The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1921-10-07
THE DEAREST RING
BY MIzpAH r. BUCKINGHAM
,ooooooono oooonoooooo 90

all afternoon, the city streets were
wet and treacherously slippery. On
fremont street business men, tired
women and children jostled one an
other at the subway entrances, each
attempting first to find shelter from
the creeping chill of Boston's damp
ness
All. save young woman who,
seemingly oblivious of the general
purpose of the hurrying crowd, was
borne along with it as driftwood is
carried in an eddying brook.
Turning mechanically with the
others to enter the subway, the gilt
ter of diamonds caught her eye.
Quickly she turned and stood before
the jewelers. window, gazing visit
fully at its dazzling array. Her eyes
moment she seemed again lost in
thought
ut was just like that wonder,
was l foolish?" she muttered to her
self, as she turned hastily away.
This time with purposeful decision
in every motion, she jostled her way
to seat on her homeward bound
car She settled into it with a tired
little sigh, for Doris was tired-tired
Of the endless monotony of the life
she'd lived, and that lay before her.
1t always had been, always would be,
save and economic, trying to make
both ends meet. Last night she had
promised to marry Dick.
And today of all days to be remind
ed by that diamond ring of the one
which, three years before, she had
given back to Howard Kent! How
proud she was when that expensive
bit, of shining nothingness was first
hers, and happy to realize that at
last the door was open to free her
from her prison of drudgery for a
family of ungrateful brothers and
sisters. Just that sense of freedom
alone had been enough for a time
she realized now that she had been
too dazzled to find that the son of
rich old Kent wanted to marry her to
ask herself if she really cared for
him. That was until. i. But some
times, even yet, she asked herself if
she couldn't as easily have put up
with the thought of "other women"
as with this monotony of shabby re-
spectability she now endured.
And Dick-dear old Dick Had she
hurt him last night? All day the
memory of what she had said and Of
the hurt-look in his face, had haunted
her. Once more her anxious mind
went over it.
''Doris," he had said, "Doris, say
you will, and let me get you the ring.
1t won't be any 'dazzler,' dear, but it
will be the best can give you"
And her answer How had she
said it?
-. But, Dick, please, don't get me
a ring. I'd rather you'd take the
money to buy things for our own
home. guess I'm little more SEN
sible than some girls about it. Most
of them think they can't really be
engaged unless they have diamond
rings, but I've told you, Dick, about
the beauty Howard gave me, and I
don't feel that I could care for an
other, unless its just as good-don't
you see.
But here Harvard, Harvard
square," interrupted her reverie; so,
impatiently gathering her packages
together, she FASTENED from the car
and joined the home-ebbing tide Of
tired humanity
"Home"-she dreaded it, and yet
that was what she had promised to
make for Dick-a home And she
had done 1t because she loved him.
Anyway" she thought, as she ran
up the front steps, "the money Dick
would have spent on an insignificant
diamond will buy us some decent par
Tor furniture, something to be proud
of, instead of feeling that have to
apologize for a cheap ring. Tonight
I'll make Dick understand what I
mean. OF course, he couldn't at first;
he's never loved any other girl and
can't realize that poor little dia-
mOnd could remind me of the lux
uries 1 might once have had"
But that evening she didn't tell
Dick. when she met him at the door
and he caught Ter in his arms with
"How is my little girl tonight?" a GER
tain boyish happiness in the way he
fingered on the 'my" forbade her
bringing up any unpleasant subject.
"Doris, I've thought all day of what
you said last night about the ring,
and / know you're right, the way you
look at it. / can't get you as nice a
ring as you ought to wear, and be-
cause you've had one, you feel that
you do not want another / don't
blame you, dear, and / know I'm a
fool for what I've done.
"But, you see, we fellows sometimes
have as foolish ideas about diamond
rings being part of an engagement as
some girls do. Can't you under
stand?"
Slowly he took from its velvet box
the ring which to him meant so much
and to her meant-meant more than
all the luxuries represented by the
big, fashy stone she had refused, or
the furniture she had dreamed Of. for
without them she could live, but with
out what this stood for she realized
all else would be in vain.
Suddenly, the meaning of it all
swept over her, the bigger meaning,
and it was shaky, sob-choked voice
that said: "Oh, forgive me, Dick.
Now / do understand, and I am proud