Show fite kc my adia bwy r V bg aelen Gois rord GS and wrappings aw writ appl ppl I 1 alurban luti garet wondered it sivi sh would ever eer thid hue out nul what tier liei christinas present pi cheat was at lust lost she ed it tiny box la in tier and ghindea a tier lier lurne flarice austin brown lugs ings intent cleared cleu red and a 11 balut smile passed them then fhe opened lie box gasped ii little nod and slipped a rini flat ui tier in fin ger olt oh aupuni Aust jul stif slip sald anil and flung tier unna arins boul him A I 1 A real diani 1 aid aad ive winter one for ever eier so long its just I 1 A vry very v ry leaps christmas dear he answered nn and kissed her for I 1 r a long ion while thea sat talking javery few minutes slie she spoke of it the iulg low how tind had tie he her now she tind hod a really trul ei engo iH genie ot ong ilni shelt did it cost 11 enlist time have hoen been at naul fit I 1 ly expensive where did lie hl get tile thu marwy why do you ion want to bother about that ht hi tiey V lie he tier well weil austin slie she pouted 1 I have a I 1 right to kijor kakiw tin vent 17 I 1 of caume ci dear tie lie you remember rheu hien grand grandfather fullier dard led lust last october Ort olier old mr ir yes they rend ills will last week ott oh and he left you sou suir ething yes illow ihna much vou e very vu y curious ile he seemed about to say more but thou glit bet ter of u ter of u me Ati austin stin ott oil 11 hunt t hut Is it was hyp ired chirs fly austin 1 biars splendid hut but you jaive much left over after you gio an the ring did it youl no tie lie answered nn he fie wits was study ing a design in III the lie rug it was not imig gerore lie rose to leave austin youre coining over for supper tonight reminded hini him our out of town rela rein lives will he be gone by then and we cn can have the evening to ourselves fine ifune said austin and kissed net hei goodby good by marian sut sot very quietly nt at dinner now and then site she touched tou clied the ring 0 on n her finger just to assure herself that it was still there she watched the group at the table with their animated faces and jovial laughter there was company today her cousin frank loud and boisterous and its his timid wife her mulden maiden aunt Alar margarat garaL with thin face and tired eyes her aunt alice and tier her husband john t and there at the foot of the table sat grandpa garnet gamut eat lug ing slyly and carefully so tut that tie he should not spill his i food he fie seldom looked for he fie waa was daab and so tile the conversation went on without him yes said aunt Alu margaret rgaret 1 I 1 suppose grandfather garnet has outlived well austin she pouted 1 I hive a right to know all his friends now that old ur mt Brown brownings trigs gone bl marian artan began to listen welt well it was about time the old boi was moving ir on cousin frank a great gulp of brend ile he got to bt be a mighty big vure care on thero them for sake frank said aunt fil margaret argaret ill it you dont think father ts la a care too id tike like to tell you dit ferell 1 the old nian man looked up and tor for a moment it seemed to marian that tie he had bad heard every word 11 1 1 dont mean that aunt Mn margaret rgaret I 1 wean mean they had to support him for so long he went broke at sixty live five and the children have taken care ot of him ever since there even any insurance tor for austin browning paid all the funeral expenses martun marian clutched her fork afraid to speak and afraid not to you mean austins akstins Aus tins grandfather she asked but he leave a will if lie he did it matter all tie he had in tilts this world was a fen old hooks books he had saved strange that the conversation should go on out I 1 strange that she could go on eating when every bite seemed ready to choke her I 1 at last she found a chance to slip away an and seek bellet in tears team it seemed hours before austin come caroe that evening and yet when he did come she had find not decided what to say she opened tile tie door for him without a word without oven even a smile but austin did not notice ile he kissed tier her ardently and chatted as he took oil off his overcoat 1 I met jimmy tilton anil and his mother on my way over here they say tho the wheelers heelers have a new baby born on christans evol evel jim thought it wits was a girl but lie he sure say the matter 1 I ive just been thinking austin marian avas not sure cure what to say it seemed she had been thinking terrible things about that will of your grandfathers grit nofu t tie rs 1 well veil austin leaned back carelessly but marian hod noticed a sudden flicker dicker of ills his eyelids 1 I 1 heard tills this afternoon that that he have left you five hundred dollars because tie leave even enough to pay for the funeral who told you vou alint my illy cousin frank said so a 0 at dinner 1 I 1 suppose you told him film about the will and he jumped at a chance to make inake trouble tro uhle 11 austin low flow dare youl I 1 say a word to him ailin about it marian wondered whether it was tier imagination or it if austin really was relieved all right he said nut but even so you lou prefer his fits word to mine olt oil austin dont talk that flint vayl then you vou do trust me 1 I went want to austin hut but you arent I 1 telling me the truth and I 1 cant help abil 6 marian marian dont cryl im sorry dear wondering what it Is you are trying to conceal what do you suppose im cm trying to conceal roi neul ris ns you put it I 1 austin there was a catch in tier her voice she looked at film plead was that ring stolen LI his Is face blanched us as at a blow YOU you SOU believe alint 1 I dont know what to believe she tin miserably if I 1 swear to you murton that I 1 have stolen nothing and that that ring was own property when I 1 gave it to you will you vou believe mpa me you do swear it on my iny honor dear then where did you get it why lid did you tell nip nie your grandfather left you that money ilease dont ask nie me to explain it wits was wrong to deceive you I 1 admit hut but I 1 said the first thing I 1 thought of to keep you from froin asking questions but why wont you tell me austin I 1 wont tell a soul ilyaso Il easo dear marian took oft off tile the ring and held field tt it out to film there wits nil lilt she said marian arent you making a nils ints take would it mintter that much you wont trust me it nor will you vou trust tile me slie site turned from froin him 1 I ini stood for t et eno moment lent looking out the lie window I 1 ciul then suddenly threw herself on the ofa sobbing 1 marian arlan Nl murton marlun dont don 1 cry cryl l I 1 ini III sorry dear im a brute I 1 I 1 the sobs continued ive been a coward marian but nothing worse and that was only because I 1 love you sol so ill tell you everything wont you vou listen dear she raised tier her head rind and tie he sut sat down beside tier her and took tr in his fits arms arins you were right dear my grandfather grund futher leave beuve me any money in fact the money I 1 had saved for your jour present all went to pay for the funeral but I 1 knew you ou wonted wanted a ring so I 1 got you the best one I 1 could afford I 1 was so you alte it I 1 come near not giving it to youl then I 1 thought id wrap it ull all up big as a sort 0 of joep 1 I mean then lien to tell you anything wrong wr but when you looked so happy and started asking all those these questions it seemed I 1 co tell you the truth much as I 1 wanted to so go I 1 made up that story ab about I 1 ut the will just because I 1 bear to alsa disappoint you sou only an I 1 binl 1 ni diamond the whole ring only y cost ten dollars marinn marian spoke jerkily slie was still crying but she was laughing too olt oh martin im so bladl glad ive spent s uch such at a wretched after noon I 1 foolish but I 1 was so afraid I 1 1 cant can I 1 tell you now how ashamed a I 1 am marian all right austin it was silly of me to dream those awful things hut but if I 1 rove you so I 1 have cared and you do love me marino marian she did not answer him film in words I 1 tut mt tier her eyes anti ann lips even if I 1 give you a de vent tnt christmas present that so go austin you tinye alvrn me irie uno und yourself too the lie most wonderful present we could reir re velve lve ft a confidence tin in each othea that lint nothing will ever eer shake egeln ML X 1929 W aftem battern Now I 1 dim |