The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1895-12-28

lug DICK NdbuciJ uuucIbtOOu lnaI !
was in my own room at the hotel, and
that stranger. doctor no doubt. was
present He enjoined absolute quiet till
he saw me again and asked that he
should be informed ut once if there was
any recurrence of fainting Later when
was in condition to explain the ori.
gin of this attack he would be able to
prescribe for me- The light Of dawn
was struggling through the curtains,
and | knew that / must have been I'M
conscious for many hours With the
effort to Danish all recollections of tho
terrible scene / had witnessed came
lethargy and later deep and dreamless
sleep.
Some days Of seclusion and rest par
TALLY restored my health and spirits,
and | began to feel that what had pass
ed had been sort of evil dream, a ter
TOR that were best forgotten. My father
when he heard my story was at first in
crodulous. Then. impressed in spite Of
himself by my earnestness, he gave an
unwilling belief tojt, but he .eptreated
me to mention it to no one save him
self He could find no account Of a mur.
der in the local papers, nor could he
ascertain whether the tragedy | saw
was known 10 have taken place, and
as he did not wish my name to be
introduced in any inquiry no 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 tho sight of that
lovely face and the sound of that
laugh with its dreadful sequel. And n
strange fancy had como to me also that
tho face was in some way familiar tc
me. | would lie with closed eyes for
hours seeking in vain to recall the re-
semblanco that just eluded me. One day
meditating thus | reused myself from
my reverie and met my own reflection
in a mirror that hung opposite. Breath.
less | gazed, while new terror took
possession Of me. There was the resem-
blanco | had sought. There were the
auburn hair; tho deep, dark eyes; the
colorless face with scarlet lips just
parted Not so beautiful perhaps as the
one had seen in the window Indeed
as gradually comprehended it was my
self gazed upon l could SEQ no beauty
i'm the familiar features, but so like, sc
wonderfully, terrible likel And then
for the first time l began TO doubt the
reality of my vision and to long eagerly
for the power to put it from me. | de-
termined TO rest and to dream no longer,
and that afternoon | descended TO the
garden.
"At lastr' said Colonel Haughton,
taking both my hands. II thought we
were never going to SEQ you again.
have been roproaching myself with hav.
ing overtired you that day-with hav.
ing left you. had no intention of re-
naming away from you for more than O
moment. and want to explain what de-
tanned me. When | came out and found
you gone. l concluded you had returned
here and hurrying on l was fortunate
enough to reach you just before you
tainted. Your father tells me you hav,
had touch of malaria, and hope
but distress you, Miss Durant l an
firing you. Let mo find you a comfort
able chair and leave you TO rest. "
mo, no. " cried eagerly. Stay
will sit here Tell me, where did yot
get that ring?'
On his finger shone a curious greer
stone that seemed tho counterpart of thu
one had noticed ON the hand that helC
tho dagger.
THAT is exactly what l want to tel
you, no said. after getting YOU
spoons for you l noticed, resting on .
carved bracket, this ring. 1t is yer,
curious stone. You 500 IL looks quite
dull now, yet it sparkles with all thu
brilliancy of diamond. And on thu
back Of it is cut part of the head of I
snake. have only seen ring like thi
once before, and that was long ago in I
hill temple in India. They called it TIN
Devil Stone and worshiped it, and the,
told me the tradition of it, Centurie
before this stone had. been discovered b,
n holy man imbeddad in sacred relic
and he made shrine for it, whence i
was stolen by robbers. The next stag
in its history was its division into TIVE
equal parts by a maharajah, who hat
them set into rings, one of which IN
wore always himself, and tho other h
bestowed on his maharanee, whom IN
loved greatly. Oneday he found it miss
ing from her. finger. and in fit o
jealousy no killed her. afterward de
stroying himself. His ring passed int
the possession of the Brahmans, but her
could never DO traced. They say tina
eventually the two viii be united, am
that until this happens the lost rim
VIII fulfill its mission. Ii is supposed {
impel its wearer TO deeds of violenv
and to his own destruction, and whe
the evil spirit within 1t is gratihed
flashes and sparkles. They say, too, tina
IL you cast it from you you throw ava
with it tho greatest happiness of you
life aud lose tho chance of il forever
Yet II you wear itlt dominates you
fate. The instant l saw il recognize
, the lost ring and asked the man hi
price for it. He refused to tell me, sal
, it was not for sale. and l left the shop
+, because l did not wish to keep 20
waiting longer. but returned next-da
, aud succeeded in obtaining it. The oil
man. a curious old Italian, was yer
1 retioent about it, but he seemed to hav
4 gathered some knowledge of the trad
/ tion. and said il had the evil eye, an
4 was neither good to sell nor TO wear.
=, had hoon sold tn him nv n cornnatriot