The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-10-15
(Continued.) CHAPTER LXN.

I you think you better let me cut that | string asked Father Andrew.
 fous to see what Virginia is sending { you" urged Jim in actual excitement. { I'm getting the knot-wait min ute!" insisted.
 E We three had come on from our ' evening at the theatre, and after {. standing at the refectory table strug- { gling with the wrappings of the lttie Z box from Virginia. At last l got It ! open-and there it lay-what had 4 feared all along I would find.
 T Without a word, I held it in the .s palm of my hand and held it up for q Jim and Father to see. ,, < By jove-7thats a pretty thing Jim exslatmed ,,t 1edat hasoes tSe soessasions" s His voice 'trailed off suddenly anu he stared a bit uneasily from Father Fs to me. Father Andrews big, gnarIeo ~ steady hands were fixed on the c1rc!et V of diamonds Phoebe had worn the @ night before-the ring Neal had given T "Open the letter, Barbara Anne" & said dear Father Andrew, very gently. A sswhat is it Anne " asked Jim. @'What is it, dear?
 Somehow I couldn't speak. Father t Andrew closed my hand over the ring t and held my strained little dist agalnst his heart for a second Tnen he \ turned to answer Jim. ao.r .Its the ring gave her ss.r oear ] mother when she plighted her VOWS to me- he began in voice that was was ] misted with feeling. Then ne Wen1 Wea1 rave it to your Phoebe, saw 1t on her little hand last night! Must be some thing wrong. Read us the letteI, E Barbara Anne, so we'll kho" "' \ So gave the ring to Father. turned \ my eyes resolutely away from ms lace \ and read Virginia's letter aloud. 7"Dear Anne-Last night your Ia ! tf,er and I both noticed this ring on Phoebe's hand. I think he was fuliy as anxious as I to know what ae It I meant. And I feel that n ne mtn-Won't wtil Won't i do Little Phoebe fancies she IS en- { gagged to Neal. They are both youns l -ridiculously young. That III +ee,, n.se,n kfhem quite absurd. But the waiting and uncertainty will mean real sufter. E ing for Phoebe. Marriage at pest E dsn't-easy, and I mean to use my n,vn exnerienca to save Phoebe pain. Msso am sending NeaPs ring to you E +his way we will save the boy the hurt x of having Phoebe return It ro h,tii rtio,,,d E5 tI1ink it best that the children snoulo inst forget each other for the tune. E "I,m getting into the apartment to- s dav- TO show that there IS no mls Eb understanding between us, Wh dine ktand MT. Hyland and Jimmie uine hwitb me at seven Saturday?
 i Ale0'o VIRGINIA ' r.,,aa nm from the letter with my Nn,ear+ ahlaze and as I crunched US E cracking sheets in my hand crieo
 o "of all the cold-blooded. heartless less 4 vorneni hate her-I hate her. Just bacause she couldn't make a. success ! of her own marriage she needn't sneer [nt love and fling Meals ring pack Ii..1s as Sif it were a soiled glove; FOOT n..i5 fDk,r,iha wonder she's tim16 ana
 Vaguely, through a mist, saw Jiu,'s face go ash-gray-and ms eyes 7 seemed to burn out at me like coals J,through d blanket. I wanted to scream out again tnat | haLeu haa 2. cold-bIooded, scornful Jeanie' @ but De, pc E fore I could speak word. father %voice interrupted me. - ~ k "Gently, daughter, gently!- M Mrs. E EDalton's more than three-qudhl ha;yis
 TightMand otbar onarter theTes Wong" Mq nge " SsSa forgets," interrupted Jim, l. t,xneeringly, sithat she is talking about M my sister" ,o+,, -eer, seto forget what might be called the Einportant evidence in the case," sa1d E father, gently still, but with an ar % O. Eauthority that couldnt pc Snsu a,ls to Ebe my son. I'm more concerned Witn x1aaving him happy than with anytnlns 1ll1ls Eelse in the world-except haVans mn III. l E1oye for little Phoebe run away With s1,in1 so fast that he didn't take a very EEood look at the scenery as ne went &along." +so,, tis kEaear gnarled hand in mine. She's tN,nrt you boo-and poor Phoeoe anu kNeal.I could choke'-
 E "You can choke off those nasty farwords, Barbara Anne: These two Evoung lovers are babies, and Neal E&ning into the biggest job the world Eeot for that. And he can't be sweet Ehearting very well, or asking nttie E,RirI of sixteen or so to turn an olo
 .woman, sitting and h waltlns sone Ioe ft1i. eYi- k.dence that Neal ain't known his own Emind very long-there's that Evvy girl thinking that he'd been courtlng >Eher a little, too. No, sirree. Mrs: Rai, :, Efon ain't wrong-not by long sight.
 "Father, you're a wonder" exulteo luim. ''There never was a falrer, Esquarer view than the one you've JUS, Expressed. Phoebe's not eighteen Evef: she shouldn't be tied down. EJeanie's right, and I'm glad you see
 Are you both going to take sides t.against Neal? Are you going to let
 *Virginia spoil things for him lsn Eanyone going to think bnot1n What h1n1es SacE
 Gt him may mean to the boy?"
 "rve been a-thinking," replied
 E'ather Andrew, smlnng sloWIy, anu
 M Linda think I'm going out home to-
 norrow. No use trusting-our ring
 End our news to the mails"
 CHAPTER LXXXI.
 .eMust you go? Cart you stay just
 snna teeny-weeny week with us, F'a-
 Finer Andrew, dear? Pl-ee-ase" l
 E1soeeed the morning after Virginia re-
 ,,rncd the circ1et of brilliants wbfch
 kNeaI had given Phoebe
 "weII, now, Barbara Anne. do you
 .s'pose that if was calculating to stay Pa he Daclxing up my duds like this?'
 iesid Father Andrew with one of his
 tnice slow smiles.
 .NJo-I understand you're calculat-
 ls,,, to po-but I've been doing some
 ar.ic1Iafing too Neal will be in quar-
 H,ntine for ten days, I'm sure. And
 cant manage this situation about the
 ring unless you help me; So wei
 F~-s ,ro,,- ticket back by the hall bOS