The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-11-02


veritable light. Her fingers went in
to retrieve hoop Of heavy silver, in
| the midst of which was sunk flawed
topaz. She admired a moment the
play of light over the imperfection.
"But this isn't Chinese" she OBJ
jected, turning her surprise on Harry.
Lots Of 'em aren't. These men CLEAN
everywhere"
She heard him dreamily. She was
wishing, as she turned over the tum-
BILE of damaged jewels, that things so
pretty might have been perfect. To
find a perfect thing in this place
would be too extraordinary to hope
for. Yet, taking up the next, and the
next, she found herself wishing 1t
might be this one-this cracked in
taglio. No? Then this blue one
say. The setting spoke nothing for 1t.
1t 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 1t full in the eye, the big, blaz-
ing, blue eye of it. She held 1t to the
light.
She felt Harry move behind her. She
knew he couldn't but be looking at 1t.
For how, by all that was marvellous,
had she for 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 it
on his palm, looked sharply across
the counter at the shopkeeper, then
back at the ring with long scrutiny.
His face, too, had flush Of excite
ment.
SIS 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. 1t was too beautiful. The
feeling it brought her was too sharp
for pure pleasure. 1t 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
a 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 it 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 a little gasp she clutched
at her companions arm.
"Oh, 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 you?" His look returned
indulgently to Flora's face.
She could not explain her reason Of
fear to him. She only whispered back,
But he Is awful"
"Oh, guess not" Harry grinred,
and turned his back to the counter,
"only part white. Makes him little
sharper at bargain
But, in spite Of his off-handedness,
Flora saw he was alert, touched with
excitement.
|
do you like it, Flora?" he said.
"Do you want it?"
'It is the most beautiful thing I
ever saw. but" She could not put it
to him why she shrank from it. That
feeling which had touched her at the
first had little expanded, the sense
of the sapphire's sinister charm. She
faltered out as much as she could ex-
plain. Its too much for me-"
"Oh, 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
Nov, Joe. how much you want?"