The Press., 1916-01-12


where Cecilia sat lookin' awful pretty
in her black dress against the white
shade, which was pulled down behind
her.
Some of the boys offered Minnie
some preserved cherries, which they
was all eatin' out of the bottle with
their fingers. But she declined.
"Tm wearin' my gloves tonight"
she says, looking hard at Cecilia's dia-
mond, for she was boilin' over with
rage and jealousy at Cecilia bein' the
belle of the ball in place of her, as had
been the case for long time.
81 haven't got any diamond to show
off now" she says. spiteful.
THAT'S too bad about your ring"
says Cecilia. sympathetic. What do
you suppose could have become of it?'
"It's on your finger" says Minnie,
her lip curlin'.
Cecilia went white.
She snatched the ring off and held it
toward Minnie. At the same moment
she braced her shoulders as though
she'd been struck at. and then. before
anybody realized it. there was Il quick,
dull sound and out of the window she
fell, for it was open. and the thin
strip of wood in the shade had snap
ped. Below was the only piece of sand
stone sidewalk in Canadians.
It was so sudden everybody seemed
paralyzed except Hick Fuller who had
presence of mind enough to grab one
black satin toe, and in less time than it
takes to tell it he had jumped to his
feet and pulled her back from death,
pale, sick girl with pretty badly
sprained back.
Anyhow, that second was not too
brief for very important thing to
happen. The conscience of every man
and woman in that room got wrench
that brought them back to a sense of
justice, SO they were ready to receive
Red Martin when he bounded into
their midst.
He had heard and seen it all on his
way across from the head of the stairs;
he had pictured her maimed form on
the stone walk below. and the skeer
had all but made him faint, though he
was plumb dauntless lis broncho
buster and would fight bear.
"Oh!' Cecilia says when she saw
him bendin' over her. "Oh, but I'm
glad you are back! Here's your ring"
| she says as she holds it out in her
hand. ''Tell them"
'It amt my ring, girl" he says. sit
was, but it's yours now" and he puts
| it back on her third finger and holds
her hand to his lips.
She half set up ON the bench where
we'd laid her. then fell back pale as a
| ha'nt
Somebody run for water" begs
| Red, helpless and skeered.
I'm all right" she says, stern and
dignified But why does Mrs. Hughes
say she once wore this ring?' and she
draws her hand away from him.
"She did wear it," says old Red, with
a groan. "She kept it for me year
1 had no safe place to keep it. and Bill
and l were always pals. | ought tC
have told you. That's why l asked
you to change your boardin' place
Minnie didn't like it when l asked llel
for the ring. and l was so afraid
here he broke off and looked sheepish-
81 was afraid she'd say son,pthin' Il
make you distrust me-" he ends.
"But what about the package you
sent off? says Adolph, too interested
in gettin' the mystery cleared up to
keer for buttin' in.
"The package that ] sent? When?'
Cecilia asks.
''The day Red left" says Adolph.
ooh, thatr' she says and looks
straight at Red in meanip' way.
"It's none of their business" he says
furious:
:'Tell them," she orders him. Don't
that l took her diamond? 1t must be
explained"
Red got that dead beat look again.
'She sent back the plain gold engage
ment ring to the man she gave up fol
my sake" says Red. II took my dia
mond to be set in a ring to fit her fin
ger and had it expressed back to her
and she's goin' to marry me at once
he says through clinched teeth.
"And now he says, gittin' on his
feet and doublin' up his fists while thu
crowd edged back, ''if that amt enough
and any pryin', scandal mongerin', Ions
tongued son Of lynn father wants tt
know any more about her and me col
lective or her or me individual let hin
meet me down there in front of this
hall and help hisself to the grapes"
He glares at the whole lot of us &
moment; then he turns and takes Cecf
lia's wraps from Hick Fuller, who ha:
brought em up, and he asks her gentle
If she can walk downstairs and across
the street to the Citizens or shall hin
and Hick carry her?
Nobody noticed till afterward tina
Bill Hughes widow was gone.