Mexico Missouri message., 1910-02-17

was KIND, ana, STANDING up, Sne LOOK
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 1t 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-
gotheti's penciled line of recommenda-
tion.
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 it
in his right hand and closed his fin.
gers upon it. It was a thank-offering.
| 'Nonsense!" objected the million
iare, smiling, but holding out the stone
to her. TITS very sweet of you, but
you don't mean it, and don't take
presents like that. Why, it's worth a
thousand pounds in Bond street any
day!"
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 and forhead, and
turned towards the door.
Here, stop!" said Mr.. Van Torp,
going after her 81 can't take this
thing! See here, say! Put it back
into your pocket"
She turned and met him, and made
a gesture of protest and entreaty, as
If earnestly begging him to keep the
gem. He looked at her keenly, and
he was a Judge of humanity, and saw
that she was hurt by his refusal. AS
a last resource, he took out his pock-
et-book 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 everlastingly jiggered
If I'll take it for nothing"
Barak's eyes suddenly flashed in a
most surprising way, her lower lip
pouted, and her cheek family changed
color, as a drop of scarlet pomegranate
juice will tinge bowl of cream.
She made one step forwards, plucked
the stone from his fingers, rather than
took it, and with a quick, but girlish-
ly awkward movement, threw 1t 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 ac-
, tions Of the sex he did not under
stand. Fortunately the stone hit the
wall instead of going out of the win
dow.
"Tm really sorry, Miss Barrack," he
said in tone of humble apology, and
he went quickly and picked up the
gem. Il 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 it back to her. But he SHOOK
ll6 uCdu hOWB DOmGu Win dll IhS
t grace he could affect, which was little
I and by way of making her feel that
| he accepted the gift, he pressed 1t tC
l his heart, as she had done, and to his
lips, but not to his forehead, because
l he was afraid that might cause some
new mistake, as he did not know what
|. the gesture meant.
e Barak's face changed instantly; she
8 smiled, nodded, and waved her hanC
y to him, to say that 1t was all right
d and that she was quite satisfied. TheT
l. she made a sort of salute that ht
thought very graceful indeed, as if she
q were taking something from near the
{ floor and laying it on her forehead
n and she laughed softly and was out o
n the room and had shut the door before
i he could call her back again.
: He stood still in the middle of thu
d room, looking at the gem in his hant
b with an expression of grave doubt.
WELL" he said to himself, and hi
, lips formed the words, though nj
r sound articulated them, that's quee
r sort of a mornings work, anyway"
n He reflected that the very last thin
he had ever expected was presen
of a fine ruby from a pretty heather
J J girl in mans clothes, recommended L
him by Logotheti. Though he almos
: laughed at the thought when it oC
! CURED to him, he did not like the ide
Of keeping the stone; yet he did no
know what to do with it, for it wa
= more than probable that he was neve
= to see Barak again, and If he ever die
It was at least likely that she woul
refuse to take back her gift, and a
energetieally as on the, first occasion
At that moment it occurred to hir
"a that he might sell 1t to dealer an
give the proceeds to Lady Maud 70
1t her good work, and taking his hat an
IS gloves he went out Immediately, will
IS out even telling stemp that he wa
Id going.