Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1916-10-05
By JANE OSBORN.

lutoly Victorian just 20 ahead and
NOPE around the way you are doing
now" 6eventeen-year-old Ruth Les
ter-Ida's pretty golden-haired sister-
looked up from her algebra and
glanced whimsically over her study
spectacles. THANK fortune, I've never
been In love-oh, there's no use say
ing you aren't. Nowadays girls come
right out aud say so when they are.
But 1 suppose II you insist on being
Victorian you just won't be frank
about II. ! was saying that II l ever
did fall In love and then lost out the
way you have-well. you needn't look
80 offended, you know you have-why.
I.wouldnt nope around about IL I'd
use my brains. same as q man would"
well, smarty, since you know II
ALL" Ida said. going over TO her sister
and closing the algebra she was study
ing, what sort OF plot would you
perpetrate. Would you 80 down to
Matthew's apartment through the
dumb waiter shaft and steal the young
hero away in the Silly night?"
Now you're talking!" said Ruth,
springing to her feet. THAT might
be a good plot II the hero wasn't six
feet one and the heroine only five feet
three. I've thought out something
even craftier than that. The facts
IN the case are thus" Here Ruth be-
gan tabulating them on page Of her
algebra notebook. Hero is really
very fond Of heroine II not actually
in love with her. Hero naturally timid
and not much Of q lady's man. Hero
lives in same apartment house as
heroine, and Just before heroine gets
him to the proposing point she plays
her cards wrong and tries to make the
hero jealous. Hero, instead Of getting
jealous, just gets q case Of cold pedal
extremities. Deadlock follows"
Here is where the craft comes in.
You remember that little baby ring
with the blue-enamel forget-me-nots
that the hero gave the heroine In Q
moment Of sentimental fervor at o
picnic last summer. Now, don't look
surprised. OF course know he gave
It to you. Haven't l seen you wear
It around your neck on piece of
white ribbon every night since? Do
you think l keep my eyes in my pa
jana pockets? Now II the hero thought
the heroine had lost that ring and
thought she cared q lot for 1t he'd
think that she cared q lot for him
without having to be told so.
"Of course you haven't lost the ring,
but Just the same you can put an
advertisement In all the papers like
this:
"LoST-A baby ring with small
forget.me-nots. OF small intrinsic
worth, but highly priced by the own
er. Reward, $75.'
Now, sooner or later, the hero Is
bound to read that advertisement, and
after he puts his shrewd masculine
wits to work for about half an hour
It will begin to dawn on him that the
poor little five-feet-three heroine
misses him, wants to see him, loves
him dearly"
It was q week later and the adver-
tisement had appeared for five days
in the three local papers. Then one
day Ida came to Ruth's room and in.
terrupted her in the midst Of her alge'
bra. Ruth removed her spectacles
and focused her eyes on her sister.
IT'S so funny" Ida was crushing
an open letter in her hand. Someone
has found the ring, yet / still have
It."
"Goose!" was Ruth's rejoinder. ITS
Matthew that answered. He didn't
find It. He's Just saying he did. He
thinks he is being crafty Just the way
/ said he would and he thinks you
did lose It and he's just pretending
he found It so as to have q chance
to see you"
If he did write that letter, I am
sure he is very clever, for I never
would have thought that It was from
him-and am not at all sure that II
is even now. See, the writer sayl
he will return the ring to the owner
II she will meet him In the mall al
the park at four o'clock this after
noon. And she is to know him be
cause he will wear a red rose and
How did he know It was q girl
that lost the ring and how did he know
that the mall in the park is Just
across the way from the owners
house?"
I'm sure / don't know, but coinci
dences like that are not unusual. Any
way, l shall keep the appointment
alone"
At six o'clock Ruth, still porinl
over her algebra, saw q very pink
faced bright-eyed sister dash into heI
room.
'Who do you think rye been walking
with, and he's coming back after din
ner2 Matthew But It wasn't he thai
wrote the letter. In fact, didn't wait
for the man with the red rose. Mat
thew Just happened to be there and
when told him was waiting for the
man with q red rose he told me that
the man only wanted to kidnap me Of
something like that. Don't you seei
/ II was as plain az day after Matthew
explained 1t to me. But girls neveI
think Of practical things like that
Matthew hadn't even seen the adver