The Dolores star., 1924-08-15
THAT RING WAS
WORTH ITS COST
By DOROTHY BROMLEY

% ILL = landlady was calling MN
- from his room. Telephone, Mr..
Hooper"
This is Alice, BILL" came the voice
from the receiver. Can you come over
for a moment right away on matter
Of business?" The last few words were
emphasized
Sure" said Bill But what's upf"
II cant tell you now, but will you
Gomez"
"Sure!"
The janitor was just lighting the
lamp in the vestibule of the apartment
house as Bill entered. Alice opened
the door of her apartment before he
had chance to ring.
Bill" she said, 81 have Just had a
telegram that-that my father is sick.
and l must go home tonight. But
well, TO come to the point-I haven't
the money to buy the railroad ticket,
and my account at the bank wouldn't
stand a check until after | deposit n
check / received today. which is too
large to cash anywhere else. Bill, can
you lend me SO to go home on, and
keep this as security until l return?"
Sure thing" returned BIZ, reach
ing into his pocket. II can give you
the money, all right, but l don't want
the ring. I'd lose it,
But, Bill / won't take the money
unless you take the ring. l don't want
a loan on faith. Please, Bill, take the
ring, because l must make that train
And l will redeem it as soon as | can
get to bank with the check l have"
The ring was forced into his hand
and Bill gave her the money.
A moment later Bill found himself,
rather mystified, walking home along
the brilliantly lighted street, the ring
still clutched in his hand. 1t was too
small for him to wear, and he feared
that If he kept it in his pocket or in
his room It might be lost. A solution
TO this problem came suddenly, when,
passing the shop of a pawnbroker,
Bill realized that he could leave the
ring there and be sure of getting 1t
back when Alice returned from home.
He went in.
The man back of the counter exam
ined the Jewel. How much do you
want? Twenty-Five dollars?'
Bill reasoned he'd only spend the
extra money. NO" he said. "Give me
ten"
Bill left the shop, examining the
pawn ticket in his hand, and started
across the street to a cigar store.
Ten seconds later traffic in the street
was tied up and a street car motor
man was lifting Bills inert form into
an automobile, which whisked away to
the nearest hospital.
Alice'S fathers Illness kept her home
much longer than she had expected to
be kept. She addressed a letter to
BIZ, enclosing check for the $40 and
requesting a return of the ring, but
BITS former landlady, thoughtlessly,
returned the letter to Alice unopened,
there being stamped on the return en-
velope the information that the one
addressed was unknown.
When Bill, much changed from the
results of his accident, was released
from the hospital, the swift seasons
had traversed half way round the
calendar. AT first Bill had been unable
to write, due to an injury to his arm,
but when that member had improved
sufiiciently he had decided to wait
until he could call personally upon
Alice to tell her of the loss of the
pawn ticket and to explain that he
would make an effort to recover the
ring as soon as it had, spent Its legal
time in the pawn shop
After re-establishing himself in his
old job, his old room, and his old
habitat in general, Bill made bold to
visit the pawnbroker. "Yes, | know"
the man told him, much to Bil's
astonishnknt. THAT ticket was re-
turned by young lady. I wouldn't
cheat you. I'll give you the ring for
$40 and interest"
So Bill received back the ring. His
next move was to call Alice's old tele-
phone number, and he was surprised
again when she answered it.
"Alice," he told ter, this is Ru
Remember"
Il should say do" she replied.
May / see you right away on
matter of business7" he asked, irving
to give the words the same infection
that she had given them the night of
the accident
"Why, yes, Bill, come right up."
And Bill lost no time about it. 1t even
began to look, he told himself as
though he might get his old girl back.
They spent the first 10 minutes ex
planning all that had happened.
Il know how the pawnbroker got
the ticket" said Alice. "a girl friend
of mine picked up the ticket in front
OF the shop just after went home,
ana went in from curiosity to see
what had been pawned. The ring
looked so much like mine she told
me about 1t and I went to see it. But
the man wouldn't give n IN ~, l..