The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-06-12
EOening Story
The Wishing Ring.
BY LILY WANDEL.

"Oh, Mack, simply refuse to be
bored by its history! Tell it to
Uncle Paul, who shuts himself in the
stuffy old library and thinks L should
be happf in this old, lonesome coun-
try placei"
Here, hold out your thumb! There,
isn't a gem? 1 got it in one of the
old temples of Rajputana and it is
supposed to have the most amazing
power. The saying is that a chaste
maiden need only turn the ring three
times around her finger and wish for
the man of her dreams and he will
appear"
Mack o'Dale! You perfectly silly
mani" but her eyes famed with in
terest. You surely have been in India
too long. We have a new maid,
sentimental thing. III let her.test the
ring."
BE sure TO tell her to close her
warned Mack gravely. "Good-by. I'll
see you at dinner, Airline"
Bottomless mysteries and impreg-
nable secrets were linked in the
told. Had tiresome old Mack O'DaIe
captured something in that land of
mysticism that had escaped the vic
Tins of the occult? She had not been
so genuinely excited u for years.
Il wonder" she unused, "if this.
would be good place to try it, right
here on the lawn with not a soul
in sight" Very great was her de-
sire for her wish to come tue, but
subconsciously she had no faith in
the power of the ring
She closed her eyes and, wishing
Tor the ideal man, turned the ring
quickly three times around her little
thumb anu then, half afraid, opened
her eyes. Before her lay the green
lawn, the Towering bushes, a bit\ of
the country turnpike, and the path
leading to the house-and not a soul
in sight, She laughed, the bitter
real anger toward Mack when, with
out the slightest warning. a young
man strobe around the side of the
house, stranger, tall, brown and
handsome, a modern Adonfs.
Airline gasped, her heart pounding.
He came directly toward her with
decisive military stride, his chin tilted
imperiously and smoIdering black
eyes. She had not had a definite pic
ture of the man of her dreams. but
now she knew that not even in her
fondest fancy she could improve on
this man. He had come!
It beg your pardon" spoke the
Adonis as soon as he came near
enough. Am L intruding >"
II have been expecting you" an
swered Airline softly.
What? That's remarkable
see, I was trying out my brakes and
| something made me stop right here
Airline came closer; she felt justified
in doing so. 1T is quite unexplain-
able, I know. I used to ridicule these
things-the unseen, you know"
He smiled the most wonderful
smile. 81 believe 1 stalled the engine,
but imagine my surprise when I
looked up and saw this house, was
born here!'
| ''Wonderfu1!" breathed Airline.
q har 4fcI I1ar4
to relieve herself of the tremendous
emotion that filled her.
Il know it," agreed the young man
with enthusiasm. Il just had to get
go over the place. 1 wonder
Airline shyly put her fingers on his
coat sleeve. Let us show you every
thing 1t was almost a caress-
VIII you? That's mighty good of
you, but just wait a moment" Ar
line looked up inquiringly, hardly able
to keep her lips from pursuing inviting
ly. "Pll just skip back to the car, :"
declared the young man genially, and
get my wife; she'd love to see it too"
Arlines fingers fell away as if she
had been burnt. She managed to NUT
ter something appropriate and then
flee. Almost panic-stricken she ran in
thru the garden into the orchard, and
close to the hedge that separated the
grounds from the public road she
flung herself and burst into angry
sobs.
In a couple of minutes she sat up,
wiped her tears away and smiled.
1T was just accidental, his com
ing. Mack's foolish old ring is not
worth wearing, but" she consid-
cred it with a giggle, shall I try it
again just for fun, just to prove that
it is a fake2" And straightway she
closed her eyes. wished and turned
the ring three times.
She opened them and looked into
the merriest pair of blue eyes she had
ever seen. They belonged to some
body on the other side of the hedge.
Hello there said the owner of
the merry eyes. who also had jolly
voice. i've been looking for some