The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-12-21

Harry stood tense, poised, catching
everything as she tossed 1t of; then
as II all at once he felt the full weight
of the burden, Lord" he said, and
let himself down heavily into a chair
1t was plain In his helpless stare that
he knew exactly what it all meant.
Laying her hands on the high chair.
arms, leaning down so that she could
look into his face, Flora made her
thrust.
What do you think he wants?" she
gently asked. 1t was as If she would
coax 1t out of him. His answer was
correspondingly low and soft.
"It's that damned ring"
She heard her secret fear spoken
aloud with such assurance that she
waited, certain at the next moment
Harry's voice would people the ST.
lence with all the facts that had SO
far escaped her. But when, after a
moment of looking before him he did
speak, he went back to the beginning,
which they both knew
"You know he didn't want to part
with 1t in the first place."
"Yes, yes; but he did," Flora in.
sisted.
WELL" he answered quickly, "but
that was before" He caught him
self and went on with a scarcely per
ceptible break: "He may have had
better offer for it since"
He couldn't have put it more mildly,
and yet that temperate phrase brought
back to her in flash a windy night
full of raucous voices and the great
figures in the paper that had covered
half page-the reward for the Crew
Idol. Could 1t be that-that sum SO
overwhelming to human caution and
human decency which Harry had
cloaked by his grudging phrase some
better offer?' What else could he
mean? And what else could the blue
eyed Chinaman mean by his strange
pursuit of her?
Some one must have wanted II
awfully," Flora tried again. keeping
step with his mild admission.
Harry covered her with an impressive
stare. There's something queer about
that ring" he nodded to her. He was
going to tell her at last! She gaxed
at him in expectation, but presently
she realized that nothing more was
coming He had stopped at the be-
ginning. She tried to urge him on.
Queer, what do you mean?" She
was feigning surprise.
He looked at her cautiously. why,
you must have noticed it yourself
when we were at the shop. And now,
tonight, his having followed you"
She could see him hesitate, choos.
ing his words. She knew we'll enough
her own fear of saying too much-but,
what was, Harry afraid Of? Did he
suspect her feeling for Kerr? Was
that why he was holding back, leav-
ing out. giving her the small, expur-
gated version of what he knew. She
tried again. making it palmer.
"You think the ring is something he
ought not to have had; something
that belongs somewhere else?"
He looked away from her, around
the room, as if to pick up his answer
from some of the corners. We'll, any
way. it's lucky we waited about that
setting he said with quick irrele-
vance. 'If you're going to be annoyed
in this way you'd better let me have
It,"
Why hadn't she thought of that! II
was what any man might say, after
hearing such a story as hers, yet It
was the last thing she had thought Of.
and the last thing she wanted.
ooh. leave 1t with me-" she Quaver-
ed, "at least till you're sure!"
"Oh, mol" He gave his head quick,
decided shake. "If something should
come out. you wouldn't want to be
mixed up in it,"
"Then why not give It back to the
Chinaman?" she tried him.
"Oh, that's ridiculous" He was in
passion. His darkening eyes, his
swelling nostrils, his aspect so out of
proportion to her mild and almost
playful suggestion, frightened her. He
saw 1t and instantly his mood dropped
to mere irritation. "Oh, Flora, don't
make a scene about it. This thing has
been on my mind for days-the
thought that you had the ring. was
afraid 7 had no business to let you
have it in the first place. and what
you've told me tonight has clean
knocked me out. | don't know what
I'm saying. Come, let me have it;
and II there's anything queer about
the business, at least we'll get 1t
cleared up"
But, smiling. she retreated before
him.
why, Flora" he argued, Ialf laugh
ing, but still with that dry end of ir-
ritation in his voice, what on earth
do you want to keep the thing fort"
BY this time she backed against the
window and faced him. why, It's
my engagement ring"
He looked at her. She couldn't tell
whether he was readiest to laugh or
rage.