The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-15

talk. But I remember that she opened
the furnace door, allowing soft rays Of
deep yellow light to flood the room;
and then quickly she cast dozen crys-
tails upon the table from the glowing
crucible; and from press near to her
hand she took three more and laid them
on the abte h bna largest s Of the oay nd
possessed little light at a distance, she
presently picked up wi tn tiny tongs,
and coming over to me, she knelt at my
side, holding the jewel before my
eyes, and clasping my left hand in hers.
And then she cried with the widest
excit ement in her voice, and her breast
heaving with her emotion
ooh, look at It'll is there anything
more beautiful on earth than a perfect
sapphire9 and I made it, it is all my
work, all my own!'
While she cried thus she held my
hand firmly and the pressure Of her
own was as hot as fire, but this I only
remembered afterwards, for gradually,
as I looked at the jewel critically, it
took the color and the shape Of a perfect
gem. It was not large stone, perhaps
one Of three earats, but the longer I
looked upon it the more brilliant and
had seen more perfect shape or prom
Use Of light when set; and with the real
ization Of the discovery my head reeled
as the possibility that this mere girl
had succeeded where SO many had failed
doomed at last before he. It was true,
then, as Oldfeld said, that she could
manufacture a perfect jewel before his
eyes. Here was one which, if well cut,
I could sell for hundred pounds. She
had made that, as I could swear; why
should she not make a hundred, a thous-
and9 My heart leaped at the conclu-
sion.
4 .,9 ms,' ~; said I, "you had no help
"You saw that I had none," she
cried. "Look at the other crystals;
there are five of them. You have seen
them come straight from the crucible--
and you know that I have succeeded
proof that have conquered you: When
you return tomorrow I will tell YOU
everything. I am exhausted now. The
work always excites me terribly. MY
nerves are all unstrung; can do ne
more today
eff you will sell me the stone yor
hold in those tongs, 1 will give yor
fifty pounds for it,, said concluding
that, even had I been tricked, 2 rea
my eyes. But at this promise she crie(
out with Joy, and putting the stone il
a little box with lightning speed, sh'
handed it to me. =. >,
"Pay me tomorrow, anytime" sh
said. " It was good Of you to COM
here, and to listen to me. l am yer.
grateful. When you come again 70,
shall know all my secret. Only thin]
we'll of me and be my friend.'
With this she led the way ,quickl.
into her own room, and the lackey ap
peared in answer to her ring. The in
| terview was at an end, abruptly as
seemed to me, and I left her with
strange feeling Of dizziness, and m
head burning with excitement-bute he
sapphire was in my pocket.
X n
When I met Bracebridge, who wa
waiting in my room for me, he had a.
ugly leer upon his face.
""Well, )" said he, 1T fancy my hur
. dred's all right9'
HWhat hundred7'
."With Oldfeld,', said he. ~ be
him hundred she d sell you a piece 9
pose you III deny that she did it,,
Of the ~ sort nt !" said [; "she did sell N
, glass, and Of the commonest kind.
am now seeking an undiscovered supe
latiye. The biggest fool in London
! no designation Tor me.
! quietly. She's done a complete doze
Of us at the game. That paraphernalj
: which Jack Lucas rugged UP in h : col
3 servatory for her is the medium, fa1
cy. Lucas, you know, is a professor {
< something at Emmanuel, Cambridge. E
: taught her all that jargon about cry
'@But,'' said I, as pitched her gla
I s~%o | want
9 know is, how did I come to think th'
s the stuff was reals T could have swo1
: to it.
9 $50 could we all,''i he replied, with
Q great burst of laughter; but III te
8 You in q word-she hypnotized you.
9 always said you were grand subject.
/ I looked him in the face for a minut
q during which he made an heroic attem
! to be serious. But it was too mu'
j. for him. Presently he gave one gre
k shout Of hilarity which you could ha'
8 heard halfway down the street, al
s then rolled about in his chair uncontro
J. HYou seem to find it amusing" ga
8 I, tshut I fail to catch the point.
n HYou III be seeing it by-and-by,' sa
7, he, and at that he went off to the eli
e to be first with it.
dl The End.
4 ONE OF THE SUFFERERS.
l. Chicago Tribune.
Le HProsperityqD said DIR. Blighce