Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-11-09

for. Yet, taking up the next and the
cext, she found herself wishing 1t
might be this one-this cracked in
taglio. No? Then this blue one
say. The setting spoke nothing for it.
II was a plain, thin, round hoop of
palpable brass, and the battered thing
seemed almost too feeble to hold the
solitary stone But the stone, She
looked it full in the eye, the big. blaz-
ing, blue eye of it. She held il to the
light
She felt Harry move behind her. She
knew ne couldn't but be looking at 1t.
had she for a moment doubted It?
Down to its very heart, which was
near to black, it was clear fire, and
outward towards the facets struck
flaming hyacinth hues with zigzag
white cross-lights that dazzled and
mesmerized.
Harry" she breathed, without TAX
ing her gaze from the thing in her
hand, do look at this,"
She felt him lean closer. Then with
an abrupt Lets see it," he took it
from her-held it TO the light, laid II
on his palm, looked sharply across
the counter at the shopkeeper. then
back at the ring with long scrutiny.
His face, too. had a flush OF excite
ment.
is it--good?" Flora faltered.
"a sapphire" he said. and taking
her third finger by the tip, he slid
on the thin circle of metal.
She breathed high. looking down at
the stone with eyes absorbed in the
blue fire. Il was too beautiful. The
feeling Il brought her was too sharp
for pure pleasure. II was dimly like
fear. Yet instinctively she shut her
hand about the ring. She murmured
out her wonder.
How in the world did such thing
come here?"
"Oh, not so strange" Harry answer
ed Sailors now and then pick up
thing of whose value they have no
idea-get hard up, and pawn it--still
without any idea. These chaps"-and
his bold hand Indicated the shopkeep-
er-"take in anything-that is. any
thing worth their while: and wait,
and wait, and wait until they see Just
the moment--and turn 1t to account. /"
1t might be because Harry's eyes
were so taken with the jewel that his
tongue ran recklessly. He had spoken
low. but Flora sent an anxious glance
to be sure the shopkeeper hadn't over
heard. She had meant only to
glance, but she found herself staring
into eyes that stared back from the
other side of the counter. That wide.
unwinking scrutiny filled her whole
vision. For an instant she saw moth
ing but the dance of scintillant pupils.
Then, with little gasp she clutched
at her companions arm.
ooh, Harry"
His glance came quickly round TO
her. ".why, what's the matter?"
She murmured, THAT Chinaman has
blue eyes,
He looked at her with good-natured
wonder.
why, Flora. haven't you blue on
the brain? believe he has. though.
he added, as he peered. across the
counter at the shopkeeper. whose gaze
now fluttered under narrowed lids
but why in the world should blue
eyes scare your" His look returned
| indulgently to Flora's face.
She could not explain her reason oil
fear to him. She only whispered back
"But he is awful"
ooh, guess not" Harry grinned
and turned his back to the counter
only part white. Makes him a little
sharper at bargain"
But, In spite of his oif-handedness
| Flora saw he was alert, touched with
excitement
do you like it. T1ora?" he said
do you want it?"
at is the most beautiful thing
ever saw. but" She could not put II
to him why she shrank from 1t. Thai
| feeling which had touched her at the
/ first had little expanded, the sense
of the sapphire's sinis-er charm. She
faltered out as much as she could ex
1 plain. Its too much for me-"
"Oh. I guess not" he said again
and with that he seemed to make an
end OF her hesitation She let him
draw the ring off her hand with min
gled feeling of reluctance and relief
She saw him turn briskly to the shop
| keeper.
Now, Joe, how much you want p
| That much she heard as she turned
away with a fear lest it might, and
a hope that it would be. too much foT
| him
She fingered away to the door
| through whose upper glazed half she
saw the street swarming and sunny
| picked out with streamers of red and
squares of green. The murmur OF
| traffic outside was faint to her ears
| The murmur of the two voices talking
! on inside the shop momently grew
| fainter. She looked behind her and
saw them now in the back of the shop
close by the grinnins brazier.
The light OF it showed what would
have been otherwise dark. II showed
her Harry. straddling, hands. in peck
| cts, hat thrust back, silhouette as
| hard as If cast in cold metal. The as.
pect of him, thus, was strange, not
| quite unlike himself, but giving her
| the feeling that she had never known
how much Harry smoothed over.
| Whatever they were arguing about,
she found il hard to go on standing
thus with her back to it, and for so
! long, While her expectancy frightened,
and her unreasonable idea that she