The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-12-13


stood still. Numbly she started at her
bare finger. Her engagement ring. It
was gone.
She clutched at the finger as If
hoping her eyes had tricked her ana
that she would feel it there But
there was only the faint depression
Where the ring had been.
Dazed and tremulous, Helen felt
about her dress. shook her skirts and
| looked blindly around.
/ She had been Strengthening the work
| basket, and as she wound up spool
| of thread, her glance had fallen on
| the finger where always sparkled her
| engagement ring.
Snatching a newspaper, she trmebl-
| ingiy emptied on it the contents of the
| work basket. Feyerishly she looked
among the spooIs and buttons. For
one brief second she thought she saw
the flash of the diamond-but 1t was
only a rhinestone buckle.
| Maggie. Maggie, Oh, Maggie" She
called. Come here moment. Oh.
I've lost my ring. excitedly. my dia-
| mond ring! Come help me look.
Helen was already turning up the
rugs and searching about the room.
But Maggie, who was not of an ex-
citable nature, asked stolldly:
| Whenzdi you have 1t last. ma am ?"
oh, just missed it noW-just this
moment turning up the same corner
of the same rug for the third time.
But when doyou remember seeing
lit Iast?''
Helen stared at her blanlIy. When
had she seen it last? She could not
think. Did she have it that morning?
Last night? She must have had it Of
she would have missed it before this
time.
For the next hour they both search
ed. OF one thing Helen was certain.
that she had not left it on some wash
stand, for she never took it Off to
wash her hands. It had never been
off her finger since Warren placed it
there four years ago.
Yet it seemed almost incredible that
it could have slipped off. She had
known that She was thinner. the
scales when last she weighed showed
that-117. when her usual weight was
120. But would only three pounds less
rake any difference in her fingers?
They did not seem thinner and she
had not been conscious that the ring
was loose.
Il can't look any more now, ma'am.
I'll have to see about dinner. If it's
here-you'll find it. I'll look good to-
morrow when I sweep"
ooh, the carpet sweeper. Maggie!
Maybe you swept it up this morning.
Empty it now. It'll only take a min
ute"
Maggie brought the carpet sweefr
and they emptied it out on a paper.
With long pencil Helen gingefly
turned over the mass OF dust matted
with hairs. threads and pins.
Folding up the trash in the paper.
| Maggie hurried to the kitchen. But
L4Io "a
somewhere in the house. She had not
been out at all today. Yesterday she
had made a dinner call on Mrs. Thurs
ton, had stopped at a drug store and
at the cleaners, but she did not take
her gloves off once.
The day before she had been shop
ping, but her mind refused to con-
cede that she could have lost 1t SO
long ago. She felt certain that it had
| been on her finger at breakfast.
| Very Superstitious.
In many ways Helen was very sup
Eerstitious, and besides the heart
breaking loss of the ring, there was
| also the dread that it was a bad
omen. Could it be a foreboding of
some trouble between Warren and
her? oh, She must find it-she must
find it!
| Not until time to dress for dinner
1 QlU SHe stop ner search. And even as
she dressed she would dart off every
| few minutes as some new place to
| look occurred to her.
She could not tell Warren-at least
| not tonight. Surely she would find
| it tomorrow. The mere thought Of
| telling him made her sick with dread
| In spite of Helen's effort to appear
as usual, Warren saw at once that
something was wrong.
whats the matter with your" he
demanded at dinner. What makes
you so glum?"
why, nothing. dear. I'm little
tired, that's ALL"
To Helen the evening seemed end
less. Warren read and she tried to
sew. but not for one instant was the
ring out of her mind And she was
in constant dread lest Warren should
see her bare finger and speak Of it.
That night she could not sleep She
tossed and turned and anguished over
the ring. In the morning she had one
worry and lack of sleep always ,,
brought on.
You're not at funeral, you know. i
was Warren's causti,e comment as he |
buttered his third piece of toast.
ooh, I know" with a forced laugh; I
its this weather, / suppose I'll be |
all right by evening""
AS Helen poured his second cup of |
coffee. he suddenly noticed her hand. |
Whats the natter" sharply.
Where's your ring?"