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Show 'Thank You, My Friend' By MARTHA K. DAVIS (McClure Syndicate WNU Service.) ft T'M" TERRIBLY sorry. Tom', but A we are having the rector and his wife for dinner." I doubtless looked my .V appointment. appoint-ment. Stranded for a few hours in a western city, I had happily bumped into an old college chum, Jerry Bos-worth, Bos-worth, whom I hadn't seen in years. Of course nothing would do but I must go to his home for dinner. "Judy will be mighty glad to see you," he said heartily, and remembering remem-bering pretty Judith Bosworth, I experienced ex-perienced a pleasurable anticipation at the thought of meeting her again. "It will have to be 'eat and run,' " I said. "My train leaves at eight-forty eight-forty and I simply have to make it." I found Judith charming as ever and the thought of a few hours' visit with these old friends was decidedly de-cidedly gratifying. Now here was my hostess announcing an-nouncing the impending arrival of a boresome rector and his probably equally boresome wife. "It's a perfect shame It happens this way," deplored Judith, "but you will enjoy meeting Nancy Rathburn, Tom. She isn't the ordinary 'rector's 'rec-tor's wife' at all. She is the most fascinating, interesting, delightful woman! Everyone adores her. How she ever happened to marry George Rathburn ! Really, I do not believe be-lieve she could stand him if it weren't for her little periods of escape. es-cape. Every spring she spends a couple of months abroad. She comes back more beautiful than ever, fairly fair-ly aglow with enthusiasm, and plunges heart and soul into parish work. The things that woman accomplishes! ac-complishes! Why last winter " but Judith's dissertation was interrupted by the arrival of her guests. The Reverend George Rathburn was all that my hostess had implied. im-plied. Pompous conceited arrogant! arro-gant! But for all his bluster, he quickly faded into insignificance. Beautiful, quiet, poised Nancy Rathburn! The way she moved her voice no, the secret lay in that expression ex-pression in her eyes. What were those fathomless, dreamy eyes seeing? see-ing? Surely not her pragmatical little lit-tle husband, or anyone or anything in Judith's cozy apartment. I was glad to be placed beside her at the table, but the smallness of the party forbade any intimate conversation.- It was during the salad course that I noticed the ring on the third finger of her right hand. A flower cluster of diamonds embedded in black onyx, surrounded by a wreath M dull gold. I was a fool for speaking. "Your ring, Mrs. Rathburn may I look at it? It reminds me of a ring a comrade of mine in the war " Nancy Rathburn's white hand clenched. "Ah show him your ring, my dear," broke in the rector. "Perhaps "Per-haps he can tell you something about it. You see, Mr. Neeland, my wife picked up that ring at some pawnshop pawn-shop over in London. It has some kind of insignia woven in the wreath. Guess some of the nobility got hard up, but they'd have a difficult time trying to buy it back." He guffawed loudly. "Mrs. Rathburn thinks more of that ring than all the rest of her jewelry put together. Sort of talisman, talis-man, you know. Show it to him, Nancy." I took in mine the hand she slowly extended. The lingers were like ice. And as I looked down, I saw again a trench a khaki-clad man, whimsical, whim-sical, gay, untouched by fear heedless heed-less cynical. "What does it matter, mat-ter, old man? Nothing can happen to me. It's all happened. You know one of those arranged affairs. She doesn't give a damn whether or not I'm hit by a bloomin' shell. But there is a girl. Tommy lad! Oh, well she's tied as tight as I." There was a small piece chipped from the onyx. I remembered about that. "By Jove if I hadn't put up my hand. Tommy! Trust the 'House of Garland' Gar-land' to jolly well protect its sons of war!" And then convalescing in a hospital. hos-pital. Young Lord Garland Dicky Garland calling frantically for "Nannie! Nannie!" Later a firm hand-clasp. This ring cutting into my flesh. "Good-by. "Good-by. Tommy, old man! Jolly luckl Take good care of yourself." I looked up. Nancy Rathburn's eyes were enormous and her under lip was caught tight between her teeth. She was holding her breath. I said, "No, the ring this reminded remind-ed me of was quite different. In fact, on close inspection, this is not like it at all." I had to leave directly after dinner. din-ner. Nancy Rathburn stood beside her husband. As I shook hands with her conventionally, I caught a faint little whisper "Thank you, my friend." |