The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1919-02-25

AASA AAattA AAo6O FONo lightly VI (O0l sc
her fun would be most innocent and
decorous, as became her mothers
daughter.
Then the postman came. 1t was a
little, uninteresting looking package
that he delivered into her hands from
her great aunt back in old Chester.
Mechanically she opened 1t; ring a
thin, plain gold band, dropped out. She
examined 1t. Inside were two almost
obliterated inscriptions. One said, "R.
to A, 1885," the other, of later date,
was easier to read; it said, "R to ",
'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. |
was that girl. I'm sending you the
ring because you are named for me,
Virginia Patterson Leigh I've always
liked the name. I hope you do, but
not too much to change it little If
there should be Rob who has asked
you to-even though, like my Rob of
auld lang syne, he should be going to
war, as mine did, never to return.
wonder if you knew that your old
great aunt carried war romance
around with her7'
Then, in her sweet, old-fashioned
way, in her wavering, old-fashioned
prim handwriting, she told the story
of Rob's ring. 1t was his dead moth
.4x,n
ton was from Rob, his father, to Alice,
his mother; the second was from Rob
himself to Virginia, now Aunt Vir-
ginia. He had placed it on his sweet
hearts finger when he marched away
In 81.
Aunt Virginia, knowing that her
years were few, did not want the ring
to be buried with her, she wanted II
to be worn till 1t would hold together
no longer, for was 1t not a symbol of
undying love and of undying patriot
ism alsO7
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
friends were doing today, tried to up
hold the hands of the boys who were
fighting for the cause of liberty.
"Oh, OIL" breathed the girl. I'm
afraid I'm not worthy, auntie dear, to
wear your precious ring. But what a
coincidence, l have Rob, too" But
had she Rob? What If he should not
return.
She ran sobbing with the letter and
the ring to her mother. While she was
confessing that she would not allow
her Rob to give her a ring because
ahe did not want to be tied down and
deprived of all her good times. the
bell rang and some one asked for Miss
Virginia y
oh you will have to go, mother.
Look at me-l'm a fright. ! won't
zee anyonep ~
But a deep voice in the hall pro-
claimed the identity of the caller. and
Virginia. her eyes red, her hair tous-
led, and herself clad in bungalow
apron, sped down the stairs and threw
herself into his arrns-a most extraor-
binary thing, for the maiden had usu-
ally held him at arms length.
But {. colder is taught never to miss
an opportunity to surround the enemy
and cut off retreat; also Bob forgot
nothing of his manual of arms.
Presently, by way of retaliation,
with careful finger he touched her
wet lashes, then the tip of his tongue.
and asked with much solicitation :
"Are you sure those salty tears will
not spo, my best uniform?"
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 read
Ing 1t she surreptitiously powdered
her nose and tucked up her hair.
When he had finished very small
and penitent voice said: "I'll let You
put Rob's ring on my finger-if-if
you want to-"
"Want to- What was that fuss
about
He didn't get chance to finish that
sentence for some reason or other
something a bit like strangulation
But after several attempts, in which
he was not allowed to bark back to
any past unpleasantness, he said:
THAT is pretty thin for wedding
ring. My idea now In regard to such
pieces of jewelry is that they should