The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1915-03-04
A Band Of
Velvet Ribbon
B, JOHN Y. LARNED

quantum OF young girls and the usuu
deficit Of young men for them to Dir
with. Albert King. who needed recre
alton after too much work. found him
self In demand But King was no
ladies' man. and he demurred.
Nevertheless. there was one girl who
attracted him. she was not one Of the
rocking chair brigade as the ladies' who
sat on the pinzza were dubbed, for she
was not admitted to their charmed cir.
Gle Why, King did not know.
King made her acquaintance and
WAS thereafter taboo by the pntrician
girls. who had no use for man who
would divide his attentions to them
with one OF another caste. But he did
not mind this~,for Ellen Bickford. the
young lady In question. interested him
and relieved the monotony of his stay
IN the mountains Besides. he dIscoy
cred her superiority In one respect.
courage, Tor when large party were
caught out on the lake In a terrific
squat and II looked as IL their boat
would be swamped Miss Blckford dis
played no terror whatever. while other
girls were desperately frightened.
Miss Blckford never wore short
sleeves to her dresses except at the
hotel dances. when she displayed a
well rounded neck and arms But at |
such times her right arm was inva. |
riably enoirclcd with broad strip OF
velvet. The fact that this part of her
arm-midWuy between the shoulder
and the elbow was never exposed
soon began to excite comment That
there was something ON her arm to
De concealed was evident; curiosity
stepped in and would know whit 1t
was Dat there was n dignity about
Miss Bedford that caused curious per,
sons to abstain from ma king inquiries.
10 the matter remained unexplained.
King was ignorant OF the gossip con I
corning what kind OF blemlsh was l
hidden under the velvet He had noticed {
the fact OF Miss Blckford's wearing 1t. 6
but had not troubled himself as to the t
cause. II be thought OF 1t at all he
very likely set Il down to the conceal S
nent OF scar. probably caused by J.
But one day the rumor
'eached his ears that Miss Bckford {
vas the daughter of common sailor a
who. when she was child had tat
coed ON her arm an anchor Since p
King had been smltten with the young b
ndy this report naturally Interested II
lin d
whatever he may have thought of /,
Hiss Bickford's origin. II seemed to
i'm unlike her TO conceal any mark
1t He would rather expect her to !.
ermit the whole world to know her q
'r exactly what she was -
Miss Bickford, II seems. was as much
tracted by Mr. King as he was by her.
oreover. she noticed that after Ger a
lin period be seemed disposed to draw =;
way from her She knew that what
e was concenling was causing Il 4
bothered commotion among the young -
dies OF the hotel and inferred that y
me one OF the many stories that were
ating about concerning II had rench
him. One day she frankly said to "
N:
Mr.. King. have you heard the story
n ! am the daughter OF common for
lor who tattooed an anchor on my by
mr. 20
l have" 90,
You are the only person In this haC
Use whose opinion care for, but | tiol
care for yours and do not WISH so vii
as you are concerned, to sail under yar
Sc colors My father is or was a me
dsman and bad nothing TO do with
at is under the circlet wear But his
wear 1t TO conceal something that que
been taitooed ON my arm" tina
fhank you very much for the pref tho
nee you have shown me and your nat
1kness. For the first time my Gu
ity as to that ribbon has been ex. D.
d. and since you have caused 1t OI
to you TO crafty It."
assure you that 1t is nothing to be EHT
ined Of lU
5 1t anything TO be proud Off" sued
} this she nssented hatingly. a sn
u that case ! insist upon seeing It," meet
ter some persuasion she pulled the drea
on down toward her elbow. and
e In blue ink under the skin We're from
letters Heroine at |,
hg looked at the word then up at whic
siri race anu with smile, said: for I
ONE; tell the story. ain dying to the
H. farm
Is not much Of n story. For years .
family had a cottage ON the sea ago
My summers were spent there title
the time ! WIS six years old which
led to swim like duck and could tlesn,
le a boat as well us a boy. Our an oil
&c was on one side Of a neck Of which
and life saving station was on and b
'ther side One day on our side a I
came ashore The life men did from
now OF her being there, and there ed to
not time In which to tell them. nishe
e were six men about to drown skins
lied out In my boat and saved I"
| was but thirteen years old that
didn't know enough to refuse to If h
Il one OF the life savers to tattoo in the
rm." mana,
u nave hurried through your sto- great
said King. "as though 1t was "
hing to be ashamed Of I'm glad Of on
you are IS indelbly written on ouiref
Derson and II You were mine | Tn 10,