Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-06-28

Rutton go aw'y with im7''
He didn't; he went after him 70
Amber caught his tongue on
I the verge OF an in6iscretion; no mat
ter what his fears, they were not yet
become 81 suitable subject for discus
sion with Rutton's servant Il think"
he amended lamely. he had forgotten
something"
And 'e's out there now, Ny Gawd.
what night" He hung in hesitation
for a little. Did e wear is topeoat
and at. sir?"
NO! he went suddenly. don't
think he intended to be gone long"
I'D better go after i'm, then, Ell
ave pneumonia. I'll just jump
into me clothes and" He slipped
into the back room. to reappesr with
surprisingly little delay. fully dressed
and buttoning long ulster round his
throat. You didn't 'appen TO no
/ rce which wy o went, sir?'
As well as could judge. TO the
east"
Doggott took down a second ulster
and a cap from pegs in the wall, I'm
do my best TO find i'm; e might lose
'imself. you know with no light nor
nothin'"
/ The door slammed behind him.
Alone, and a prey TO misgivings he
scarce dared name to himself. Am,
/ Der from the window watched the blot
] of light from Doggott's handlamp fade
and vanish in the storm; then. becom.
ing sensible to the cold. went to the
fireplace. kicked the embers together
until they blazed, and piled on more
I fuel
! A coy, cracking sound began 10
be audible in the room. sibilant Jets of
flame. scarlet yellow. violet. and
/ green. spurted up from the driftwood.
I Under the hypnotic influence of the
/ comforting warmth. WEAKNESS de.
seconded upon Amber like burden:
he was afraid to close his eyes or to
/ sit down, lest sleep should overcome
! him for all his intense excitement and
anxiety. He forced himself to move
/ steadily round the room, struggling
against a feeling that all that he had
witnessed must have been untrue, an
/
ions that had beset him between the
loss of Quain aud the finding of Rut-
ton. The very mediocrity of the sur.
roundings seemed to discredit the
testimony of his wits.
In a setting so hopelessly common
place and everyday. one act of a
drama of blood and fire had been
r,fn 1vfr
breath Of the storm. as the babu en-
tered. had blown Romance. g.
| Incrediblei
And yet Amber's hand. dropping
idly in his coatpocket, encountered a
priceless witness to the reality Of
what had passed Frowning, troubled.
he drew forth the ring and slipped il
upon his finger; rays of binding EN-
erald light coruscated from It. daz-
cling him with low cry OF wonder
he took II TO the lamplight Never
had he looked upon so fine a stone. so
strangely cut
1t was set IN rudy soft gold. work
ed and craven with exquisite art in
the semblance of a two-headed cobra;
inside the band was an inscription so
worn and faint that Amber exper-
fenced some difficulty in diciphering
the word Rao (king) In Devanagari,
fianked by swastikas Aside from the
stone entirely, he speculated. the
value of the ring as an antique would
have proven inestimable AS for the
emerald itself in its original state,
before cutting, II must have been
worth the ransom Of an emperor;
much had certainly been sacrificed to
fashion IL In its present form.
To gaze into its depths was like
questioning the inscrutable green
heart OF the sea. Fascinated. Amber
felt his consciousness slip from him
as a mantle might slip from his shout
ders: awake, staring wide-eyed into
the emerald eye. he forgot self. for
got the world, and dreamed, dreamed
curiously
The crash OF the door closing be.
hind him brought him to the right.
about in a panic futter. He glared
stupidity for a time before compre-
hending that Rutton and Doggott had
returned.
If there we're anything peculiar in
his manner, Ruttou did not remark It.
! Indeed he seemed unconscious for
/ time, Of the presence either Of Amber
or of Doggott. The servant relieved
! him Of his overcoat and hat and he
strobe directly to the fire. bending
over to chafe and warm his frost
1 nj, )ed hands. Unquestionaby he la
| bored under the influence Of an ex-
traordinary agitation His limbs
/ twitched and 1erked nervously; his
/ eyebrows we're tensely elevated, his
eyes blazing. his nostrils dilated. his
/ face was ashen gray.
From across the room Doggott sig
nailed silence to Amber with a fore
finger to his lips; and with a discre-
ton bred Of long knowledge Of his
masters temper tiptoed through into
the back room and shut the door
Amber respected the admonition
throughout wait that seemed end
less
GRO BE CONTINUED
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