The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-03-05
An Introduction to
a Love Story
By PAULINE D. EDWARDS

1t was showing without. the first
snow Of the season. Jack Horribly
went to the closet on the third floor, I
took out his winter overcoat, made a
griInace at the Odor of moth balls, car
red the coat downstairs, put it on,
and through force of habit thrust his
hands into the side pockets. His
right hand encountered something
which he took out and found to be n
small package.
Jack did not remember having left
anything in the pocket when he put
away his oyercoat in the Spring, and
unrolled the package with consider
able surprise and curiosity. It con-
sisted Of little box which contained
a solitaire diamond ring and a photo
graph of one of the prettiest girls he
had ever seen. On the photograph
was written: kiss me. Jack. Your
loving Dorothy"
'You bet said Jack. "if I had you
here | would kiss YOU not only once. i
but hundred tines
From the picture he turned to the
tern as the one he had worn the win |
ter before, but bore the name of a |
tailor Jack did not know. He at once !
concluded that he had changed coats |
with someone.
All that dag while at business Jack
was making figures, but While doing
SO he was dreaming. Evidently he had
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graph undoubtedly belonged to some
other Jack: the ring denoted an en-
gagement between this man and Dor
othy. How came they in the over
| coat which must have belonged 10
| the other Jack? Then a hope entered
| Jack Hornbys mind that the engage
ment was broken and the ring had
| been returned. But how about the
photograph? Probably the other Jack
had intended to return it, and broke
/ down at parting with it.
/ If the lover. or whoever he was had
been named Tom or Dick Horribly
would not have been so moved by the
invitation to take kiss. As it was,
lie was caught. Kiss me, Jack" would
not be banished. Jack looked at the
picture a dozen times a day, and every
time his eyes dropped from the girl
to the words written below.
Jack bethousht himself how he
could return the ring. Honesty may
have prompted him to do this, but
honesty was a mere bagatelle COM
pared with his desire to find the girl,
and when once found he would need
10 urging to accept the osculatory in
vitation. lie would have advertised
his find, but this plan, if successful,
would produce -another, Jack, and
Horribly had no desire to find him.
A few evenings after the find Jack
went to his room and noticed in his
waste basket the wrapper which had
inclosed the articles. He took ii up
and held it to the light. He discovered
faint pencil mark: 343 Walnut
street. The paper had doubtless been
torn into two or more pieces and there
had been a name above the address,
. the name being on another piece Of
paper.
jacks heart beat high. The address
was either that of the man or the girl.
| Without waiting to eat his dinner,
which was ready for him, jack Went
to No. 343 Walnut street, rang the
= bell and told the maid that he was
looking for a Mr. Trotter. Did he
live there? No. Who did live here
Mrs. Thurston. Jack apologized and
; departed.
But he had won. In living room
doing some fancy work, sat Dorothy
The next day Jack sent the ring t
: Miss Dorothy Thurston With note
Stating how it had come into his pos
session. He gave his address ans
signed his name. \ letter of thank
= came and the young lady asked if tn,
v finder would accept 4 reward. Jacl
d replied that the only reward he woul,
a accept was photograph that was il
O. the same parcel as the ring. But" h
or added. IF the photograph belongs t
Ie anyone else than the original I vii
return it to the owner on being givel
his address"
:, An answer to this came stating tina
= the photograph did belong to some
one else. Jack was invited to call o
the writer for an explanation.
lie lost no time in calling. Tt
y, ~ young lady received him with the r.
ae serve due stranger and said to him
"Since / am under an obligation t
you for returning the ring, which
!" have sent to its owner / think | {
u least owe you statement as to tn
- words written on it, She Gale
"Jack. dear, come here"
= \ boy about six years old came int
III the room He went to the young lad
who said kiss ne. Jack" The ks
=. made Hornhy envious. The girl contil
I. ued, speaking to Hornby:
: Il don't think y-u will care to hay
!. ne enter into details how the pilot
1 graph and the ring came into the san
:. package, since this would involve mo
< tiers in which YOU have no concern.
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