Show ONLY A JOKE by MARTHA M WILLIAMS youre a fine person john andrew had shirked aane first brat house party parts tor for whose success she eho was so BO anxious I 1 had a party and nd then some eh he queried jauntily 1 I know I 1 treated you badly anne 8 borne ome day you shall know why I 1 had to do it may I 1 tell you right now anne aane asked red spots flaming in her checks her readiness startled him 1 I wish to heaven you would tell me what you think it was ho he answered 1 I dont think I 1 know she declared cowardice you thought id mako make a scene over una loreo As it I 1 cared I 1 begged her to announce your engagement enga Kement when hen she I 1 nil all but did it myself engagement to whom am I 1 engaged he questioned amazedly seo see here bere who says im engaged to anybody I 1 tie he demanded his eyes darkening nobody but llna lina had on your ri ring ng and paraded it constantly when hen I 1 told her bar I 1 know what it meant she deny 11 1 I see john andrew broke brok 0 ln in say anne weve grown up together and you know me ma have I 1 ever told you a llo ile except about trifles or in a good cause no so BO pleass please dont begin it now anno anne returned looking down it would be as foolish as it would be wicked to deny things after youve I 1 given any girl your mothers own ring it surely would john andrew tp returned ahja lips setting hard here indeed was n complication the ring was an heirloom ho he had always been very iery careful of that ring seldom wearing and still more rarely letting it pass out of hla his possession annes touch of it had always pleased him her ber taper fingers and seemed to caress the bauble she could scarcely bo be ml mistaken staken in her assertion I 1 as to KB its present whereabouts but so far as ho he know the jewel was safe within his strong box at home ko he bad put it there he told himself tho the morning he be fled from annes house party later accusing memory recalled to him that lie ha had bad shown it to alha loree over at tho the Farn Purn hama haralL but she had certainly returned it to his bla keeping there on the corner of the elayya saying with a strained little laugh cs as she ohe dropped it into the case he hold open take taka it john but not for always I 1 hope those last words only had apen loba john andrews danzer din er ati signal he had nanai ed somehow to lauch awny away their implication and ul bw then refuge in a gallant goc by and galloped baisly homo homm now john andrer Andr an arct cr face to fac face a with tho problem of bis life ilia dared not hepnir elc ilc out it rould bo be shameful to accuse a gentlewoman upon mere sui suspicion rather than that bo be must let lct anno anne continue to misunderstand hird him looking straight bt falto her indignant eyes ho he said unsteadily 1 I cant explain not now bu but t ial lt r i if t I 1 bring my mothers ring may I 1 put jt it where you know I 1 have always meant it to go she shook her head bead slightly the tha ago age of miracles Is past sho she said regretfully gret fully 1 I am going to restore your faith in miracles and in me he said turning away without another word 0 0 0 his baud As tho abl case sprung x open ope n to in his hand jachn andrew started back with a little littie smothered exclamation it was not empty but as he be lifted the shining bauble within it and held it to the light ho he laughed grimly there them was andee d a superficial likeness between the thing he hold held and the thing ho he sought sough instantly he recalled linas passion for the stage her long lone experience in private theatricals and realized that she had attempted to palm on him this bit ot of stage trumpery and then had been indiscreet enough or vain enough or possibly crafty enough to wear thoi the jewel she had taken in exchange theft he told himself must not have been the original impulse but rather the opportunity to triumph even momentarily menta rily over her rival lie ho wanted to swear at her at him self bolt at the whole world but thero was not time he must act instead Long longview view fifty miles distant lie he could make mabe it before nightfall with his speedy roadster llna appeared to he be neither ear nor abashed at his return she mot met him with an air of bravado w which beeme beamed d to imply that she had nothing to conceal that she was willing to meet him even a little more than hall half way without a word he took the clumsy substitute from the ring case and hold held it out to her I 1 oh ob I 1 see she laughed knowingly you have returned to Long longview view to make an exchange yes tea he het returned pointedly of 0 course I 1 know you meant it as a joke but I 1 assure you there Is a serious side to it the ring actually belongs belong to tc anno anne of course it wa sonly a jolia joke she declared slipping his ring from her fluger finger and returning it to him with a brave attempt at a smile 1 I am going gain to call up anno anne and tell her all about it Czyr ight 1916 it by the mcclurd tle r syndicate per der syndicate |