The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-30
THE FATAL RUBY
BY CHARLES GARVICE
Author of "Just Girl,' "Diana and
 Destiny" 'Tn Wolf's Clothing" etc.
Copyright, 1909 By George H. Doran Company
(Continued from page 9.)

''I will help you Ronald. have, You have no need to seek her any farther. The-the girl you love is here, at Monte Carlo in my own room-i'
 He sprang at her with a cry of and incredulity.
 Here? You-you have got her. Safe in your own room? God bless you, Princess!"
 Perhaps He will" she said, with a dry sob, her eyes filling with tears that burnt. T will take you to her.
 In few minutes Ronald was kneel- ing beside Cara. He had washed the bloodstains from him, his face was still white, but there was a light :n his eyes which was eloquent enough of his joy of his love, of his gratitude. He had stolen in so quietly, that Cara, lying with her eyes closed, in a kind of stupor, had not heard him. But, as he took her hand and pressed it tO HIS llpS, HIS CIleGh, SIIe QulVolSC opened her eyes, and looked at him.
 With 8 cry, a sob of joy, of pas sionate love, she raised herself on her elbow, her arm stretched out to him. He caught her to his breast and held her there, murmuring soft broken words of pity, of love, of reinsurance.
 When, after awhile, he went into the next room, he found the Princess waiting for him. She had recovered from the cruellest blow that Fate had dealt her; or, if not recovered, had CTS of endurance, and infinite capa- city of suffering in secret and in sil- ence. The face she turned to him was pale enough and set; she even forced a smile, though no pen can tell what that smile cost her. The man she had loved, worshipped, was lost to her for ever, belonged heart and soul to another woman.
 "She is better, stronger already" he said, still agitatedly. "Her heart is full of gratitude to you, Princess. As for me-ah, well! I can't tell you, never shall be able to tell you! And now what is to be done? I seem scarcely able to think-''
 "I have been thinking for you, Ron- ald," she said very quietly. "She must be taken away to England-"
 'Yes," he broke in eagerly, but de- spairingly. "But how?"
 By the yacht" she said.
 "But I can't go!" he exclaimed. "I can't leave poor Smithers. She can't go alone
 'I know" said the Princess, with a culver of her lips, a droop of her eyelids. 'I will take her. No; don't thank me-" she went on quickly, breathlessly, as he strove to break in with words of gratitude. "It is very little to do for you. I would do much more, much more, for you-and for her-than this, Ronnie."'
 He gave up the idea of attempting to thank her.
 CT will have a closed carriage for you; you shall go to the yacht at once. I will write an order to the captain to sail immediately. If pos sible, I will join you at Marseilles, but I can say nothing about that; all de- pends on Smithers-if we can move him!''
 '"I know. she said. "I will go up to her and get her ready"
 He nodded
 "I have said goodbye" he said in a low voice, his face averted. ''You will take care of her? But I know you will. You have proved yourself true friend to me, Princess; we shall never forget it. Goodbye! I must go to that poor fellow, and face the music. whatever it may be-"
 He wrung her hand, looking into her eyes with the gratitude which men find it so hard to express in words; and she met his gaze with a look which, though she tried to mask it, would have told him all, would have revealed her secret, if he had not been too absorbed in thinking of Cara to heed it.
 In less than half an hour Cara was carried down by him to the carriage. They had already taken leave of each other alone; but Cara clung to him for moment; and the Princess had to look on with a white face while the lovers kissed each other. Immed- lately the carriage had started, Ron aid drove to the Villa. He found the police there.
 Now, as is we'll known, there is nothing Monte Carlo detests so much as row of any kind, and, when one occurs, the first thing the authorities do is to hush it up. It is popularly supposed that a certain number of suicides take place every year in this earthly paradise of the weak, the foolish, the vicious; but the authori- ties of Monte Carlo strenuously deny the truth of such rumours. If a man is found lying dead in the gar dens outside the gambling-sa16on, with a pistol in his hand, it is of- ficially stated that the revolver had gone eff by accident while the un-