Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-03-22
THE DIV AS RUBY
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Continued from page s


thumb and finger into the pocket of his white
waistcoat. It's only funny little bit OF
glass | picked up he continued, producing
mall twist OF stiff writing paper. You
needn't think it's so very fine; but its
pretty color, and when YOU. re out of mourn
,ng dare say You'll make hatpin OF it. |
ike handsome hatpins myself, YOU know.
He had UNFINISHED the paper while speaking.
1t lay open in the palm OF his hand, and Lady
Mary saw a stone of the size of ordinary
hazelnut perfectly cut, and of that wonderful
transparent red color which is known as
pigeon s blood" which it IS almost impossible
to describe. Sunlight shining through Persian
rose leaf sherbet upon white silk makes a little
patch of color that Is perhaps more like 1t than
any other shade of red; but not many Euro
peans have ever that. and it is good
deal easier to go and look at pigeons blood
ruby in jewelers. window.
What beautiful Color! exclaimed Lady
Maud innocently, after moment. =" didn't
know they initiated rubles SO well; though OF
course | know nothing about 1T. 1t 1t was
not an impossibility, l should take it for
real one
so should l." assented Van Torp quietly.
It'll make a pretty hatpin anyway. Shall
have it mounted for vout
Thanks, awfully; but l think ! should
like to keep it as it is for little while. It's
such a lovely color Just as it is. Thank You
so much, Do tell me where you got it.
Oh well, there was sort of traveller came
to New York the other day, selling them what
they call privately. l guess he must be
Russian or something, for he has a kind of an
off look of your husband, only he wears a
beard and is sunburnt
Lady Maud said nothing to this; but she
took the stone from his hand. looked at 1t for
sometime with evident admiration, and then
set it down little table by the end OF the
sofa.
If l were YOU, shouldn't leave it around
much" observed Van Torp carelessly: some
body might take fancy to it. The colors
attractive, YOU see, and it looks like real
oh, I'll be very careful OF 1t, never tear! l
can't tell YOU how much | like it She
twisted it up tightly in its bit of paper and put
it away in her writing table.
It'll be sort of souvenir of the old Nickel
Trust said her friend watching her with
satisfaction.
Have YOU really sold out all Your interest
IN it," she asked, sitting down again; and
now that she returned to the question her
tone showed that she had not yet recovered
from her establishment.
That's what I've done. | always told
YOU should when | was ready. Why do you
look so surprised Would you rather hadn t:
Lady Maud shook her head, and her voice
rippled deliciously as she answered. :" | can
hardly imagine YOU without the Nickel Trust
that's all What in the world will you do
with yourself.
oh, various kinds of things. l think III
get married, for one. Then III take rest
and sort of look around. Maybe something
will turn up. I've concluded to win the Derby
next year-that's something. anyway"
Rather, Have YOU thought of anything
else"
She laughed a little; but was grave the next
moment for she knew him much too well to
believe that he had taken such a step out OF
caprice or a mere fancy for change. His an
nouncement that he meant to marry agreed
too well with what she herself had suddenly
foreseen when she had parted from Griggs in
Bond-st. a few days earlier If Margaret had
not at last made up her mind to accept
iogotheti,-supposing that her decision was
really final,-Rufus Van Torp would not sud-
denly have felt sure that he himself must
marry her if she married at all His English
friend could not have put into words what
she felt had taken place IN his heart; but she
understood him one else could, and was
certain that he had reached OF the great
crossroads of his life.
A woman who has been married for Years to
such man as Leven, and who tries to do
good to those fallen and Cast-out ones who
laugh and cry and suffer out their lives. and
are found dead behind the Virtue Curtain, is
not ignorant of the human animals instincts
and ways, and Lady Maud was not at all in
Clined to believe her friend Galahad. She
knew very we'll what the Virtue Curtain was
trying to hide. She lifted it quietly, went be-
hind it without fear and did all she could to
help the unhappy ones she found there.
Come and be bad, and YOU shall have
good time while You young the devil had