Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-09-18
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-. -. ra +o-dav nv my--by a friend OF

Interested. like mySeir, In the oNP
and disgrace of Reginald Henson
Littimer examined the ring caretuliy,
"It is a wonderfully good imitatioh'
he said, presently.
$50 T am told" said Chris. SO goou
that II must have actually been to'''.
from the original. Now, low cou'i
Henson have a copy made uhiesS Nv
possessed the originate? Will you De
good enough to answer me that queS-
tion. Lord Ltttimer?'
Littimer couli 60 no more than gaze
at h ring in his hand for some time
st could have swOrn-Indeed, l am
ready to swear-that the real ring was
never in anyboiy's possession but mine
from the day Frank was d year old uH-
iii it disappeared. OF course, scores o!
reople have looked at it, Henson amonS
the rest. Bat how did Claire Carfax-
Easily enough. Henson had a hrSt
copy made from a description; l don
know why; probably we shall never
know why. Probably he had 1t don"
when he saw your son and Miss CartaN
had struck up a Irritation. . 1t was ne
who forged a letter from Frank to MISS
Carfax, i~nclosirg the ring. by that
means he hoped TO create mlschlel
which, If it had been nipped in the pud'
could never have been traced TO him.
As matters turned out, ne succeeded oe-
yond his widest expectations. He got
the real ring, TOO, which was likely 10
prove. a very useful thing in case he
ever wanted to make terms. a second
and a faithful copy was made-the copy
YOU hold in your hands-tO hold tempt
ingly over Lady Littimer's head when
he wanted large sums of money from
her"
The scoundrel! He gets the money,
of course?"
He does. To my certain knowledge
he has had nearly go. 900. But the case
is in good hands. OF nave only to
wait a few days longer and the man
will be e. Nosed, Already. as you see.
I have wound his accomplish, the Rev.
James Merritt, around my finger. OF
course. the idea of my getting up a ba-
gar has all been nonsense. / am n
waiting FOR a little further information,
and then Merritt will feel the iron hand
under the velvet glove. Unless l am
greatly mistaken. Merritt can tell US
whe-e Rupert's ring is. Already Van
Sneck is IN our grasp"
Van Snack! Is he in England"
He is. Did you read that strange
case of a man being found, half-mur-
dered, in the conservatory Of Mr.. Steel.
the novelist, in Brighton? Well. that
was Van Sneck. Blu I can't tell o
any more at present. You must wait
and be content"
Tell me n thing, and / will wait as
long as you like. Who are you?"
Chris shook her head merrily. A
great relief had been taken off her mind.
She had approached a delicate and diff
ficult matter and she had succeeded be-
yond her expectations. That she had
shaker the man opposite her sorely was
evident from his face. The hardness
was gone from his eyes, his lips were no
longer bitter and cynical.
II may have been guilty of a great
wrong" he murmured. "All these years
i have been living under a misappre-
hension. And you have told me what /
should never have suspected, although
/ never had a nigh opinion of my dear
Reginald. Where is my wife now?"
.She is still &C Longdean Grange.
You will notice a great change in her,
a great and sorrowful change. But 1t is
not too late to-"
Littimer rose and went swiftly to-
wards the house. At any other time the
action would have been rude, bot Chris
fully understood. She had touched the
man to the bottom of his soul, and he
was anxious to lnde his emotion.
Poor mani" Chris murmured. His
hard cynicism conceals a deal of suffer
ing. But the suffering is past; we have
only to wait patiently for daylight
now"
Chris rose, re5tlessly, in her turn, and
strolled along the terrace to her favorite
spot looking over the cliffs. There was
nobody about; 4 was very hot there.
The girl removed her glasses and
rushed back the banded hair from her
forehead. She had drawn a photograph
from her pocket, which she was regard
ing tntently. She was quite needless of
the Fac that somebody was coming
along the cliffs towards her. She raised
the photograph to her lips and kissed
it tenderly.
fellow, so weak and amiable. And yet,
with all your faults
Chris paused, and a little eager cry
escaped her lips. Frank Littimer, look
ing very wild and haggard, stood be-
fore her.
II beg your pardon" he began. Il
came to see you because"
The words died away He staggered
back, pale as the foam beating on the
rocks below, his hands clutching at his
left side, as though there was some
mortal pain there.
Chris" he murmured. Chris, Chris.
Chris! And they told me-" s
He could say no more, he could only
stand there trembling from lead 10
foot, fearful lest his hooking senses
were making sport OF him. Surely It
was some beautiful vision he had come
upon. With n unsteady hand he
touched the girls sleeve; he pressed
her warm red cheeks with his fingers.
and with that touch his manhood came
back to him.
Darling" he whispered, eagerly.
Dearest, what does 1t mean?.'
Chris stood there, smiling rosily. She
had not meant to betray herself; fate
had done that for her, and she was not
sorry. 1t was a cruel trick they had