The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-06-25

beauty, so Amber, whose young days have
been spent for the most part in gloom
and melancholy, now blossoms into great
er brilliance, and for the first time knows
herself. Her pretty. low, soft laugh rings
clear and sound: her lovely eyes are fill
ed with light She has even acquired a
faint touch of innocent coquetry that sits
most charmingly upon her.
She has been initiated into the mys-
teries of tennis, has shown a truly won
derful aptitude for croquet though when
first she came she had known nothing of
these small delights. Her want of knowl-
edge had gone to Hilary's heart.
(which will you play?" May had said
the morning after her arrival. Tennis
or croquet?"
Il have never played a game in my
life," Amber had returned; and there was
so much suddenly awakened wonder and
was it sorrow?-i her voice that they
all felt grieved for her, and Hilary a
thousandfold more deeply in love-poor,
poor darling
1t is all changed now, however, and it
is with joy be sees how her gracious, love-
ly nature is at last given full play.
1t is one of those nights in the far
autumn that seem to have been born too
late, and that still breathe of the sweet
ness of a past July. As Hilary and Am
Der run lightly down the steps of the
verandah, the delicate freshness of the
night air falls upon them, giving them a
delicious sense of GOODNESS, of freedom. In
there, the room had been so warm!
Amber, turning up her beautiful face
to the heaven above her, stops. as if to
drink more freely of this gracious breeze :;
and Hilary, watching her, feels his purses
throb. All day he had waited for this
moment. and now it is his. He is alone
with her
alone,f' says Adare; "but something pre-
vented me. Was it you?"
How could know you wanted to see
me alone? Why" smiling back at him in
a little friendly fashion, but with open
surprise in her eyes-"why did you?"
What question" little resentfully
perhaps. Can't she see? Does she not
know? For one thing" he goes on,
dropping into his former manner, and re-
garding her very earnestly, Ito give you
these"
He has put his hand into his waistcoat
pocket, and pulled out two dainty little
boxes.
Il want you to wear these instead of
the others-that I'm afraid / made you
give up Here he holds out to her two
rings on the palm of his hand. One can
see that they are rings to be despised by
no woman-the diamonds and sapphires
in them flashing exquisitely beneath the
rays of the watching MOON
For mel says Amber. She looks at
them as if not believing. She has taken
a step backwards in her surprise. But
now their beauty draws her, and she
comes nearer. She does not, however, at
tempt to touch them.
Restitution of Sort - says he.
laughing little nervously. Ever since
have seen your poor little fingers without
those toys you loved, IL have hated
myself. | have felt like a thief But
if you will put these on-Why don't you
take them? Are you still angry with
me? oh don't say that. They should
have been here some days ago, but
wanted them to be as like the originals as
possible. and it took some time-and of
course I know they are very paltry in
comparison-but you will take them.
won't you? You" He hesitates no0.
What is there in her face that he cannot
quite read? You will try them on, and
see if they will fit your"
"Oh, no." She does not really move
4 - - a.
sion tlat she has shrunk from him. He
looks quickly at her-passionate question
in his eyes.
Il couldn't" says the girl in a little
choked voice-'I couldn't Don't ask
me, and don't--don't think me unkind OF
ungrateful, or-or horrid in any way
Only" She breaks off suddenly, and
then, before he has time to say anything
she goes on again: Can't you see, can't
you understand? The thought of those
rings is hateful to me. 1 wore them when
| had no right to them. You said the
word thief just now; 1 was the Thief
then. / think l should not have induced
you to hide them in the old mill but
but l had not the courage to tell Sir
Lucien about them then, and"-sadly-
Il have not the courage now either. He
would not believe me. No" stopping
him imperatively-'he would not. He
would put his own construction on the
way l got them, and it would only make
things worse for poor dads memory.
have thought it all out, since 1 have beer
here. Do you know, when came hat
the idea of telling him. l fancied wher
Sir Lucien saw me, he would know thai
my father could not-could not" Her,
her poor little voice. in spite of all hel
courageous efforts to control her grie
and misery and honest Indignation, breaks
pitiably-"have stolen or sold thos,
stones but it is all over now"
Give him more time" says Adare
with a mad effort to help her in this dis
tress that is hurting him, even more thar
her: hurting him as though a knife hat
been driven into him. Poor-poor littI
darling!
do you think l can't hear the disbe
lief in your voice?" says she reproach
fully. You know as we'll as do that i
! | gave him all the time that still re
mains to us, he would not believe in m,
fathers honesty. l read that in his eyes
| and in his manner towards me. He will
/ believe only, when 1, or someone else
give him back those dreadful jewels. III
| hates me-
HE is a demon ~ says the young maj
with sudden fierceness. He hates ever,
one" After a little while-"You know
he thinks Deane has something to d.
with them"
Yes; l know Perhaps-perhaps h
| has. l never really believed it before
but now" She pauses, her agitation in
| creasing. HE said once he knew wher
| they were, but did not believe him. III
| told me something about them when
when-when he asked me to marry him.
He did ask you, then. That old maj
| did not lie?"
No; he asked me. And as a bride h
limited that he could clear my father
| memory-could and would restore tn
necklaces, and all the missing ornaments
if only l woula consent to marry him."
| "And you His hands unconscious
ly have frightened painfully on hers. Wit
a little naughty gesture she shakes her