell Warren-at least
not tonight Surely she would find il
tomorrow! The mere thought of tell
ing him made her sick with dread.
In spite of Helen's effort to appear
as usual, Warren saw at once that
something was wrong.
whats the matter with you?" he
demanded at dinner. What makes
you so glum?"
why. nothing. dear. I'm a little
tired, that's all"
To Helen the evening seemed end
less. Warren read and she tried tC
sew, but not for one instant was the
ring out of her mind. And she was
in constant dread lest Warren should
see her bare finger and speak of it.
That night she could not sleep. She
tossed and turned and anguished ove1
the ring. In the morning she had one
Of her sick headaches, which nervous
worry and lack of sleep always
brought on.
You're not at a funeral you know,
was Warren's caustic comment, as hi
buttered his third piece of toast
oh. ! know" with a forced laugh
Its this weather, ] suppose. I'll b,
all right by evening
AS Helen poured his second cup o
coffee. he suddenly noticed her hand
whats the matter?" sharply
where's your ring"
"Oh, the stone was a little loose
one of the prongs was worn, and
left it to have it reset"
Always some plausible untrutl
seemed to leap to Helen's lips at sucl
times She was never deliberately de
ceiving. The words seemed always t,
come of themselves.
MORE LIES.
Why didn't you give it to me
Where did you take it to" Some snid
concern? They'll change that ston
on you if you're not careful"
"Oh, no, dear, | took it to Black
fords. | didn't want to bother yo1
with it.
With unspeakable relief Helen saw
Warren off that morning. At least h.
had not doubted her story of the loos
stone and she would surely find tn
ring before night!