The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1918-12-10
TIE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Rob's Ring.

= BARBARA KERR.

~ 6S&f49AFSSS hF.f6fSs
(copyrisht, 1918, by the Mcclure
con Newspaper Syndicate-1
O1EEHoW the morning work
dragged. virginia's mind was
not on her business. She swept
slter1ntttently and busted Istlessly.
he was wondering vaguely whether
sob away unEettered, as she had tried
gnt explain to him, Tor his own good.
he had not EXPLAINED that she was
sylng TO be q motor messenger and
Five IN the motor corps, and that IN
ie back Of her 9unloTinS brain she
AZ almost planning 70 have some
Seafty interesting little nirtations.
& She was TOO hfEhminded to descend
ito the practice Of some OF the girls
who were not wearing their engage
ln0nt rings so that the visiting sol
4 fisrs would not know that they had
Hances at the front. And her con-
tempt for the young matrons who had
entered canteen service, had taken
OF their wedding rings and we're pos
Ing and carrying on their cla1destIne
1irtations with the officers was IN.
bounded.
She was very decided about any
thing OF that SORT. 1t was not a mat.
ter Of Mrs. Grundy either; it was a
deep and settled principle with Vlr-
ginia that once she mad decided to
marry man it was absolutely ''for
better. for worse and til death do US
part"
For did She not belong to a race Of
women among whom there had never
: been a divorce, nor one who had. TAX
en- her marriage vows lightly? OF
course her fun would be most inno-
cent and decorous, as became her
Nmotherls daughter.
Then the postnan came It was a
little. undressing looking package
that he delivered into her hands from
her Great-auat back in old Chester.
Mechanically she opened It: ring, q
thin, plain gold band, dropped out.
. She examined 50. inside we're two al
most obIiterated inscriptions. One
said. r. to A, 1889; the other. Of Ia.
ter date, was easier to read; It said.
"R to v. '61' She slipped It on her
finger and began to read the letter:
This was Rob's ring. dear, his last
gift to The girl he left behind him. l
was that girl I'm sending you the
ring because you are named for me.
Virginia Patterson Leigh. I've always
liked the name hope you do. but
not too much to change it a little II
there should be a Rob who has asked
You to-eyen though. like ray Rob Of
auId lang syne, he should be going to
war, as mine did. never to return. l
Wonder Il you knew that your old
greataunt carried a war romance
Eound with herr"
6Thea. in her sweet, old-fashioned
W.. IN her waveTing. old-fash:oEed,
pr3fl1 handwriting she told the story
of RoD's ring It was his dead moth.
er's wedding ring The first inscrip-
ten was from Rob, his father. to Alice,
his mother; the second was from Rob
himself to Virginia, now Aunt Viz.
.ginta. He had placed 1t on his sweet
hearts finger when he marched away
Aunt Virginia, knowing that her
years were few, did not want the ring
40 be buried with her. she wanted It
to be worn till it would hold together
no longer. for was it not symbol Of
undying love and uadying patriotism,
aIso2
she told some stories Of the days OF
81, OF the hardships. the heartaches
and the work of herself and other
young girls, who, as Virginia and her
frsandS were doing today, tried to up.
b q the hands of the boys who were
lighting for the cause Of liberty.
Oh, obs" breathe6 the girl, "f'm
afraid I'm not worthy. auntie, dear, to
wear yo1r precious ring. But what a
coincidence. / have a Rob. too" But
had she a Rob? What II he should
not return!"
She ran sobbIng with the letter and
the ring to her mother. While she
was confeSsing that SIZE would not al.
low her Rob to give her ring because
Cslie did not want to be tied down and
deprived OF all her good times, the
ben rang and some one asked for Miss
Virginia.
con, you VIII have to go. mother.
Look at me-Tm fright. won't sec
any oae!'
But a deep voice in the hall pro,
claimed the Identity of the caller. and
Virginia, her eyes red. her hair toUsled
and herself clad in a bungalow apron
sped down the stairs and threw her
self into his arms-a most extraor
binary thing. for the maiden had
usually held him at arms length.
Butia solder is taught never to miss
an opportunity to surround the enemy
and cut on retreat; also Bob forgot
nothing Of his manual Of arms.
Presently. by way OF retaliation
| with careful finger he touched hel
wet lashes, then the tip Of his tongue
and asked with much solicitation:
Are you sure those salty tears vii
not spot my best uniform2"
Virginia laughed. She remembered
the new georgette crepe blouse that
mustn't be mussed at their last meet
Ing. She held out to him Rob's ring
md the letter. While he was reading
Il she surreptitiously powdered hel
nose and tucked up her hair.
When he had finished a very small
aud penltent voice said: 9TH let you
put Robss ring on my finger-H-i
Want to! what vss that tu',
no didn't get a chance to finish
that sentence for some reason or 9th
y SIs--eoIdefhfnrs a bit like 8tTanErla