The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-10-25
57F'5F = ~. = : - = 4
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Lovers Knots
ny ROSE MEREDITH

The house Is finished at last.
AID Leonard proudly, as he un-
locked the front door and usncreu
the brown.eyed girl into the nome
that was to be theirs. lie bent u
, kiss her before they passed Into
the living room. isn't It cozy?"
ne asked. Just as II hadn't had her
opinion about everything from
tho topmost brick OF the chimney
to the ceMCnt on the cellar floor.
ut y perfect" she brcathGd
softly, as they went from room to
room ihnnd In hand. Still. there
was II shadow In the brown eyes
that did not depart when they
locked the door upon tho home.
that-whssto-be-theirs In the au-
tumn.
What is 1t. Mildred" he ask.
ed suddenly, 81 thought you
would be so happy about It--now,
We can go ahead and buy the fui-
niture-.the money is ready, I'M
Less" he hesitatcd and saw that
her cheeks were pink and her eyes
distressed, unless you you'd
rather walt few months for the
furniture and l will buy the ring
you wanted
She put out her hand-her lei:
hand. whore the third finger wore
a curious ring OF twisted gold and
silver. II feel 80 conspicuous with
this. Leonard-all the girls wear
solitatres-aud they - seemed So
fnused when I explained that I
preterred to wear this because II
meant Just as muc hto US as d
more costly one-but I don't ex-
plain any more" Her lips droop-
ed.
"You would rather have the
diamond" he asked with assumed
( carelessness. at is only q matter
Of few months morc-I am
sorry you are marrying such 0
: poor fellow-but a home to go III
ito Is something to start on"
81 know 1t, Leonard am very
foolish" she faltered.
Never mind, dear-T know
how you feel" he said: suppose
We go around to Burtls' now aud
choose the ring"
The next day the little gold
and silver lovers knot was gone
from Mildred's finger and in its
place was o glittering diamond
that called forth all the admira-
ton she had craved from her
friends at the Office and elsewhere.
You IRE lucky girl" sighed
Jennie Jones. one OF the book
keepers. "Hou are going to marry
a man who has built house, fur
nished 1t completely, and given
You q beautiful ring, too! Think
OF poor me-when | married Will
he gave me a gorgeous ring and
VIC bought n thousand dollars
worth of furniture on the INSTALL
ment plan and leased an apart
meht. That was two years ago
-we lost all the furniture, tho
ring was pawned to pay the doc
tors bill when was SO sick last
winter, and We are doing light
housekeeping in two tiny rooms!
p am back at my, job and We are
hcth, saving every cent we'can for
u home so We can start right the
next time"
You are a lucky girl" tho
words rang In Mildrod's ears for
many day after that, as sho wore
the beautiful ring. that sealed her
engagement to Leopard, She did
not earn a large salary. and IL was
only by scrimping that she could
save little each week after nil
her expenses were paid. She was
all alone In the world and there
Twas no noar relative to advise her
Sibout the management Of her az
fairs. But experience was teach
ing her something and all that
long hot summer, when she met
Leonard, she could see that he
was practising small economies.
perhaps he is saving for the
furniture" she thought with a
blush, and she would turn the dla-
mond around so that she could
not see its moCking glitter. One
day she overheard tw Of her Of.
dee associates talking together.
"Married?" smiled one man.
Cant afford 1t, my boy. Girls
! sxpect too much nowadays-tlrst
one has TO bust loose with dIa-