Evening star., 1926-04-11

- ENGAGEMENT rings, though
- they be fashioned of platinum
and set with the most endur'
IL ing of gems, can yet prove as
slippery as the stuff dreams
are made of. An engagement ring
otn, indeed, be slipped off more easily
than it is slipped on. But Margery
North had that yet to discover when,
IT Christmas, Jimmy Norris fumbled
With her ring, all but placing 1t on
he second finger instead OF the thlfu.
nacause the light in her eyes daZzled
mis-. And she had laughed at his aWk'
>ardnesS, but breathlessly and with
hat throat-tightening tenderness that,
II God is good, comes once TO every
woman.
'Oh Jimmy" she gasped. IL TOO
wonderful for words.
And then she threw her arms about
his neck and kissed him standing on
her tiptoes the while he bent his head
and crushed her to him.
This all took place in the reception
hall of the example OF archltectural
misanthropy that, to Marge, had oeen
',ome ever since she could remember.
she had recognized Jimmy's touch on
he door bell and had rushed to meet
',im. Now, the ring in it's place, she
1elped him out of his great coat and
rev him unresisting into the nVlng-
.,oom. where the tree was allght.
Look she commanded the as
~embled family.
They looked. And even her sister
barbara. aged II, was impressed. Ihen
her mother kissed her and her father
solemnly shook Jimny's hand ana
offered him a cigar from the boX the
.irm had given him for Christmas.
Marges father had worked for the
anne firm for 2S years. In recognt-
ion Of long and faithful service tney
now paid him SS5 a week ana gave
him q box of cigars every year come
Christmas.
once, like Jimmy, he had been young
md full of that ambition. When ne
lad become engaged to Marge $
mother. he had been studying double
entry bookkeeping. That was to be
he sword which was to pry open ms
oyster, the world.
"The boss told me that if I'd study
he'd give me a chance as bookkeeper,
he had assured Narge'S mother, VINO
had been but 19 then. "One OF theSe
davs I'll be in the firm-and youll
have everything"
Il want only you" she had assured
him with all sincerity.
But the little gods who play Jests
had seen that she had more than just
him. Two girls, of whom Marge was
the older. and boy had come to Keep
hem company. And so it was, with
one thing and another, that long be-
fore this Christmas John Nofth
shoulders had taken on middle-ageo
droop.
"fm lucky to have a job these
days." was now his attitude toward
the world he had once dreamed OF
conquering. A.,
Yet. as Marge's ring caught the
light, some of the years fell from MIN
and he found his wife's hand In his.
In Marge's young, radiant ecstasy
they glimpsed their own.
THEY weren't at all surprised, how
ever. Jimmy had been a fixture
around the house ever since Marge
returned from her vacation. She had
met Jimmy then.
The permission to call that he asked
was not withheld. And very soon the
family began to ask questions about
him.
What" her father had demanded,
does this young Norris do?"
"He works in a garage" Marge had
answered. conscious of q treacherous
surge of color-what Jimmy did made
no difference to her, but she realized
that she was on the defensive.
"In a garage" echoed her father.
"Not-you don't mean a mechanic"
Even in these United States, where
all men are born free and equal, there
are castles to be considered. John
North might realize that he was a
failure, and yet, as Office manager
for such was his title now-and the
wearer of a white collar, he had his
pretensions. The man who delivered
ice at the back door might make forty
a week and have a vociferous car,
but John North could not have
brought himself to change places
with him.
And so he stared at Marge, speech
less through a silence that Barbara