Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-03-07

!
I've got your meaning" he said.
You're after the big man with the
/ yellow beard, who is selling rubies
! from the same place, and has very
! likely gone off with yours. He looked
like bad egg in spite Of his hand
some face"
! He turned his eyes thoughtfully to
the window. Barak plucked gently at
his sleeve and pretended to write l.
| the palm of her left hand. and then
went through all the descriptive ges-
/ lures again. and then once more pre-
! tended to write, and coaxingly pushed
| kim towards a little table on which
she saw writing materials.
You'd like to have his address,
would you, Miss Barrak? wonder
why you don't call In your interpreter
and tell me 50. It would be much
simpler than all this dumb crambo."
Once more he made a step towards
| the door, but she caught at his sleeve
and entreated him in her own Ian
| guage not to call any one; and her
voice was so deliciously soft and be-
seeching that he yielded, and sat down
at the small table and wrote out an
address from memory. He handed her
/ the half-sheet of paper when he had
dried the writing and had looked over
it carefully.
Poor little thing" he said in a
tone of pity. eff you ever find him
he'll eat you"
Barak again showed signs of great
emotion when she put the address
into an inside pocket of her mans
coat, but II was not of the same kind
as before. She took Van Torp's big
hand in both her own, and, bending
down, she laid it on her head, meaning
that he might dispose of her life ever
afterwards. But he did not under
stand.
You want my blessing, do you, Miss
Barrack? Some people don't think
Brassy Van Torp's blessing worth
much, young lady, but you're welcome
to II, such as 1t is"
He patted her thick hair and smiled
as she looked up, and her eyes were
dewy with tears.
That's all right, my dear" he said.
Don't cry"
She smiled. too. because his tone
was kind, and, standing up, she took
out her little leathern bag again quick
ly. emptied the twists of paper into
her hand, selected one by touch, and
slipped the rest back She unwrapped
a large stone and held it up to the
light, turning il little as she did so.
Van Torp watched her with curiosity,
and with an amused suspicion that
she had perhaps played the whole
scene in order to mollify him and in
duce him to buy something. So many
people had played much more elabo-
rate tricks in the hope of getting
money from him. and the stones might
be limitations after all, in spite of Lo-
gothetTs pencfled line of recommends
ton.
But Barak's next action took Van
Torp by surprise. To his amazement,
she pressed the ruby lightly to her
heart, then to her lips, and last of all
to her forehead, and before he knew
what she was doing she had placed il
in his right hand and closed his fin
gers upon it. 1t was a thank-ofering.
NONSENSE" objected the million
fare. smiling, but holding out the stone
10 her. TITS very sweet Of you. but
you don't mean it, and 1 don't take
presents like that. Why, it's worth a
thousand pounds In Bond street any
dayi"
But she put her hands behind her
back and shook her head, to show that
she would not take it back Then with
her empty hand she again touched her
heart, her lips aud fOrhead. and
turned towards the door
Here. stop" said Mr. Van Torp,
going after her. 81 can't take this
thing! See here, I say Put it back
into your pocket"
She turned and met him. and made
gesture of protest and entreaty, as
if earnestly begging him to keep the
I'm. He looked at her keenly, and
vas a judge of humanity, and saw
she was hurt by his refusal. AS
resource. he took out his peck
aook and showed her a quantity of
folded bank notes.
Well" he said, "since you insist,
Miss Barrack. I'll buy the stone of
you, but I'll be everlasttngiy fingered
If I'll take it for nothing"
Barak's eyes suddenly flashed in a
most surprising way, her lower LID
pouted, and her cheek family CHANGED
color, as a drop Of scarlet pomegranate
iutee win tinge bowl Of cream.
She made one step forwards pIucked
the stone from his fingers, rather than
took it, and with a quick, but girlish-
Iy 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
tons 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 |
be went quickly and picked up the |
gem. Il hadn't quite understood, you
seeS
She watched him, and drew back in
towards the door, as If ex-
pecting that he would again try to
- Ill - - ~.