New Britain herald., 1928-10-13
CHAPTER Xiv

=. Aabsl slipped the ring expert
mentally ON her third finger. At the
sacon1. joint It stopped abruptly.
and she transferred it to her little
AaSex, pressing 1t firmly over the
Middle joint. She walked to the
lamp. and held her hand under the
parchment shade.
Seven hundred" she murmured
to herself. Seven hundred. II it'o
worth I cent. Maybe more. 1t might
have cost thousand"
She moved her hand slowly to
catch the light.
Poor old Sib. l wonder If she's
going to care about him"
She put her finger In her mouth.
and slid 1t back and forth. Her
finger was red and swollen. When
it was very wet. she pulled the ring
off.
"she has thin fingers. whoever
she il. C. B.'-now l wonder"
Once more Mabel hedr the ring
under the lamp shade.
ITS platinum all right" she
said. Poor Sib!"
She put it back in the box, and
slipped 1t behind the clock over
the fireplace. Then she gathered
up the cups and glasses. and car
ried them to the kitchen.
WhiskinE up a lather Of pleasant
suds, she washed the fragile things
and for the first time in her mar
ried life forgot to hold the lovely
purple eoblets to the light to ad-
miro their amethystine translu-
tence. Mabel was bordering desper-
Ataly Presently the little girl down
stairs came up with Teddy. And
Mabel, wringing her glass towel
vigorously. hung it on the rack. hel
decision made.
When sybil came in she was
bo3sterously determined.
see here, Sib. I want to sho"
you something. Look! It's ring
A Wedding ring. John Lawrence
h.s 4 wedding ring. His initials are
In It,"
She thrust It defiantly at sybil.
II know It. Nab. What's all the
excitement? He's got right to ous
q wedding ring, hasn't he?"
"Of course he has. That's JUS
It," Mabel was clustering But
you poor little nut, you don't wan
to ret mixed up with him. Lee
him marry the girl he bought thu
ring for. You've got a good maj
now, and you don't know wher
you're lucky.
.s"I told you ages ago that Rosel
Caldwell was heavens little gift u
women - remember? The day VI
sAv Dolly Weston at Schaffts
You almost met him that day.
know Z homebreaker. sib. when
see one. Lett him marry his OLE
C. B. And Sib-sib. dear-go hom'
and call. up Craig. Don't go to se'
this other man tonight. Tell Grail
YOU want to see him. Tell hin
you'll marry him. dear. And tel
him tonight - before there's an
lam with your pretty hero bacl
from the grave.
"Oh. John Lawrence may hav
been very wonderful when 20
knew him. But 10 years can max
4 rake out Of = knight. And ever
man needs anchorage. John Law
renee hasn't any. He's gone tn
mace. I tell you. And you've ha
trouble enough. He'd only breal
your heart. He has c. B. now. LIE
him keep her. Please. darling. clea
cut OF this affair before 1t smother
you. John Lawrence won't max
anything but trouble for you. re
member. the premonition you had
You said something dreadful wa
going to happen."
sybil laughed.
my dear. your solicitude amuse
me. AnyboAy'd think was abou
1s, the way you talk. Suppose you
hetovsd Jack disappeared some da!
And suppose. after you'd mourne
him a. dead. 20 years passed. an
Johnny came marching HON
again! You wouldn't drop him lik
q hot potato, would you? Even
you knew he mad another lady !
the offing. Now be yourself. Nal
You know darn we'll you wouldn't
"But that's not fair. sib. Yo
don't love John the way l los
Jack. Johns new personality-tf
life he's ied-the girl he has-a
these things intrigue you. Your II