“Isn’t there any clue as to the identity of the owner?” Kitty questioned.
“There doesn’t seem to be,” Doris responded.
She lifted the ring from the tiny case and as she did so, noticed for the first time a scrap of paper, yellowed with age.
She read the name on it at a glance and a startled expression came into her eyes.
“It says ‘John,’” she said in a strained voice.
“John!”
Echoing the name, Azalea began to tremble. Iris’s face had gone chalk white.
Doris had turned the paper over and was reading something upon the back. The twins scarcely heard her.
“To my beloved sweetheart,” the note said, “the one I have chosen to be my wife. This ring is a sign of my decision. Please wear it always.”
“He did choose,” Doris declared tensely.