Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-10

was in truth nothing but an artificial gem.
but still merely a piece Of colored glass.
-Lorelfe became more perplexed than ever
at this discovery. How came Ivar to know
that the gem was false, and why was he SO
anxious to conceal the truth from his ia
Their?
Then in a moment everything became
clear.
| by his fathers parsimony from obtaining
1t, WAR had formed the plan of appropriate
| ing certain portion Of the plate and gems
| contained In the coffin. To secure himself
| originals by clever facsimiles. fabricated
| on the continent by goldsmfths and glass
! workers of the class who would ask
no inconvenient questions provided that
they were well paid for their work. To
| obtain the necessary counterfeits Ivar
must have conveyed the originals to the
continent. very hazardous thing to do.
seeing that If the earl had paid visit of
inspection to the treasure during his sons
| absence. discovery would have been in
evitable. The counterfeits being completed.
Ivar had brought them concealed in the
| reliquary to Ravenhall. and had trans
ferred them to the coffin. his remark while
doing so-the remark overheard by Godfrey
| to wit. II hope Lorelie will be satisfied"
being doubtless drawn from him by the fact
that Lorelie was often making monetary
demands upon him, fact which she her
self would be the first to admit. though she
| little dreamed of the means taken by him
to supply her costly tastes. She could not
avoid the feeling that. to some extent she
was responsible for Ivar's POPULATIONS: and.
| therefore. compliant with his wish. she kept
SILENT and permitted the earl to remain in
his ignorance.
The contents of the coffin were q mix
| ture Of the genuine and the spurious. The
altar-ring was the genuine article: It would
not have paid for the trouble of counter
feiting. The jeweled vase was spurious: on
glancng again at this last. Lorelie wonder
ed how she could have taken the metal for
gold 10 IT,
common bronze. The sapphire cup was
but worthless glass: she almost sighed at
the thought that the lovely original should
have been exchanged for current coin of
| the realm The selling of such a gem was
an act little short of sacrilege.
We'll may you lnger over it!' cried the
earl, thinking that her long retention of
| the cup was the result OF admira ton. Such
! a gem as that is too lovely for earth, too
precious even for an empress to drink
| from"
But not for a Ravengar, surely7' said
Lorelie.
And taking up the decanter she filed the
azure cup with wine, and held 1t out to
him.
Drink. my lord" she said smiling. ard
| recalling his own words. Ills of a choice
vintage, one Of the rarest of the Madei-
ras"
But from that cup the earl recoiIed as
from the summons Of death himself
Why. YOU start as though 'twere poison"
laughed Loreie. 'Will you not drink
Ivar?" she added. turning to the viscount
and offering him the cup. What! and do
you, too, shrink from few drops of inno-
cent Malvazia? refuse the honor of drink
ing from the great Abderahman's cup? the
caliph's own. veritable, genuine, historic
cup! you understand"
He did-fully. Stepping forward, she
said In fierce thrilling whisper:
How much is your life worth. IL I let
your father know that this cup Is but a
piece of colored glass"
1t was not in Lorelie's nature to take
pleasure in another's pain; yet on the
present occasion the despair and fear ex-
pressed In Wars eyes was a luxury to her.
almost compensating for his attempt on
her life.
TT was for your sake did it," he NUT
tered with white lips.
Contemporary turning away from him.
she said:
Well then. if neither will drink. 7. too.
shall refuse. I will initiate those excellent
examples. my husband and father Let us
be classical and pour out a libation Here's
to the great archfend himself the author
and glver Of the treasure, for heaven I am
convinced has had little to do with It,"
She inverted the cup: but, either py acct
dent or design. the greater part Of the
llquld fell in splaShes upon her Dress very
few drops reaching the floor.
On reaching her bed room Lorsl,e's first
care was to lock the door: her next to cut
from her dress every portion stained with
wine These fragments of cloth she placed
in a glass phial sleeping them in wafer
Then the spirit that had sustained her
through the long and terrible ordeal gave
way and, reelfng forward, she fell heavily
across the bed
CTo be continued tomorrowl