to Billy Little.

"I thank you for it, Billy, though it has brought grief to me as it did
to you. I do not blame the ring; my loss is my own fault; but it is
strange that the history of the ring should repeat itself. It almost
makes one superstitious."

"Egad! no one else shall suffer by it," said Billy, opening the huge
iron stove and throwing the ring into the fire.

Dic's loss was so heavy that it mollified Billy's anger, which for
several days had been keen against his young friend. Billy's own pain
and grief also had a softening effect upon his anger; for with Dic out
of the way, Rita Bays, he thought, would soon become Mrs. Roger
Williams, and that thought was torture to the bachelor heart.

Rita, bearing the name of his first and only sweetheart, had entered the
heart of this man's second youth; and in the person of Dic he was wooing
her and fighting the good fight of love against heavy odds. Dic, upon
receiving the ring, was ready to surrender; but Billy well knew that
many a battle had been won after defeat, and was determined not to throw
down his arms.

Thinking over his situation, Dic became convinced that since Rita was
lost to him, he was in honor bound to marry Sukey Yates. Life would be a
desert waste, but there was no one to thank for the future Sahara but
himself, and the self-inflicted sand and thirst must be endured. The
thought of marrying Sukey Yates at first caused him almost to hate her;
but after he had pondered the subject three or four days, familiarity
bred contempt of its terrors. Once having accepted the unalterable, he
was at least rid of the pain of suspense. He tried to make himself
believe that his pain was not so keen as he had expected it would be;
and by shutting out of his mind all thoughts of Rita, he partially
succeeded.

Sunday afternoon Dic saw Sukey at church and rode home with her, resting
that evening upon her ciphering log. He had determined to tell her that
he would marry her; but despite his desire to end the suspense, he could
not bring himself to speak the words. He allowed her to believe, by
inference, what she chose, and she, though still in great doubt, felt
that the important question was almost settled in her favor.

During the interim of four or five days Billy Little secretly called
upon Miss Tousy, and incidentally dropped in to see Rita.

After discussing matters of health and weather, Billy said: "Rita, you
must not be too hard on Dic. He was not to bl