The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1915-12-30

1
cowboys from the Lazy NJ blew into
Canadians with flourish of six shoot
ers and rope and drag off everybody's
flue that they can reach leavin' us In
fix when the norther come up Christ
mas mornin', so that the hall where
the dance was to be pulled off. bein
the only two story buildin' in the burg
and hayin' Il big heater in it, was re-
sorted to by young and old as warm
refuge from the storm.
Iick Fuller had Miss Cecilia Cary's
company for that night, and it seemed
like all tn. boys tried to make up for
the way the rest of the population had
treated her.
Minnie Hughes had got so she'd
hardly speak to her and give her dirt
to her back pretty near every time she
opened her mouth.
The dance was more'n half over and
the old ladies and children had gone
home to bed when Cecilia sets down in
one of the front windows to rest be-
tween dances.
There was whole bunch around
her. and from the place where the
stair steps come up into the hall you
could only see the top of her golden
head with band of light blue ribbon
around it.
Minnie Hughes had crowded close to
where Cecilia sat lookin awful pretty
in her black dress against the white
shade, which was pulled down behind
her.
Some of the boys offered Minnie
some preserved cherries, which they
was all eatin' out of the bottle with
| their fingers. But she declined.
I'm wearin' my gloves tonight"
she says, looking hard at Cecilia's dia-
mond, for she was boilin' over with
rage and jealousy at Cecilia bein' the
| belle of the ball in place of her. as had
been the case for a long time.
81 haven't got any diamond to show
off now" she says, spiteful.
"That's too bad about your ring"
| says Cecilia, sympathetic. what do
| you suppose could have become of itT
ITS on your finger" says Minnie.
| her lip curlin'.
Cecilia went white.
She snatched the ring off and held it
| toward Minnie. At the same moment
she braced her shoulders as though
she'd been struck at, and then, before
| anybody realized it, there was quick,
dull sound. ard out of the window she
fell, for it was open, and the thin
strip of wood in the shade had snap
ped. Below was the only piece of sand,
stone sidewalk in Canadians,
1t was so sudden everybody seemed
paralyzed except Hick Fuller, who had
presence of mind enough to grab one
| black satin toe, and in less time than it
takes to tell it he had jumped to his
| feet and pulled her back from death, Il
| pale. sick girl with pretty badly
| sprained back.
Anyhow, that second was not too
brief for a very important thing to
| happen. The conscience of every man
and woman in that room got wrench
that brought them back to a sense of
| justice, so they were ready to receive
| Red Martin when he bounded into
| their midst.
He had heard and seen it all on his
way across from the head of the stairs;
he had pictured her manned form on
the stone walk below, and the skeer
had all but made him faint, though he
was plumb dauntless as broncho
| buster and would fight bear.
"Oh" Cecilia says when she saw
him bendin' over her. "Oh, but I'm
glad you are back! Here's your ring"
she says as she holds it out in her
hand. Tell them"
1T amt my ring, girl he says. at
was. but it's yours now" and he puts
it back on her third finger and holds
her hand to his lips.
She half set up on the bench where
we'd laid her, then fell back pale as a
liant
Somebody run for water" begs
| Red, helpless and slieered.
I'm all right" she says, stern and
dignifed. But why does Mrs. Hughes
say she once wore this ring?' and she
draws her hand away from him.
"She did wear it." says old Red, with
a groan. "She kept it for me year
| had no safe place to keep it. and Bin
and | were always pals. | ought to
have told you. That's why | asked
you to change your boardin' place.
| Minnie didn't like it when | asked her
for the ring, and | was so afraid
here he broke off and looked sheepish--
Il was afraid she'd say somethin' to
make you distrust me-" he ends.
But what about the package you
sent Off" says Adolph, too interested
in gettin' the mystery cleared up to
keer for buttin' in.
"The package that / sent? WhenY'
Cecilia asks.
"The day Red left" says Adolph,
"Oh, THAR she says and looks
straight at Red in meanin' way.
Its none of their business" he says
furious.
Tell them" she orders him. Don't
you see they have thought all along
that / took her diamond? 1t must be
explained
Red got that dead beat look again.
"She sent back the plain gold engage
ment ring to the man she gave up fol
my sake" says Red. II took my dia
mond to be set in ring to fit her fin
ger and had it expressed back to her
and she's goin' to marry me at once
he says through clinched teeth
"And now" he says, gittin' on his