, 1904-12-28

tie circular window in the side of it's
head | should think 1t was listening
for what you might have to say"
For a moment they watched the slug
curiously. Then a drorl thought light
ened her face like a flash of sunshine,
and Dinsmore waited for an explana.
ton.
81 was thinking of Eve" she said
softly. 1.-The sight of the serpent
must have been as bracing as a tonic
after the e%nervating beauty of Eden.
No wonder that she listened. It's a
positive joy to rest ones eyes upon
such ugliness after all this binding
beauty. Absolutely I've beer fighting
the misunderstanding with a desire
to moan and weep"
And yet you screamed at the sight
of it."
The words in themselves were in
nocent enough, but the tone was
thoughtful, and Dinsmore's long,
searching look gave them a signifi-
canoe that caused her to feel conscious
and then redden with annoyance be-
cause she had done so. To divine that
underneath his words might lie an i'm
plication that her efforts to discourage
his suit meant no more than her star
tied cry at the appearance of the slug
was womanly intuition. Blu to show
hat she had OWNED it was a very
different matter, a break more worthy
Of some rustic schoolgirl than of
Efoise ChestertOn. He continued to
gaZe at her until she felt like an in
sect impaled upon a pin point for the
benefit of an interested student. At
last she could endure it no longer.
"Probably Eve screamed, too, just at
first sight of the serpent!' she remark
ed desperately. Then, with an inward
groan, she wished she had not spoken.
Dinsmore laughed out, a little note
of triumph in his voice.
"If you think so, I'm sure that she
did," was his reply. THANK you for
settling a point hat was puzzling
me-"
Defiance sparkled in Miss Chester
tons eyes.
"Reading between the lines" she OBJ
served, with much deliberation and ap-
parent ~irrelevance, lis a misleading
habit. For instance, take my own case.
1 mean what l say and nothing more.
You can't read between the lines, be-
cause there is never anything to read"
At the words the slug crawled a
little farther along the arm of the
chair, as If something had made it un-
easy.
"Incredulity!" calculated Dinsmore
in a suppressed voice, his head thrown
back upon his chair and his eyes lifted
to the passion flowers.
His companion sat upright, looking
at him with fiery scorn. He met her
eyes brazenly. Never had he seen her
appear so superbly beautiful. But he
only said:
Don't sit up like that in a Hongkong
chair; it's inartistic. Moreover, it's I'M
gracious, and a woman should never
be u~ngracious!'
"You're horrid. Ralph Dinsmore,' was
the only reply she vouchsafed him, but
he noticed that she sank slowly back
upon the cushions. One ouldn af-
ford to look awkward in the eyes of
any man, even a man that one fully
intends to refuse.
The warm gold of the afternoon sun
light was gradually paling, and a chill
was creeping s~tealthily into the suave
air. Dinsmore, recognizing the signs
of late afternoon, looked at his watch.
lust a half hour until the 5 O'Clock
boat would bear him away from this
corner in paradise back to San Fran
cisco.
He drew a small case from his peck
ct and calmly handed it to Miss Ches-
terton.
"You like old jewels. See what you
think of it." was his matter of fact
comment.
She obeyed him, drawing from the
case a ring of quaint workmanship in
which two beautiful pearls were i'm
bedded.
"Beautifulr' she exclaimed enthusi-
astically. "EXquisite!" But she did
not look toward him. "What 1t is for
and where did you get it," she added,
struggling to appear natural.
For an answer he leaned toward her
and took it gently from her clasp.
Then he lifted her left hand and calm
" placed it on the third finger, holding
the hand firmly in his while he said
authoritatively:
''That is what it is for. AS for the
rest. it has beer in the Dinsmore fam
ily for 200 years, worn always by the
sweetheart and wife of the eldest son."
But you haven't asked me-" object
ed Il faint voice.
fsOna doacn't bOthar ahout those de-