The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1916-05-20
worth. but highly priced by the owner.
Reward, s76,'

~ know you haven't got seventy.
five dollars all your own. silly. but
what difference does that make? You
haven't lost the ring either. 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 be.
In to dawn on him that the poor liz.
tie fve.feet.three heroine misses him,
wants to see him. loves him dearly.
You know 1t doesn't take much to per.
suade a man that a girl loves him.
You didn't know that? That lust
shows that you aren't SO wise as your
little sister Ruthie, even II you have
boon to boarding school. r
And what will come Of itr Ruth
continued. anticipating Ida's query.
That's the question. II Is also where
the nice part OF the plot comes In. The
hero is bound to do something. and
since you don't know Just what that
something is the interest is sustained
till the story ends"
It was a week later and the ad.
vertisement had appeared for Ave
days in the three local papers. Then
one day Ida came TO Ruth's room and
Interrupted her In the midst OF her
algebra. Ruth removed her specta.
Giles and focused her blue eyes on her
sister. M
THE plot has thlckened. I can tell
1t In your face. Tell me, tell me-"
IT'S so funny" Ida was crushing an
opened letter IN her hand. Some ono
has found the ring. yet I still have
It. Isn't that weird? And II It Is d,
ring of forget.me.nots suppose shall
have to pay the reward" 0IF ef7T
"Goose!" was Ruth's rojoinder. cts
Matthew that answered. He didn't flnd
1t. He's Just saying he did. He thinks
he Is being crafty Just the way I said
he would and he thinks you did lose
It and he's Just pretending he found
II so as to have chance to SEQ you.
Poor boob. doesn't he realize that he
could walk right up to our front door
and ring the bell and ask to see youf
That would never enter that mans
brain OF his. But 1t Is fine. The plot
Is working!"
But 1t isn't Matthew at ALL" ida
insisted. Don't you suppose know
his handwriting?" IN
And do you think that Matthew
would be so unthinking as to write
1t In his own hand? He's either got
some one else to write It or he's dis
guised his own. That is where he "a
getting as much fun out Of the plot as
we are. He thinks he's being shrewd.s
A man always loves that" 4
III he did write that letter I am sure
he is very clever, for I never would
have thought that 1t was from him
and am not at all sure that Il Ia ey.
en- now. See, the write says he viii
return the ring to the owner Il she
will meet him In the mail at the DARK
at o'clock this afternoon. And she
Is to know him because he will wear
d red rose and" a
How did he know Il was q girl that
lost the ring and how did he know
that the mall IN the park Ia lust across
the way from the owners house?"
I'm sure don't know, but coin.
cfdences like that are not unusual.
Anyway. ! shall keep the appoint.
ment-alone." No. H
Sure you will. smarty. I wouldn't
get mixed up in an affair Of the heart
like 10 for all the forget.me-nots ring
in the world" 4
At 6 O'Clock Ruth, still porting over
her algebra, saw a very pink.faced
bright.eyed sister dash into her room
Who do you think I've been walk
Ing with. and he's coming back after
dinner? Matthew! But It wasn't he
that wrote the letter. In fact, III
didn't wait for the man with the red
rose. Matthew Just happened to be
there and when told him was wait.
ing for the man with red rose he
told me that the man only wanted to 4
kidnap me or something like that.
Don't you see? 1t was as plain as day
after Matthew explained II to me,
But girls never think OF practical
things like that. Matthew hadn't even
seen the advertisement in the paper 4
and when told him about losing the
ring he said he'd have another one
made Just like 1t. or course never
shall let Matthew know didn't lose
that ring" A
Ruth put on her spectacles and sent
a glance down at the algebra figures.
Say, Ida, you're Victorian all through. s
But ! guess there are some men who
like girls like that" she said. "
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