Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-12-18
CHAPTER XII.

and he believes 1t to be that of Farnham
s! CHAPTER XII.
s.KISMET AND MISS CUNNINGHAM"
Had | paused for an instant's refec-
ton | must have felt that it would be
impossible for me to take any open no
tice of the ring, but so great was my
surprise at seeing Harvey Farnham's
treasured possession on Miss Cunning
hams finger that involuntarily l utter
ed slight exclamation.
Biting her lip, she hastily withdrew
the hand, dashing the pen she had
been holding with petulant little ges-
ture into the desk where she had been
writing.
'Why do you look so astonished?"
she cried, certain bitterness in her
voice, at seeing me wear the sign of
my bohdage?'
She tried to laugh as she spoke, Civ
ing an effect of lightness to the words,
but the effort was failure.
would not let her continue to think
that she was right in the guess she had
made as to my emotion.
ct is not wholly that, Miss Cunning
ham," | returned. Say, rather, | was
surprised at seeing you wear this par
ticular ring"
ut is a remarkable one, isn't it?
Far too gorgeous and conspicuous to
please me, for myself; but Mr.. Wildred
was anxious fer me to have it. | be-
lieve it has been in his family long
time, and has been handed down from
generation TO generation of betrothed
brides-happier than myself. The
last three words were spoken almost
in a whisper, but l heard and under
st6od them, as / wound have understood
the faintest murmur from those lovely
lips, so dearly loved.
Some dim awakening thought, scarce
ly clear to my own consciousness, STIR
red in my mind at her strange an
nouncement I could not resist fur
Their questioning.
did Mr.. Mildred tell you that the
ring was an heirloom in his family?'
Eyes There is romance attached
to it,
She sighed family, as though at the
death of romance in her own young life.
Then, more quickly:
why, Mr.. Stanton? Why do you
ask me that?'
/ could not tell her why; but my
heart was bounding with a new vague
excitement.
Forgive my curiosity | said eva
sively. 81 am interested in all that
concerns you
She turned from me, ostensibly to
arrange her scattered papers on the
little davenport, and relieved of the
thraldom of those lovely eyes, l en-
deavored~ to collect my scattered
thoughts.
Somehow felt that | was on the eve
of a discovery which might be of vast
importance in both our lives. How
had MILDRED obtained that ring from
Harvey Farnham? Why had he lied
about it to Karine? That he was viii
lain and a schemer l was sure, though
] had no possible means of proving it.
What if this seemingly small matter
should put a clue into my hands?
So clever a scoundrel should not
have committed himself to lie thus
easily disproved, l thought.
Only necessary lies were worth the
risk for a man of acumen such as his.
BIT even the most crafty OF mortals
is fallible, l reflected, and liable to
make some insignificant mistake
which, like one stone wrongly placed
in the foundation of a vast building,
renders the whole structure unstable.
Possibly Wildred had found a stealthy
pleasure in weaving a pretty romance
round the ring which he had chosen
as the sign of his betrothal, and in
weaving it he had forgotten that l,
as an acquaintance of Farnham's,
might have been conversant with its
real history. Or, perhaps, he had not
counted upon the fact that Karine
might re-tell the version he had given
her to me.
/ knew how greatly Farnham had
valued the marvellous diamond, in its
quaint setting, and | remembered
how, only on the night of our last
meeting, he had reiterated TO me his
determination to keep it. 1t was too
small to be removed save by cutting
he had said, and l had satisfied my
self by observation that he had not
exaggerated.
He must, then, have gone so far as
to have the ring cut from his finger
before sailing for America, that he
I might leave it as a parting pledge of
Friendship with Carson Wildred.
~ rich redgold cirflet hung loose