The Denver star., 1917-12-15
THE OPAL RING
BY EFFlE STEVENS.

After two sleepless nights, during
which all the latent superstition OF his
nature had come to the front, Harold
Ashton decided that he would rid him
self of his ill-omened opal at the ear
Hest possible moment.
He had had nothing but Ill luck
since he owned the thing, the crown
ing piece being his quarrel with his
dancee, Marion Hubert. She had de-
clared that the great gem In It's unique
setting was too snowy an article OF
jewelry for man Of good taste to
, , wear. He had thought differently. and
the outcome had been hfs final dis
missal
Yet how to dispose Of the ring was
souething of puzzle to the unimagt-
| hative Ashton.
Finally he decided that the thing to
do would be to lose 1T. But the simple
and obvious methods of Kidding him
self Of it, by casting 1t from rap
idly moving train, or hurting it into the
ocean from the deck Of steamboat,
! never so much as entered his head.
Later in the day Ashton dropped
into his friend Jim Benton's office for
chat, and the sight of the trim-look-
ing young woman, industriously pound
| ing away upon the typewriting ma.
chine, put new idea into his head
Miss Brown" he asked, shave you
time to address an envelope for me?"
"Certainly," replied Miss Brown, fin
tshing the letter she was at work upon
and inserting an envelope in her ma
chine.
Ashton walked over to her side and
told her the address in a low tone.
After thanking Miss Brown, Ashton
hurried from the office, with the enve-
lope safe in his pocket, and back to
the seclusion Of his own room, where
he gave himself up to the pleasant
task Of packing the opal up prepara-
tory to losing it.
He did the ring up in small box.
| upon which he pasted the address
| which he cut from the envelope.
| When Ashton had showed his box
through the slit labeled parcels" at
the post office. he felt more like him
self than he had done for some time.
The next morning. drawn by that
irresistible influence which is supposed
to draw murderers to the scenes Of
/ their former crimes, often to their own
undoing. Ashton was sauntering past
PackArds jewelry store, when one OF
the clerks hailed him with: "Mr. Pack
ard wishes to see you a moment"
With sinking heart Ashton meekly
followed the clerk into the store. =
Mr.. Packard looked at Ashton sharp.
Iy through his spectacles. as he in
quired: This is your ring, isn't it?''
Ashton's face grew very red under
the keen scrutiny OF the old man.
"YeeAshe stammered, pretending tc
examine. the too-familiar ring which
Mr.. Packard held out to him. IL
lost it."
"Huhr' CALCULATED the jewsaer
Looks more like theft. 1t came to us
by mail, I knew in minute it was
yours. for we never made another one
like it,, and he pointed to the pc
:Iliar setting.
| At two o'clock that afternoon he
} made his way to the Shirley theater
where there was to- be popular-priced
matinee for children. As he had e1-
pected, there was a large crowd col
lected before the entrance. Into this
seething. pushing mass OF humanity
Ashton forced his way.
1 1t seemed an ideal place to lose any.
thing, whether one wanted to or not
When he could advance no farther
Ashton slipped the ring from his I'm
ger, and without so much as glancine
at those about him, slyly let it fall
then he backed out of the crowd as
apidly az he could, and hurried from
he scene.
Early that evening. as he was smok.
Ing lonely pipe, and congratulating
himself upon the fact of his having al
last lost his unlucky opal, the door was
flung open and Ted. the curly headed
young brother Of Marion Hubert, en-
tered.
"Door was open downstairs so just
came right up" said Ted, nonchalant
ly. "Got a note from SIS" and, max
Ing a sudden dive into the depths OF
his trousers pocket. he drew forth Q
crumpled note. which he tossed te
Ashton.
Ashton opened 1t with trembling fin
gers and read;
"Please come to me this evening
wish to restore to you something OF
value which you have lost. MARION
He got rid Of Ted in short order. and
then struggled into evening clothes.
"Poor little GIRL" he thought, com
maseratintly. as he FASTENED his prep
arations, 'she's had as hard a time
OF it as have had, and now she's
given in and sent for me to tell mt
that she wishes to make up and restore
herself to me"
So, when he entered the Hulberts
parlor, Ashton sprang forward ant
I!~los,od her unrAafatin1 form in his