The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1916-06-23
Tale Of a Lost
Engagement Ring
e. ETHEL HOLMES

~ all your frienisi'
A singular expression came over Miss
Ra;hbone's face. an expression tina;
cannot te described. though some Flea
II II mag he formed ~ al understand.
Ing q What cause,i 70.
That thief. as you call him. IS my
tance"
your fancei"
"Yes. We will 70 married next month.
shall acqualnt Sou with the story
atteniin. l.allh' teing considered q
thief. after which you will lie able 10
form an opinion 81 MY reasons for
marr-in. a man 50 branded. You are
my sister aid have a ri.ht 20 know
them"
Why may not all the world know
'heiai"
"Th1. you VIII understand when
vou have heard the .'nry. When the
Tnphams gave tie,r house party the
e'i.plc occurred viii y branded Ralph
~ tN,cf iun were at there: was.
On. afternoon a,l 10" gv'uuu' ilUs on
the Place werp gu' uG'. aul the Who'll"
iar'y was taken % re. | vote y
short as'rakhan Jacket with a pocket
IN each lie ~ rougsc We vcr" i,'n
'lir'ly ~. Piled with runos. When We
r"' 3Fn"d 'ocure ,It.n. ~ our wrap.
Alfred Tuihim a.Eui ~ iu'o TIE lin.
o.: room - warm ~ a. b. expressed
IL. ~" 90 gathered Hr.1'l tho .l'c
'r.rl arl wcrr warming ~ when a
.uff ~ s'.''.l u' . go 100 .f \ !
u,m little x hat hni guiJ" ly cX.
r-n,s i's'"" - lhsolr" ~ 'hc nY'n
80" "" 81 Eu.E .'.' e.. IA '."u
ate f'iy" Q, I.,"l'u MusH' /. and one
Il a.. . g. 'rFr ''H'.'i .','y o.!c1 uui
ITS o." e. -..,.uou' tus. ist's
80" =. AZ
~ .,.ci 'ar 'ot ard took urt q
rim; s"t 18th rrry h.'w"rn two iin.
y "'ii. Z Wa PASSED tr"'u one tn an.
other Cor .ns'ectlon with" the men con.
n ;oi 20 wnr:l ~ "" spent some
fifteen ~ twenty minutes Ia the din.
~: rr"m. nul when We were about 10
~. "a" NJ snn; "r'.
'Wi,'s got my finsI
Every ole ir'i,cl ~ every ono else.
hn' 10 on" produced the ring. For
tine I, wa. supposed that II would Ne
forthcoming. Int since II lid not ap
pear .hlf. hrows began to knit. We
n, Joined IN search for II. on the
fpor. under the furniture. The ring
was not found The matter began TO
look serious Had some one - the
guests ruri incl ~ Az being host,
NJ course ""uld not suggest such u
thing. bn, his chum. Ned Thurs'on.
presently said:
II offer myself 20 hc searched. and
! aarcsay that all ~ you viii volunteer
Tor the sam" thing"
Everybody volunteered except RaIph
lie said TINT \" must d"mur 10 such
process We were an supposed IN hc
ladies and gentlemen, nnd II would he
nu insult tn each uui every one 10 rs
~ search us
N took ~" part. some time ,u digest
what h. had sH,i. hHt the prevailing
oliul"n was nsalnst n. NJ settled the
matter bv sGylng TINT u" would rather
Jos" III" ring than put un lndlsul,y on
any guest 10 his aud forbade the
search Nearly every one considered
fa'ph's objection u virtual admission
~ guilt II wns believed that he had
taken M" ring. not fDfescclng that he
would So soon he caught with Il on his
rorson, and was obliged ~ choose lie.
tween the course he took aud full OK.
Ia. a A.
cold shoulder, hnt left during the nftcr.
noon.
The blow fell ~ hard On me as II
did on him. ! had received nearly NIL
his attention while nj the Tophnms
ana III" announcement ~ our engage.
ln"nt wns expected before the party
broke up didn't know what 10 ,o
or say IN the matter. so took no
course whatever declining 10 express
an opinion, l'ut Il was not pleasant
Tor me Ia remain after what had nc.
Cured. AMI made an excuse 20 20
away the next day. They were all
very nice :" me. urging me TO stay Il
out.
soon after my arrival ut home I
was called TO the telephone. and Ralph
spoke 10 me.
Have yon found Ar Tophams
rlng;' he asked.
"linve found ring? DO you
mean 10 accuse mo Of being the theft
Look IN the pocket OF the Jacket
yon wore on the auto ride. i have
hoped yon had found II. God grant
rs there"
Il was thunderstruck. On entering
the dining room after the ride my
jacket being too warm for the heated
room ! had taken II or aud laid II on
chair In corner Of the room. Tell.
Ing Ralph 10 hold the wire, ! ran TO
u closet In my room. thrust my hand
into the pocket OF my astrakhan Jacket
and took out the ring,
Running back to the phone, l told
Ralph what ! had done. lie begged
me not TO utter word to any one
about finding the ring till l saw him.
lie would come right over.
"Nnd now nnlla I shall toll mo-,