The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-09-06
table, and, filling the glasses, raised
his, saying

TO your future happiness
Dexter lifted his glass TO his lips;
/ but he could not drink, and he Sc;
the wine down untouched. His brain
was in a whirl. Up to the present,
he had been calm, selfrossessed
enough: he had even been able to
control himself when Raven ahd
agreed TO share the proceeds of the
ruby but this prospect of marrying
the girl who was Sir Mortimer's
daughter shattered his self.command,
overwhelmed him. Moreover. Ravens
cool acceptance of the proposal stag
gered Reece: the idea tina: Raven
thought it possihie-in fact, abso-
lutely certain-that he could compel
the girl to marry whom he pleased
seemed to Dexter Reece simply pre-
/ posteIous; and it was some minutes
before he realized that he was in
foreign land-in Italy-where such
! sudden contracts are still not in
frequent.
Then, again, he was impressed by
| the unscrupulous nature of the man
with whom he was dealing, and,
unconsciously, he began to effect as
/ it were Ravens audacity. All the
same, Dexter Reece was too clever
not to know that he WIS being drag
ged out of his depth. But could he
draw back? He himself had pro
posed the marriage. Could he now
declare that the idea was too pre-
posterous, too melcdramatic-in fact,
impossible?
The minutes passed. Dexter Reece
sank III a chair. with mis- hands
thrust in his pockets, mis- head lower
ed, listened in kind of stupor
to the other man, who continued
talking in a monotonous tone. as
If to himself, of the places where
the Giant Ruby could most safely
be offered for sale. Presently the
door opened; there was a rustic of
silk-a girlish figure, wrapt in
silk peignoir, stood regarding them.
Dexter Reece sprang to his feet.
and looked at her half fearfully.
As he did so he recalled the face
of the girl who had stopped the
horses outside the mill Could it
be possible that this was the same
sirl? The change in her smote even
his callous heart. She was lovely
still, lovelier perhaps than when he
had seen her last; but her face
was pale, her eyes wore an express
sion of sorrow, of anxiety, almost
of despair-there We're dark shadows
beneath them; the face was thin
and hollow. The bird had indeed
fluttered and pined in its gilded
cage! But she still held herself
erect, her eyes met Dexter Reece's
with the old pride, The old hauteur
and defiance. the expression in them
now was too contemptuous for sur
prise. and she waited with perfect
self-possession and composure, as
if he were nothing more than
servant.
Dexter Reece lowered his eyes be-
fore her steady gaze, and stood
still, with his hands pressed on
the table.
you sent for me-" said Cara in
low voice, coldly, steadily.
A thousand pardons for disturb
irg YOU, dear one," said Ray en-, with
exaggerated courtesy. Il have to
speak to you on important business.
You Will take a seat, will You not,
Cara mia?''
She made a faint gesture of re-
fusai.
MOI" he said. "Ah, well. the
business will not take long. This
gentleman-you know him; you met
him at Thorden Hall, there in Eng
land--it is some time ago: but he
has not forgotten you. You still
linger in his memory, in his heart:
ard he has come here to seek you,
to ask you TO be his wife"
Cara stood perfectly still: the ex-
preston of her face did not change.
She looked from one man to the
other, and waited.
Raven stood with his head on one
side, regarding her with malevo-
lent smile
You are startled, dear little one"
he said; you have lived so lonb
out of the world that you have
not thought of a lover-a husband.
All, yes. But | have been thinking
for you; and behold He motioned
to Reece-"this is my choice. He is
an Englishmln. you are fond of