The Southern herald., 1910-10-28


to retrieve a hoop Of heavy silver. in
the midst Of which was sunk fawed
topaz. She admired q moment the
play Of light over the imperfection.
But this isn't Chinese" she OBJ
iected. turning her surprise on Harry.
Lots Of EN- aren't. These men CLEAN
everywhere"
She heard him dreamily. She was
wishing. as she turned over the tum-
bic 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 it
might be this one-this cracked in
tagliO No? Then this blue one
say The setting spoke nothing for it.
It 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 it.
For how, by all that was marvellous,
had she for a moment doubted 1t?
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, do look at this"
She felt him lean closer. Then with
an abrupt Lets see it" he took 1t
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 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 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 a thing
come here?"
ooh, 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 tC
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 clutcheC
at her companions arm.
"Oh, Harry"
His glance came quickly round t
I her. "Why, what's the matter?"
She murmured, That Chinaman ha
blue eyes"
g He looked at her with good-naturet
' wonder
"Why, Flora, haven't you blue Of
> the brain? l believe he has, though,
3 he added, as he peered across tn
counter at the shopkeeper, whose gaz
a now fluttered under narrowed lids
e "but why in the world should blu
l. eyes scare your" His look returne
y indulgently to Flora's face.
She could not explain her reason G
fear to him. She only whispered bach
/ But he is awful"
d "Oh, l guess not" Harry grinnet
p and turned his back to the counter
"only part white. Makes him littl
It sharper at bargain"
:, But, in spite of his off-handednesI
It Flora saw he was alert, touched wit
IL excitement.
d "Do you like 1t, Flora" he salt
e "Do you want it,"
, 'It Is the most beautiful thing
8 ever saw, but" She could not put
d to him why she shrank from it. Ths
d feeling which had touched her at tn
, first had little expanded, the sens
q Of the sapphire's sinister charm. Sh
2 faltered out as much as she could e.
It plain. Its too much for me-"
q "Oh, l guess not" he said agaii
and with that he seemed to make a
% end of her hesitation. She let hi
e draw the ring off her hand with a mi
r gled feeling of reluctance and relic
She saw him turn briskly to the sho
% keeper.
Now, Joe, how much you want
D. That much she heard as she turne
awav with a fear lest II might an