Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-24
THEKING'SRUBIES
CONTINUED from Page Thirty.)

something, too
Use mighty good bout keepin' secrets"
chucklet Nose
.Oh. Id just as soon tell you. You won't
tell. and papa says you are so faithful. too.
Did Mr.. Montjoy say dat now, 1 Won
der?'
.'Of course, but that wasn't what I was
going to tell you"
What was it, honey?
You know the young fellow whose ankle
Phil and L sprained for him, so ne hao 10
make us visit?'
Yes. l hearn tell dat he made hisseh to
home dar."
We'll. will you believe 1t. he must have
been a fraud. He had a ring exactly like
my grandmother's ruby. and was sporting
it around there, and we all thought 1t was
genuine till Mr. Harlow told Mr.. Glover last
night, when he saw our ring on Antoinette's
finger that he made one exactly like 1t for
a man. and that man must have been Mr..
Dupre."
Nose sat staring stiffly at the hearth but
the boy did not notice him and continued:
There was a row in the house this morn
ing when Mr.. Glover told mama She was
afraid Mr.. Dupre had changed the rings
the idea, or stolen grandma's. but Mr.. Har-
low said the one Antofnette wore was a
genuine ruby. Mama was bound to look
in the place where the ring was kept to
see if it were safe. Grandmama and sister
had to fairly take oath that they had put
the ring away before II o'clock last night.
before they could satisfy her. OF course.
Mr.. Dupre didn't get the ring. He didn't
know where it was kept; nobody does"
.'Of course not" the other gaSped Rigid
with fear. he could scarcely speak
Cover sat for an hour chatting with Nose,
who fidgeted and wished in his heart that
he would take himself home-anywhere-so
he might be in peace, to think. But after
the visitor left he was just as uneasy, not
daring to leave the house, scarcely to lift
his eyes from the hearth. lest the talisman
hidden there should slip away from him.
Until Cover came. no thought was so
dreadful that of losing the charm. But
now the fear of discovery. added to the re-
proaches of conscience, nearly maddened
him. He waited impatiently until the sun
went down. Still he did not dare to leave
the house. AS night drew on he grew more
fearful. imagining that he was In lmme-
date danger of losing the ring. Every
time Fits stirred, he looked around expect
ing some one to come who would accuse
him of theft.
"Jes' as soon as dat rings been in de
watch three months, three weeks and three
days, Use er gwine t. TEX it back to Miss
Ant'nette an tell her how it dun save my
life"
But what, what should he do with it
in the meantime? He realized that its
presence in the house caused him more anx-
iety than he could bear. even could he stay
there all the time to guard It, When the
little clock on the shelf chimed the
midnight hour he arose and, lighting
an old lantern. took the ring from its hiding
place and put 1t in small wooden box,
which he slipped into his pocket. As ne
laid his hand upon the door KNOB F1lS got
up and stretched himself.
Lie down. Fits. Dye s'pose Use gwine
to let yo' into all my secrets? You know
too much already
He made his way down the ravine to Alb
salom's barn. Taking a hammer from the
wall he lifted plank in the floor and put
the jewel under it. He then replaced the
plank and prepared to leave the barn. The
squeaking of rats in another part of the
building reminded him that they might run
away with his charm; chickens might get
under the barn and scratch it out of sight:
or worse than all. the barn might take fire
and burn.
Oats no place tall for it, he unused.
Seems as If de water was de safes place.
No-suah-IH bury it,
He took down a spade and a crowbar
from among the tools, and. going to the
summit of Old Sugar Loaf. pried away the
stone upon which he had sat the night be-
fore. When he had succeeded in moving it
he dug hole and put the ring In 1t. The
stone was rolled back In place and ne re-
turned home to sleep the rest of the night.
He was up early the next morning and was
feeding Absalom when Jim looked in at the
stable door.
Better, are YOU Mose?' he asked.
viii you be with US in the fields today?"
Dat shall. an pow'ful glad to git thar"
Hello. What's this?' asked JIM
Looks If some one had been tearing up
the barn fioor.''
well, 1 'clar. somebody's bin er foolin
round thar" Nose brought the hammer
and with great show of zeal nailed down
the board.
He chuckled softly while he harnessed the
mule, congratulating himself that the ring
was at last safely hidden from all human
knowledge but his own After the days
work was finished and he was preparing to
return home from the fields he saw Black
hart leisurely driving along the highway
He fastened to the fence and hailed him.
Hi dar. Doctah, 1 want ter speak with
your
Il haven't any time to talk with You
now
But Use got sumthln' to tell YOU" per-
sisted Nose.
It'll keep till tomorrow. or mebby the
next day" flung back the doctor. and urg
ing on his horse. was soon out of sight.
Phil had witnessed the scene and was
righteously indignant.
"Nevah yo' min. sonny" Nose said. as
they drove homeward. Il DON keer what
nobody does now. not even my deah ole
driend. Doctah Blackhaht. since Use suah
to git we'll"
At o'clock that night there came loud
tap at the cabin door. Fits barked wildly
and his master called out. who's dar?'
Its me. Blackhart; open the door.
quickr'
ooh. what wuz gwine to tell yo' IL keep
till tomorrer; mebby de mex day." answer
ed Nose. complacently.
There was smothered oath and a crash;
the door burst open. and Blackhart stepped
into the room. Call off that dog or I'll
brain him with my stick" Fits retired to
a corner, growing and uttering low barks
of protestation.
Il 'clar." said Nose examining the door,
"ef I'd known de locks dat rotten. I'd
nevah slep' wink of sleep. 1 might have
been robbed dozen times"
Pooh. what have you got that anybody
would WANT"
"Nothn' ternight: 1 had somethin' las
night that would er made us all rich!'
''What?'
oh l dassent tell; chan wouldn't work
ef did"
Nose. have you got 1t? Have you got
that Montjoy ruby?' asked the doctor,
trembling with eagerness.
Use erfraid of de cham bein' broken eff
tell"
You needn't be afraid to speak of 1t to
the person who taught 1t to you. Tell me
quick il you have that ring?"
Yes. has"
"Give it to me! Give It to me this min
uter'
Use er gwipe to use dat ring fur my
rheumatic. an when Use cured I'll take It
back 10 Miss Ant'nette."
You black villainr' cried the doctor.
sprlnging at Nose. but he had not reached
him before Fits was at his throat.
Forgive an ole friend. Nose" the doctor
said when the dog had been beaten Off
Tn sufferin' so from rheumatic myself
I'm most nigh crazy, an all l thought Of
was a-gttin' that ring to my own
pain. Did you put 1t In the pond?"
NO. de moon amt right When my rheu-