The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1889-09-01

4 Open your mouth and shut your
eyes, Bren laughed.
"Oh, come, win, she coaxed Don't
tease"
"Well. then, put out your finger and
shut your ewes"
Truly, now? On your honor, WIFI"
Fair and square" Bren answered.
Kate closed her eyes tight. with a
laughably deprecating face, and put out
her dainty finger. Bren slipped the new
ring over it quickly and called: Time
She opened her eyes expecting to see
her plain old ring. At the look of sur
prise that shot into her face when the
diamond flashed the light In her eyes
Bren laughed aloud.
"Oh, Will" she said, ''how lovelyi It's
so good of you. I'd rather have that than
anything"
And the flush of pleasure that over
spread her cheek paid Bren hundred
times, he thought He had an appoint
ment to keep. and came away soon after.
His appointment was with Traveller.
Charley had asked him to 60 down to
Coventry to look after a delinquent debtor,
and he was to go round at 3 and talk it
over, SO as to take the early train. A
freight train went through Ackenthale
bridge that night, and Bren was detained
Grosenlok, the debtor, had removed, and
Bren had trouble to find him. It was
three days before he got back. In the
meantime he had had great deal of time
upon his hands. and had been compelled
to think of great many things. b One or
two things he had had to think Of great
deal more than he cared. He was glad to
get back. 1t was morning when he ar
| rived; he went up and made his report.
You're tired out, Brexi, Traveller said
KNOCK off today and take rest You
can square things up tomorrow.
mo. no." Bren answered. II amt
tired"
| He was glad to find the books all be-
hind. He drove at them all day. In the
evening he went over to Quincy street
He had told her where he was going; she
was sorry, she had said; he wouldn't be
at Mrs. Mackerons on Friday. He knew
he should be all right when he saw her;
he didn't know what was the matter with
him now. Well, he went round. There
was some company at the house The
/ first thing he saw when he looked in was
| Kate sitting at the piano. where she had
been playing. When she saw Bren stand
ing at the door, a little flush came sud
denly into her cheek She smiled, and
turned her hand as it lay idly on the keys
The light flashed back from her finger as
1t moved Bren had not been thinking of
the ring; only of Kate herself. When the
Jewel flashed in his eyes, it struck him
back as If he had received blow. He
turned back into the hall and pretended to
| get something out of his coat. He had seen
| Kate flush with pleasure almost before
she saw him; and q horrible thought went
through him with the diamonds fash
He had stolen Hates love. 1t struck him
keen and hard. He went in and tried to
be himself. Everywhere the jewel pur-
sued him with its merciless CLEAN. When
he talked to Kate, it put him ont and
made him stammer and flush. He was
nervous and out of sorts He conId
not rid himself Of that horrible, torment
ing thought; the more he tried the more
it came and came. He was glad to get
away He went home and took out that
money from an inside pocket. He had
kept 1t by itself. He had said it was sent
to him; he would use it for no common
purpose. He had given part in charity;
the rest he would spend for Kate. He
laid out what was left. There was just
| SIG He folded it up, put it back in the
| pocket. He took thread and needle and
sewed it up. He would not have touched
a cent Of it now for love or life He went
to bed and dreamed that an evil demon
followed him day and night and stared at
him horribly with one wide, blazing eye
that never shutl
Do what he might, he could not get
that glittering Jewel out of his head,
or the tornenting idea his fancy had
bound up with it. Kate had been so gra-
cious of late; he said he could name the
day of the change-the day he had first
had this cursed money to spend. Not
that he blamed her. or thought Of her
once as mercenary. As soon would he
have thought of rneanness In angel Of
ightl 1t was surely no blame that she
| liked pleasant things. And besides he
had changed himself, he ought to know.
But whenever and whatever, it came to
the same thing. It was the money that
had made the change And Bren broke
out into language that am not going to
repeat.
He could not keep away from Kate; and
somehow her grace, her goodness, her IA
vor to himself. while they charmed him,
were the keenest possible pang The
fash of the brilliant seemed to burn and
blind him. He said it was his morbid
Imagination that fancied something evil
in the CLEAN of the cursed stone. Oh, If
he only had the glittering bauble backl
And he went, getting more nervous and
troubled every day. Kate wore the ring
constantly; naturally she thought It
would please Bren. She must have been
sadly perplexed by Brens behavior Ma
turally, too, Bren brooded over the thing
until It acquired ii 9 power upon him Of q
msgician's spell; and he came TO hate and
fear it with kind and degree of horror
that | shall not make you understand
Then Kate became cold as Bren grew
strange and began to avoid her, while he
could not keep away from the company
where she was. Bern caught her once or
twice regarding him coyertly, with a
wondering glance. as he sat apart I'M
easily. and tried to talk with this one and
that. But the end came One night it
must have come to her dimly that Bren's
strange conduct had something to do with
the ring. She tried it. Watching him
askance, she kept the stone turned SO as
to flash upon him wherever he moved.
Bren grew plainly moro uneasy under her
hand; moved about, shifted his chair.
changed color and bit his lip, as he caught
the CLEAN again and again. Presently
Bren knew that the ring was gone.
Putting on his hat to come away, feel
ing wretched and almost desperate, Kate
glided out and stood suddenly before him,
erect and proud, an angry flush glowing
in her face her lips little apart and her