New-York tribune., 1908-04-12

TO ride
"I never thought of YOU as riding. Mar
Well, why should YOU But can. because
| was just a common cowboy and had to for
a living
It's intensely interesting. What a strange
life you have had Tell me more about your
self, won't vou2"
There's not much to tell. it seems to me,
said Van Torp From being a cowboy I
| turned into a miner and struck little silver,
and | sold that and got into nickel, and made
the Nickel TFlIst what it iS-rnore bV financ-
ing it than anything else, and got almost all
of it. And now I've sold the whole thing"
sold the Nickel Trust" Margaret was as
much surprised Lady Maud had been.
' Yes. | wasn't made to do one thing long
| suppose. Ii | We're, | should still be a COW
boy. Just now, I'm here TO go to Parsifal,
and since YOU say those tunes are out of that
opera. l dare say I'm going to ike 1t very
much"
Its all very UnCanuy,' Margaret said
thoughtfulIy wonder who those two men
We're, and what became of the one who dis
appeared. -
" I've strong impression that I saw him
in New York the other day" Van Torp an
swered. " If I'm right, he has made money
doing quite well | should think. 1t wouldn't
surprise me to hear he had got together a mill
lion or so.
Really What is he doing Your stories
grow more and more interesting
If he's the fellow we used to call Levi
| Longegs on the ranch, he's Russian now.
I'm not perfectly sure; for he had no hair on
his face then, and now he has a beard like a
French sapper But the eyes and the nose
and the voice and the accent are the same and
the age would about correspond. Handsome
man, suppose you'd call him. His name Is
kralinsky Just at present, and he has found
whole mine OF rubies somewhere
REALLY I love rubies. They are my
tavorite stones.
Are they? That's funny. l have an I'm
cut one IN my pocket now, If you'd like to
see IT. | believe 1t comes from kralinsky'S
mine too, though l got it through a friend of
yours two or three days ago"
" a friend of mine?"
He was poking his large fingers into one Of
the pockets OF his waistcoat in search OF the
stone
Mr. Logothcti," he said, Just as he found
1T tie discovered handsome Young woman
from Tartary or somewhere who has a few
rubeS to sell that look very much like kra-
| linsky's. This IS of them "
He had unwrapPed the stone now and
offered 1t TO her, holding it out in the palm of
his hand. She took it delcately and laid it in
her own, which was so white that the gem
shed a delicate pomegranate colored light on
the skin all round 1t. She admired it, turned
1t over with one finger, held it up toward the
window and laid it in her palm again.
But Van Iorp had set her thinking about
Logotheti and the Tartar girl She put out
her hand to give back the ruby
should like you to keep 1t, if YOU will, ="
he SAID. Il sha'nt forget the pleasure I've
had IN seeing you like this; but you will for
get all about our meeting here-the stone may
Just make You remember 1t sometimes"
Tie spoke SO quietly, SO gently. that she was
taken Oft her guard, and was touched and
much surprised TO feel that she was She
looked INTO his eyes rather cautiously re-
memberlng well how she had formerly seen
something terrifying in them if she looked an
instant too long but now they made her
think OF the eyes of large, affectionate bull
dog
" You are very kind to wish to give it TO me. -
she answered after a moments hesitation
but l don't like to accept anything SO valu-
able, now that I'm engaged TO be married
konStantin might not like it. But YOU re
50 kind; give me any little thing of no value
that you have in your pocket, for | mean to
remember this day, indeed | dol"
II gave nothing for the ruby" said Van
Iorp still not taking it from her; " so it has
no value for me. | wouldn't offer YOU any
thing that cost me money, now unless it was
theater tor your own. Perhaps the thing Is
glass. after all. I've not shown 1t to any lew
eler The girl made me take it. because
helped her IN a sort of way When | wanted
TO pay tor II she tried To- throw it out of the
window. So | had to accept it to calm her
and he Won't.