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Show !........ .Q . A Ring and a - 0 Ring 0 By DUFORD JENNE t (Copyright.) A LINE looked up with a sudden start of interest from the coiicf. where she had been reading at the shy, rosy face of Beth as she entered the room. "Both, something has surely happened. hap-pened. "What is It?" Aline asked. The bobbed, blond bend nodded, and Beth held out a slim hand, and on the finger was a diamond ring. Aline sat up. "So now you have gone and done it! Engaged to Dick Meerley But are you sure very sure you want to spend the rest of your life with him?" The smooth cheeks deepened In color. "Of course, I am. I'm going to have a home of my own !" she almost al-most sang the sentence. Aline mused ; older, wiser, trained in the ways of the great city, somewhat some-what cynical herself because of what she bad seen and knowu, she wondered won-dered to herself if this golden-haired lass was more in love with Meerley Meer-ley than the thought of a home. Probably Prob-ably Meerley loved her as a man should ; be seemed to ; but there wus Ted Ransom, who also loved her. Aline sighed as she said, "Good luck to "you, Honey. Let's see your precious stone." Beth held out the slim finger, and Aline looked at the stone, stared and then looking closely for a moment, mo-ment, patted Beth's hand. "Isn't it a beauty, Aline?" Beth asked, her eyes dancing. "It ought to be to be in keeping with you, you pretty thing," Aline said with finality. But the moment Beth had gone from her room, Aline rushed to the room of her special "pal," Ruth Graves, and blurted out to the astonished aston-ished girl : "Ruth, can you imagine it? That gabby Meerley has given Beth a glass diamond engagement ring think of it!" The olher girl stared, then laughed. "I don't believe it, Al " "I haven't worked in a jewelry store for ten years, my dear, without knowing know-ing one of these fakes when I see it." "But" "Yet I'll make sure. I'll get it from Beth by hook or crook, and then I'll find out." Aline did so, that evening, on the pretense that the setting seenied to be a bit loose; and the next morning x she went promptly to Ted Ransom at the diamond counter in l he store. "Ted, here is Beth's engagement ring that Meerley gave her. I know it is rubbing it in a bit to come to you, but you are the expert liere. I want to find out if it is real." lis gray fine eyes darkened, and his hand had a bit of tremor as he took the ring. Aline noticed it, and said in her impulsive way: "Ted, she ought to be yours; why don't you try the old caveman theory?" He smiled faintly. "What 1 love I would not wish to hurt in any way." He picked up the ring. "And she loves him and he seems to be a fine chap. I'll look this over carefully and let you know. Aline. Just now, I have a rush order." When she came for the ring just before starting home, he handed it to "tier, "it is ail right, Aline, that is the real thing." "There was nothing to do but to believe be-lieve him, but she looked at the ring the moment 'she reached her room: and again she stared at the symbol of love which, in this case, promised lust the opposite to her mind. As she pondered. Beth burs: in. "Oil, Aline, did you say the ring was a fake did you? did you?" "Ruth lias gossiped!" Aline thought will) sudden dread. "Dear, I did think it was. hut 1 guess I was wrong. You wait a moment." She went to the hall phone, a fiery determination flooding through her. and called Ransom at his apartment, and, as his pleasant voice answered, she bade him come to t lie house. When lie came into Aline's silting room, his friendly face changed suddenly sud-denly as he sa' Beth, and Beth seemed to look at him hungrily. "Ted, let's have the truth. The ring 1 took to you had a fake stone in it. and you know it. This ring has a beautiful stone in it, and you put it in in place of that fake," Aline said bluntly. Aline heard a faint gasp from Beth, but Ted said nothing except: "I am sorry you discovered it, Aline. Beth deserves a more beautiful one than even that, and 1 could not quite face the thought of her wearing that imitation. imi-tation. Besides " "Besides," Aline said quietly, "you never thought if what must be in the heart of a man who gives t lie girl he loves a fake ring. I think of it he-cause he-cause I am a woman, I suppose." She turned to Belli, "lion, do you want Hint fake ring hack?" "Never! Never! Oh, Aline, I have been so doubtful, too, and this settles it, I " "1 know, dear, I know. Now, look, I'm going out of this room, and 1 wunt you two to patch up your old friendship; friend-ship; and afterwards, we'll have u regular feed here to celebrate. I'll get I be fixings." She closed the door softly behind her, and slarted down the hull. "I'm an old maid and I'm lough. These men don't fool me," she advised herself, ending her sentence willt a till of song Ihnt rose to her lips from her heart. |