The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-10-09
The EDening Story
What viii Jack Saw
(BY Ellis GraY.l

over the snowy uniform of his nurse.
That would have been dreadful, for
not for worlds would he have any
thing happen to the dainty. i'm
maculate bit of feminity who was
taking care of him.
One other thing worried him besides
his head. 1t was the diamond ring
his nurse wore on her left hand. To
his distorted senses it seemed to be
intolerably in the way. If she would
only put it on the other hand it
wouldn't bother him 50 much.
Day after day, while the fever lasted
the ring on Miss Larimar's third fin
ger tormented him dreadfully.
Then one day the fever broke, but
his head, the ring and all it implied
renamed to torture him. A new pain
had developed around the region of
his heart.
won't you tell me who the lucky
man is?" he asked one day as he lay
back weakly among his pillows
watching her make out a report for
the doctor.
What do you mean?" she asked,
looking up startled from her writing.
Then, seeing his eyes on her hand, she
colored. 'Not-not now" she fall
tered. Some day, perhaps. Don't you
think you had better have your nap
now, Mr.. Hale?"
Bob pretended to sleep, but the pain
in his heart got worse and interfered
with his rest Why had the hospital
sent Violet Larimar to nurse him if
she had to be engaged to somebody
else? 1t wasn't fair to a poor, sick,
defenseless man to have this ava
1anche of beauty and sweetness de-
scend upon him and then to discover
| that she belonged to another.
Bob got better. And Violet, one
dreary day, exchanged her white uni,
form for blue broadcloth suit and
departed taking with her all that life
held dear for him.
For weeks Bob thought of every ex-
cuse under the sun to see her. But he
always gave up in despair There was
no honorable way he could think of.
Besides, what was the use when she
was not, and never could be, for him?
One day he lost a collie pup, and,
looking over the ads in daily paper,
found the following item right under
his nose:
LOST-A solitaire diar'ond ring
on q Bellevue car or on Wash
ington avenue, Bellevue. Finder
will please return to Miss Violet
Larimar, 129 Washington ave-
nue.. and receive liberal reward
claimed Bob, meaning, of course,
|. neither the ring nor the dog, but an
| excuse to see once more the only
| girl he could ever care for.
The plan that presented itself so
suddenly was this: To try to find the
ring. At least to intercept the finder,
and thereby return it in person. Any
| way, to try. 1t was the only legiti-
up for seeing her once more. Then
I'm going to pack up and go to Ar
| gentina.'
Bob boarded a Bellevue car i'm
mediately First he interviewed the
conductor and the motorman, but
with no success. Next came thor
| ough search of floor gratings and
seat cushions. Passengers were asked
kindly to move over, back or forward
as the case might be, in order to
facilitate the search. But the ring did
not appear.
| Bob got off at Washington street
and Immediately glued his eyes to the
ground, not daring to miss an inch of
the trail. After going four blocks he
stopped in front of an old house set
well back among the trees. 1t was
| the Larimar house, he knew. No use
going farther. He crossed the street
| and went back the four blocks to the
mond ring happened to be lying on
| the sidewalk waiting to be picked up!
Back again to the house.
He slipped through the street gate
set in a nigh privet hedge. Just in
side was a clump of hydrangeas on a
! level with his head. He could stand
there screened from street and house
and intercept any one VINO looked as
| though he or she were coming to re-
turn a lost diamond. Its a heauti-
i full fix to be in. playing detective to
get another fellows ring for the girl
| love-" Bob admitted. But it's the
l L
| Suddenly he heard voices coming
| down the path from the house. He
stepped back among the shrubs until
| the people should pass, when he heard
Violet herself exclaim: Let us sit
| here on the bench, father, and wait
for the car. 1t won't be along for five
minutes and I'm so afraid of missing
| some one who might come to return
| dear Jacks ring"
| Then she began to cry. IT'S dread
full to lose it. 1 just loved 1T
Bot felt queer. If Violet loved the
there for him to try to see her any
way? He was not proud of the part
| he was playing. He decided that as
| soon as Violet and her father de-
parted he would leave the place for
But. as fate would have it, just as
| soon as Bob gave up the idea OF find
| ing the ring the ring found him. He
| didn't know it of course, when he
picked up the soggy rag doll that had
lain out all night under the bushes
but, turning it over, he discovered
| something on a piece of string around
the dolls neck. 1t was violets en-
gagement ring, the ring her beloved
lack had given her! Some child at
the house had evidently confiscated
Rob slipped dolly's finery into his
pocket and waited for the occupants of
the bench to depart. 1t would scarcely
do for him to rush out from his re-
treat and present the lady with her
ring There was no explanation he
could make.
telephone.
i "Hello!" came Violet Larimer's
sweet quiet voice in answer
/ "Good evening, Miss Larimer, Bob
replied as evenly as ne could. This
lis Robert Hale. Do you remember
me?'
Indeed, yes!' came back in sur
prised tones. 81 could hardly have
fo-co++ar x-o,, so soon Mr. Hale"