Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-27
THE DAILY NOVELETTE,
FOUR.LEAVED CLOVERS
D., Martha McCulloch- Williams

tuinkle behind their wlsttuiness' ior
1.not Reed. their owner, was saying
lie aloud Now for four -icatcd
n,nyer, nsH know II ] were one this Is
the the exact spot where / would choose
to grow ,. ..o ,,o,.od ooro
fnily everywhere. The turt was do'
serted. ~ ,, ,,d
, now blossom sprung up since
..nstcrday's moving. The close se-cutting
.emored her: ever and ever so many
sno four .Ieafed charms might have been
n..ori6ced. So she rose and walked del
testeiy loving to feel the turf yield
m..adorfoot. fifty yards further in to
..hore century -old locusts flung down
,scv shadows. adding a new charm TO
the grass.
.-owtb wherever clover was thickcst.
I Sut found nothing until she had half
crswed twice her original distance to
a space so thinly set it was almost
: ragged. -, ...,.. ,..
held vain. With n low gurgle of de-
light she pounced upon four leaf
smother, still another, oil sprung from
the same root. Success breeds avarice
she did not stop until she had seven
of the charm breeders safe in her
fingers. Then as she made to rise she
caught a gleam a. little way off. Half
n minute later she had retrieved from
under a half uprooted grass clump a
heavy signet ring, carved in low relief.
A mans ring clearly-and so handsome
II must have history. Janet all but
forgot her clovers in the rush of interest.
She was still solitary, but n house.
wide, low and gray, had become visible
through the shrubbery-of course, she
ought to 90 there with her iind-but
explaining the find might be awkward.
As she stood turning the ring about
in her palm, trying vainly to discover
IL it were inscribed inside, some one
behind her asked curtly: "Why are
you here? You must know this is very
private property, il you know any
thing"
Turning, she faced thinnish, elder
" man with bcak nose and sharp |
eyes set under pent-hous brows. The |
eyes looked her through and through,
hut she was not frightened. Holding
out the muddled clovers. she said: II
came for-what you see ] have got.
And / have found something else. -
extending her left hand as she spoke
with the ring half on its forcfnger.
Finding is not always Keeping" the
man said, deftly taking away the ring.
"You may keep your fodder" con-
temptuously. ION condition that you
tell ne exactly how you got the other
thing
Showing is easier" Janet said
stepping toward the looscned sod and
laf raising it with the toe Of her shoe.
80" said the man, his eyes glued
10 her face. 'But-are you sure you
didn't put it there on purpose to be-
found?'
IF you think things of that short the
sooner | go the better" Janet flung
back, he head high. "Give me the
ring, if you please. 1t may not belong
to you. any more than to me. That
must be determined, If am to feel
satisfied"
II know the owner. Does that sat.
isfy you?' the old man demanded with
q gmmering grin. Janet shook her
lead. "A suspicious person is bad
trustee she sad 1.-The ring. il
you please. I shall not go without it,"
Then, Miss Spitfre, you are likely
to take root her tcrmentor bantercd
BY this time quite half human. lie
held ,the ring tantalizingly bctwixt
thumb and finger. shaking it round and
iound. Janet knew she could snatch il
and ran away safely. But she was not ,
the sort for any such proceeding.
MY name is Reed-Janet Reed" {
she said clearly. II am staying with
me Grays for a short vacation. Be
fore it ends. / hope you will decide to
do the right thing"
=, Going. hey! After all the bluff"
the old man flung at her, actually
smiling. Il won't give you back the
rhg|my word Is sacred-but you
thing prefer"
"What?' Janet asked breathlessly.
The whole TRUTH" from her an.
ngonist. IF you planted the ring
and AZ how, and why-the where I know
Janet's eyes flashed, her fists clinched
hard, but her voice was low and deadly
as S she answered: MEN have been
Killed for lesser insult. Instead of kill
Ing you, I ask you to-explain."
!, My theory?" from her antagonist.
me me nodded-,speech was beyond her.
me ring, being unique as we'll as
'1uquc,. IL worth money" he began.
II vanished two months back-stolen,
We thought, for n collector who was
Nnd 10 buy it. 1t had been carelessy
eit beside an open library window in
VI open now case. Not a fngerprint
"a the case-nor anywhere else. We
'eearched everywhere--fne-t tooth combed
NE ae place, especially the grounds.
It1wed 1--WE, lawns every three days and
ned ash piles, even flower beds, but }
'ot no trace. IL the thief lost it and
,yu found tit must have been else
,uere' However that may be, it looks
me as though you made an errand
ire O;re I1at would enable you to find it
and restore it to the
%nier, %aint,, incidentally making his ac-
,bits b%iwayI" nyI i, Janet "a interrupted. still
1oure wasting tragedy that be-
,nss to the movies" the old man
neered because the owner is-my
1ai 1aihuSon, Anthony Pier-hc's n decent
w., ana some day will inherit my
'rty odd millions" "
II he is a decent sort-I pity him."
anet shot back. IAN the millions in 4
ie world cannot make up for--you."
come, come. I'm not so cussed as
VA uare say you We heard ! am," the old I
~nA um hnSweged-it seemed she had
uched him on the raw. II know what
i world says Of old Anthony Gaskcll
,roa Du, nelleye me, you are the very first
,nsoi rSoil TO whom ! feel that | have been
'hScIously unjust"
hood day" Janet said. making to
away Something stayed her-a small 1
sS sSSo squirrel, which ran up her skirt
ence to her shoulder. where it began
JouA'hg chatter. When she had nut
FE To"l! gently, old Anthony explained:
is i"e oeggars are privileged-I hope
T. one did not frighten you"
to 1"neI ana not answer--she was too
btt btant on watc hing another squirrel
nntGh APPROACHED In long leans