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

Il - - - - II - ~ Il ~ ~ LIZ
II was In tho duslxy. tepid twilight Of
particularly hot, vaporous. drowsy day
at AK los Bains. in Savoy, that pass
cd through tho hotel garden and prepar-
cd to take languid stroll through the
streets OF the little town. was tired Of
having nothing to do and no one TO talk
TO. The other people staying at the Ho-
tel do / Europe were mostly foreigners,
and apart from that entirely uninterest-
ing, and. az to my father. he was almost
"A nonentity TO me at present till his
"oourse" was completed. From early
morn 20 dowy eve no was Immersed in
the waters either outwardly or inward
ly or both, and beyond occasional
glimpses Of him arrayed in costume
resembling that of an Arab shoik being
conveyed in pomp and "A sedan chair to
or from tho baths | was, fguratively
speaking. an orphan until table 'hote
As crossed the veranda some one
rose from long chair. and throwing
his book down said: "Where are you
going, Miss Durant? May go too?"
''If you like, answered politely
but indifferently. 81 am only going to
look for spoons. "
For
Spoons. am collecting, you know.
IL is something to do and one can al
ways give them away when ono is tired
Of them.
So we sauntored along side by side,
and as we did 80 | began to feel less
bored and moro reconoiled 90 the trou-
bic of existence, and finally amused and
Interested and flattered.
For this quiet looking. middle aged
man, to whom my father had introduce
cd mo two days before as an old friend
of his. and whom had mentally sum
med up as rather handsome, clever
perhaps. conoeited possibly and married
probably" was making himself agree
able as only "a cultivated, polished man
OF tho world who wishes to make n IA
vorable impression can, and gradually
found myself acknowledging that his
dark. intellectual face, with it's efewn
OF waving. iron gray hair. was some
thing moro than handsome, and that his
clevernoss was sufficient to carry him
beyond oonoeft, while it did not set him
above n very evident enjoyment of q
girls society and conversation.
Ho had already learned most Of my
tastes and occupations and drawn from
me. by n magnetic sympathy. some con
fessions as 60 my Utmost thoughts and
aspirations, telling me in return that he
was travelling YEARLY in search of rest
authoritatively ordered by his doctor,
and he was doploring his lonely
bachelorhood. when my attention was
attracted by some quaint spoons hall
hidden among other old dull silver
things in forsaken looking little shol
TO which our wanderings had led us
through narrow. dingy byways. 81 won
der how much they are. " | said, anC
asking me TO wait outside Colone
Haughton disappeared into tho obscur,
interior. Iremained gazing through tn,
window for moment; then. impelleC
by what idle impulse know not.
walked slowly ON.
The sound of easement opening JUS
over my head and feminine laugh ar
rested me- and | looked up IL was
curious laugh, low and controlled, bu
with malicious mockery in it tina
seemed tit ending TO some scathinl
speech. and just inside the open lattice
her arms resting ON the sill and chiI
dropped lightly ON her olasped hands
leaned the most beautiful woman havl
ever seen. It was but glimpse of an
burn hair in white forehead, Of eye
like brown pansics. and parted lips tina
looked like scarlet petals against tn
perfect pallor OF her rounded cheeks
but it is photographed forever ON IN,
brain. for as | looked a mans han
and arm. brown. lean aud supple, wit
the nervous fingers, ON one Of which
green stone flashed. clutching poniard
came round her neck and plunged tn
dagger. slantingwise, deep down int
her heart Tho smile ON the beautiful
lips quivered and fixed, but no SCUM
came from them. and the eyes turne
. up and fixed, and As she swayed towar
the open window the spell that Wa
upon me broke, and with q shudderin
cry l fed. On. on-blindly, madly
desperately-with no sense OF though
IA VI iccinB Saw an oNciNhci hoiio
:, A red mist seemed to close around n
and wall me in. and as fought again
= it felt my strength fail. and all WI
= dark and still
Somewhere in the darkness a volt
: speaking. the touch Of hand on II
face, a glimpse of light a sense Of pa
that some one else was suffering, thu
= consciousness and memory. My father
n anxious face bent over me, and b
voice. as though from distance. sal