Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-11-04

TIMES-REPUBL1CAN, M
Miss Barrack, I'll buy the stone Of
you, but I'll be everlAstingly jiggered
II I'll take II for nothing"
Barak's eyes suddenly flashed In
most surprising way, her lower lip,
pouted, and her cheek family changed
color. as drop Of scarlet pomegranats
Juice will tinge bowl OF cream.
She made one step forwards. plucked
the stone from his fingers. rather than
took 1t. and with . quick. but girlish-
ly awkward movement, threw it to-
wards the window as hard as she
could. stamping angrily with her little
foot at the same moment. Mr.. Van
Torp was extremely Disconnected, as
he sometimes was by the sudden &C.
lions Of the sex he did not under.
stand. Fortunately the stone hit the
wall instead of going out of the win
dow.
I'm really sorry, Miss Barrack," he
said in tone of humble apology, and
he went quickly and picked up the
gem. I hadn't quite understood, you
see."
She watched him. and drew back In
stinctively towards the door, as If ex-
pecting that he would again try to
give 1t back to her. But he shook
his head now, bowed with all the
grace he could affect, which was little,
and by way of making her feel that
he accepted the gift, he pressed it to
lips, but not to his forehead, because
he was afraid that might cause some
| new mistake. as he did not know what
the gesture meant
Barak's face changed Instantly; she
smiled, nodded, and waved her hand
to him, to say that 1t was all right,
and that she was quite satisfied. Then
she made sort of salute that he
thought very graceful indeed. as If she
! were taking something from near the
floor and laying it on her forehead,
and she laughed softly and was out of
the room and had shut the door before
he could call her back again.
He stood still in the middle of the
room, looking at the gem in his hand
with an expression of grave doubt.
Well" he said to himself, and his
lips formed the words, though no
sound articulated them, that's queer
sort of mornings work, anyway"
He reflected that the very last thing
he had ever expected was a present
of fine ruby from a pretty heather
/ Sir IN mans clothes, Recommended TO
him by Logotheti. Though he almost
laughed at the thought when it &C.
Cured to him, he did not like the idea
| of keeping the stone; yet he did not
know what to do with 1t, for 1t was
more than probable that he was never
to see Barak again, and If he ever did.
1t was at least likely that she would
refuse to take back her gift, and as
theoretically as on the first occasion
At that moment it occurred to him
that he might sell 1t to a dealer and
give the proceeds to Lady Maud for
her good work, and taking his hat and
gloves he went out Immediately, with
out even telling Stemp that he was
going.
He walked up at leisurely pace
from his hotel by the river to Piccadil-
~ and Bond street, and entered jew
eler's shop Of modest appearance but
ancient reputation, which had been in
the same place for nearly a century,
and had previously been on the other
side of the street.
| Outside. two well-dressed men were
looking at the things in the window;
within. broad-shouldered, smart.
looking man with black hair and
dressed in perfectly new blue serge
was sitting by the counter with his
back to the door, talking with the old
jeweler himself. He turned on the
chair when he heard the newcomers
step, and Mr.. Van Torp found himself
face to face with Konstantin Logo
theti, whom he had supposed to be in
Paris.
WELL" he said, without betraying
the surprise he felt, "this is what l
call very pleasant accident, Mr.. Lo-
gotheti"
The Greek rose and shook hands,
and the American did not fail to OBJ
serve on the counter small piece of
tissue paper on which lay an uncut
stone, much larger than the one he
had in his pocket.
IF you are in any hurry" said Lo.
gotheti politely, II don't mind waiting
in the least Mr.. Pinney and I are
In the midst Of a discussion that may
never end, and / believe neither of US
has anything IN the world to do"
Mr.. Pinney smiled benignly and put
IN a word in the mercantile plural.
which differs from that Of royalty in
Being used every day.
1.-THE truth is, we are not very busy
just at this time Of the year." he
said.
That's very kind of you, Mr.. Logo
theft" said Van Torp, answering the
latter, "but I'm not really in hurry,
thank you"
The stress he laid on the word real
ly" might have led one to the conclu-
sion that he was pretending to be, but
was not. He sat down deliberately at
a little distance, took off his hat, and
looked at the gem on the counter.
Il don't know anything about such
things. of course" he said in tone of
reflection. but should think that
was quite nice ruby"
| Again Mr.. Pinney smiled benignly,
for Mr.. Van Torp had dealt with him
for years.