Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-10-12

Newspaper Syndicate.)
Bob Hale's head was so full of pain
that in his delirium he was afraid it
would burst and scatter his brains
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, immacu-
late bit of femininity who was taking
care Of him.
One other thing worried him be.
sides his head. 1t was the diamond
ring his nurse wore on her left hand.
To his distorted senses 1t seemed in
tolerably in the way. II she would
only put 1t on the other hand 1t
wouldn't bother him SO much.
Day after day, while the fever last.
ed, the ring on Miss Larimar's third
finger tormented him dreadfully. Then
one day the fever broke, but although
the pain disappeared from his head,
the ring and all it implied remained to
torture him. A new pain had devel-
oped around the region of his heart
won't you tell me who the lucky
man 50" he asked one day as he lay
back weakly among his pillows watch
ing her make out report for the doc
tor.
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 falter-
ed "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 II
she had to be engaged to somebody
else? 1t wasn't fair to a poor, sick,
defenseless man to have this ava
lance 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 collie pup, and,
locking over the ads in a daily paper,
found the following item right under
his nose:
LOST-A solitaire diamond
ling on a Bellevue car or on
Washington avenue, Bellevue.
Finder will please return to Miss
Violet Larimar. 1923 Washington
avenue, and receive liberal re-
ward.
Eureka! have found it!' exclaim-
ed 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 flnd-
err, and thereby return 1t in person.
Anyway. to try It was the only legi-
innate excuse he could possibly trump
up for seeing her once more. Then
I'm going to pack up and 30 to Ar
gentina."
bob boarded a Bellevue car imme-
diately. First he interviewed the con-
ductor and the motorman, but with
no success. Next came thorough
search of floor, grating and seat cush-
ions. 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 ap-
pear.
Bob got off at Washington street
civ h{c n
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. It
was the Larimar house, he knew. No
use going farther. He crossed the
street and went back the four blocks
to the car line on the other side. No
diamond 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 high privet hedge. Just in
size was clump Of hydrangeas on q
level with his head. He could stand
there screened from street and house
and intercept any one who looked as
though he or she were coming to re
turn a lost diamond. tits beautiful
fix to be in, playing detective to get
another fellows ring for the girl I
love-" Bob admitted "But it's the
only way l can see her!"
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. It 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. TITS dread
full to lose it, I just loved it,"
Bob felt queer. If Violet loved the
other fellow like that, what use was
there for him to try to see her any
u,oyo IJo Voc not nrOud Of tho mart