The Lamar register., 1916-07-12
TOO VICTORIAN
BY JANE OSBORN.

lulelN victorian Just go ahead ana
nope around the way you are doing
now. Seyenteen-y year-old Ruth Les
ter ldas pretty gOlden-haired sister
looked up from her algebra and
s'anced whimsically over her study
sDectacles. Thank fortune, I've never
been in love-Oh there's no use say
ug you aren't. Nowadays girls come
rght out and say so when they are
aut / suppose II you insist on being
Victorian you just won't be frank
about II. | was saying that II ever
did fall in love and then lost out the
way you haye-weIl, you needn't look
50 offended. you know you have-why.
/ wouldn't NOPE around about it. Id
use my brains. same as man would"
Well smarty, since you know it
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 go down to
Matthew'S apartment through the
dumb waiter shaft and steal the young
hero away in the stilly night"
Now you're talking" said Ruth
springing to her feet. That might
be good plot If 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 a page Of her
algebra notebook. Hero is really
very fond Of heroine II not actually
in love with her Hero naturally timid
nd Of
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 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 nuts
that the hero gave the heroine In
moment Of sentimental fervor at
picnic last summer Now. don't look
surprised. or course | know he gave
it to you. Haven't / seen you wear
It around your neck on a piece Of
white ribbon every night sincs7 Do
you think | keep my eyes in my pa.
jana pockets? Now II the hero thought
the heroine had lost that ring and
thought she cared lot for II he'd
think that she cared a 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 or small intrinsic
worth, but highly priced by the own.
err Reward SIS.
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
b. will begin to dawn on him that the
poor little hye-toet-three heroine
misses him. wants to see him. loves
him dearly
II was a week later and the adver-
tisement had appeared for hve days
iu the three local papers Then one
day Ida came 10 Ruths room and in
terrupteG her Ia the midst OF her alge-
bra Ruth removed her spectacles
aud focused her eyes on her sister
It's So funny Ida was crushing
au open letter in her hand Someone
has found the ring. yet ! still have
H."
Goose was Ruth.s rejoinder IT'S
Matthew that answered He didn't
lind IT, He's just saving he did He
thinks he is being crafty just the way
said he would and he thinks YOU
did lose il and he's Just pretending
he found it so as 10 have a chance
60 see you.
If he did write that letter. l am
sure he Is very clever for I never
would have thought that IL was from
him and ] am not at all sure that il
is even now. See the writer SAYS
he will return the ring to the owner
if she "tlI meet him in the mall at
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 d!d he know II was a 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. ] shall keep the appointment
alone