Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-06-09

| forwarded from Paris. The letter was
from Margaret to tell him that she
also took back what she had thought
about Baraka and hoped to see him
and her before long. She said she
was glad, on the whole, that he had
acted like a lunatic, because it was
likely that they would both be hap
prier. She herself, she said, was go
! ing to be married to Mr.. Van Torp at
st. Georges, Hanover square, before
sailing for New York, where she was
going to sing at the opera after
Christmas. If he should be in town
then she hoped he would come and
bring his wife.
The booklet was an announcement,
interleaved with fine etchings, to the
effect that "The Nine. da Cordova and
Rufus Van Torp Company" would
open their new opera house in Fifth
| avenue less than two years hence
with a grand Wagner festival, to last
two months, and to include the per-
| Torrance of "Parsifal" with entirely
new scenery, and the greatest living
artists, whose names were given.
Mr.. Van Torp had told the diva
that he would like her to choose a
wedding present which she really
wanted, adding that he had a few
things for her already. He produced
some of them, but some were on pa
| per. Among the latter was house in
New York, overlooking the park and
| copied exactly from her own in Lon
don, the English architect having been
sent to New York himself to build it.
Two small items were two luxurious
private cars of entirely different pat
terms, one for America and one for
Europe, which she was always to use
| when she travelled, professionally or
| otherwise. He said he did not give
her the Lancashire Lass because ii
wasn't quite new"-having been about
| ten months in the water-but he had
his own reasons, one of which was
that the yacht represented a senti-
ment to him, and was what he would
have called "souviner." But If she
could think of anything else she fan
cied, now was the time"
She said that there was only one
thing she should really like, but that
she could not have 1t, because it was
not in the market. He asked what it
was, and it turned out to be the ruby
which Logotheti had given her, and
had taken to Pinney's to be cut, and
which had been the cause of so many
unexpected events, including her mar
riage. Logotheti had it in his posses
| sion, she supposed, but he had shown
good taste in not trying to press it on
her as a wedding present, for she
could not have accepted it. Neverthe-
less, she wanted it very much, more
as a remembrance than for it's beauty.
Mr.. Van Torp said he thought he
could fix that" and he did. He went
directly to Mr.. Pinney and asked
what had become of the stone. Mr..
Pinney answered that it was now cut
and was in his safe for sale. The
good man had felt that it would not
be tactful to offer it to Mr.. Van Torp.
Logotheti, who was a fine gentleman
in his way, had ordered it to be sold,
when good opportunity offered. and
| directed that the money should be
| given to the poor Greeks in London.
under the supervision of Lady Maud
Leven, the Turkish ambassador and
the Greek minister, as a committee.
Mr.. Pinney, after consultation with the
best experts, valued it at $4,000
pounds. Mr.. Van Torp wrote I. check
for the money, put the stone into an
inner pocket, and took it to the diva.
Well" he said, smiling, here's
your ruby, anyway. Anything else to-
day."
Margaret looked at him wondering.
ly, and then opened the small moroc-
CO case.
"oh-oh-oh!" she cried, in rising
limitations of delight. 81 never saw
anything so beautiful in my life! It's
ever so much more glorious than y men
last saw it,"
TITS been cut since then" observed
Mr.. Van Torp.
1T ought to have a name OF its ownl
I'm sure It's more beautiful than many
of the named crown iewels!h She felt
half hypnotized as she gaZed into the
glorious depths of the great stone.
Ihank you, she cried, thank you so
very much. I'm gladder to have it
than all the other things"
And tbereupon she threw her mag
nificent arms around Rufus Van Torps
solid neck and kissed his cool fiat
cheek several times; and It seemed
quite natural to her to do so; and she
wished to forget how she had once
kissed one other man, who had kissed
her.
cit wants a name, doesn't it?" as.
sented Mr. Van Torp.
Eyes. You must find one for it,"
"Well,' he said, after what's hap.
pened, suppose we'd better call it
The Diva's Ruby"
THE END.
Sugar from Old Rags.