Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-03-27

ror snar were best Forgotten. NY IaSner
when he heard my story was at first in
credulous. Then, impressed in spite Of
himself by my earnestness, he gave an
unwilling belief to it, but he entreated
me to mention it to no one save him
self. He could find no account of a MUIR
der in the local papers, nor could he
ascertain whether the tragedy I saw
was known to have taken place, and
as he did not wish my name to be
introduced in any inquiry he allowed
the matter to drop To him spoke
Of it no more, but the remembrance
Of it would not be wholly banished.
/ was haunted by the sight Of that
lovely face and the sound of that
laugh with its dreadful sequel. And q
strange fancy had come to me also that
the face was in some way familiar to
me. would lie with closed eyes for
hours seeking in vain to recall the re-
semblance that just eluded me. One day
meditating thus reused myself from
in mirror that hung opposite. Breath
less gazed, while q new terror took
possession of me- There was the resem-
blance / had sought. There were the
auburn hair; the deep, dark eyes; the
colorfess face with scarlet lips just
parted. Not so beautiful perhaps as the
one I had seen in the window. Indeed
as I gradually comprehended it was my
self I gazed upon could see no beauty
in the familiar features, but so like, so
wonderfully, terrible likel And then
for the first time I began to doubt the
reality of my vision and to long eagerly
for the power to put it from me. Ide-
termined to rest and to dream no longer.
and that afternoon / descended to the
garden.
cat lastp'. said Colonel Haughton,
taking both my hands. II thought we
were never going to see you again.
have been reproaching myself with hav-
ing overtired you that day-with hav-
ing left you. / had no intention of re-
manning away from you for more than
moment, and want to explain what de-
tanned me. When came out and found
you gone, concluded you had returned
here, and hurrying on I was fortunate
enough to reach you just before you
tainted. Your father tells me you have
had touch of malaria, and / hope
but distress you, Miss Durant. am
tiring you. Let me find you comfort
able chair and leave you to rest y
''No, no. cried eagerly. "Stay-I
will sit here. Tell me, where did you
get that ring2'
On his fingor shone curious green
stone that seemed the counterpart of the
one had noticed on the hand that held
the dagger.
''That is exactly what I want to tell
you,'' he said. s'After getting your
spoons for you noticed, resting on a
carved bracket, this ring. 1t is very
curious stone You see it looks quite
dull now, yet it sparkles with all the
brilliancy of a diamond. And on the
back of it is cut part of the head of
snake. have only seen ring like this
once before, and that was long ago in
hill temple in India. They called it the
Devil Stone and worshiped it, and they
told me the tradition of it. Centuries
before this stone had been discovered by
holy man imbedded in sacred relic,
and he made a shrine for it, whence it
was stolen by robbers The next stage
in its history was its division into two
equal parts by a maharajah, who had
them set into rings, one Ct which he
wore always himself, and the other he
bestowed on his maharanes, whom he
loved greatly. One day he found it miss
ing from her finger, and in fit of
jealousy he killed her. afterward de-
stroying himself. His ring passed into
the possession of the Brahmans, but hers
could never be traced. They say that
eventually the two will be united, and
that until this happens the lost ring
will fulfill its mission. 1t is supposed to
impel its wearer to deeds of violence
and to his own destruction, and when
the evil spirit within it is gratified it
flashes and sparkles. They say, too, that
If you cast it from you you throw away
with it the greatest happiness of your
life and lose the chance of it forever.
Yet if you wear it it dominates your
fate. The instant saw it recognized
the lost ring and asked the man his
price for it. He refused to tell me, said
it was not for sale, and left the shop,
because l did not wish to keep you
waiting longer, but returned next day
and succeeded in obtaining it. The old
man, a curious old Italian, was very
reticent about it, but he seemed to have
gathered some knowledge of the tradi-
tion, and said it had the evil eye, and
was neither good to sell nor to wear. It
had been sold to him by compatriot,
he said, who had dark history-a man
who was ever too ready with his knife,
and who had come to a bad end. / told
him l would steal it, and he might
charge me what he liked for some other
purchases, SO we settled it that way
care you not afraid to wear it?' /
asked. "It makes me shudder to look
at it. There is some deadly fascination
about it, am sure. -
81 am afraid of nothing he said
lightly, Except your displeasure, Miss
Theo. If it annoys you, will not wear
1t, but l confess it has very great fas-
cination for me. do not believe in su-
perstition, but l like the stone for its
antiquity and strange history. Some
day will send it to my friends, the !.
Brahmans Meanwhile it inspires me
with no evil propensity, and since it /.
has interested you / am grateful to it
SO far. " 4
So I resolved to put the ring and its
history out of my mind and to occupy
myself only with the new interest that
had dawned upon my life. The next
few days went by SO happily. and it
seemed so natural to me that Lionel
Haughton should be always by my side
that did not stay to ask myself the
reason for our close companionship,
yet think within my heart of hearts
knew And each day and hour spent
with him was bringing us nearer to
gether and binding us with ties that
would not easily be broken.
''Haughton is very much improved,
said my father one day, since knew
him many years ago. His brother was
my great friend, and l did not see
much of this one. He seems to have
spent a good deal of his life in India,
and 7 fancy il has affected his health /