Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-09-08


wishing, as she turned over the tum-
BILE Of damaged jewels, that things SO
pretty might have been perfect. To
find q 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 it.
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 it full in the eye, the big, blaz-
ing, blue eye of it. She held it 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 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 crosslights that dazzled and
mesmerized.
Harry" she breathed, without TAX
ing her gaze from the thing in her
hand, edo look at this!"
She felt him lean closer. Then with
an abrupt Lets see It," he took it
from her-held 1t to the light, laid it
on his palm, looked sharply across
the counter at the shopkeeper, then
back at the ring with a 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 ayes absorbed in the
blue fire. 1t was too beautiful. The
feeling it brought her was too sharT
for pure pleasure. 1t vas dimly like
fear. Yet instinctively she shut hei
hand about the ring. She murmured
out her wonder.
"How in the world did such a thing
come here?"
"Oh, not so strange" Harry answer
ed. Sailors now and then pick VI
a thing of whose value they have M
idea-get hard up, and pawn it-stil
without any idea. These chaps'-ant
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 e jus
the moment-and turn 1t to account.
It might be because Harry's eye
were SO taken with the Jewel that hi
tongue ran recklessly. He had spoke
low, but Flora sent an anxious glanc
to be sure the shopkeeper hadn't ovel
heard. She had meant only t
glance. but she found herself starin
into eyes that stared back from tn
other side Of the counter. That wide
unwinking scrutiny filled her Who'll
vision. For an instant she saw mott
ing but the dance of scintillant pupils
Then, with a little gasp she clutche
at her companions arm.
"Oh, Harry"
His glance came quickly round I
{ her. why, what's the matter?"
She murmured, '"That Chinaman ha
, blue eyes"
He looked at her with %good-nature
7. wonder.
: "Why, Flora, haven't you blue Q
I, the brain? / believe he has, though
he added, as he peered across tt
counter at the shopkeeper, whose gaz
now futtered under narrowed lids
. "but why in the world should bill
. eyes scare your His look returne
indulgently to Flora's face.
g she could not explain her reason
s fear to him. She only whispered bac
/ "But he Is awful"
d ooh, / guess not" Harry Crime
p and turned his back to the counte
"only part white. Makes him a lit
sharper at a bargain
But, in spite of his off-handednef
Flora saw he was alert, touched wi
= - N~' 'N Ea FHEE lnEE w.
excitement.
d do you like It, F1oraT he sa1
Q "Do you want it,"
p 1T is the most beautiful thing
ever saw, but She could not put
d to him why she shrank from it. Th
d feeling which had touched her at Z
p first had a little expanded, the sen
d Of the sapphire's sinister charm. s
Y faltered out as much rs she could {
vt plain. TITS too much for me-"
d "Oh, / guess not" he said aga
and with that he seemed to make
le end Of her hesitation. She let h
Le draw the ring off her hand with q m
gled feeling of reluctance and reli
She saw him turn briskly to the sht
to keeper.
"Now, Joe, how much you want
n That much she heard as she turn
away with a fear lest 1t might, a
ii d hope that 1t would be, too much
Ie him.
q she fingered away to the do
X through whose upper glazed half s
,e- saw the street swarming and sun
30 picked out with streamers Of red Q
squares of green. The murmufs
al traffic outside was faint to her ca
81 The murmur of the two voices talk
ii D n inside the shop momently gr
y. fainter She looked. hahipd her q