The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-04-01

1 inalds care.'
 l He took the box from his pocket and placed it oi1 the table. MT. Lex ham lifted out the stone, looked at it, and handed it to Sir Reginald, who merely glanced at it with an express sion of distaste, and was replacing 1t in the box when Vanc said:
 May be permitted to look at it, Sir Reginald?'
 l II beg your pardon said Sir Reg inald, and he handed him the box l Vane held the stone in the palm of his hand and looked at it for quite q minute, then he laid it in it's cotton wool again, and restored the box % 1 Sir Reginald.
 'I wonder whether might ask you gentlemen to delay this business for, say, half an hour?" he said. 'I am quite aware I ought to offer you some explanation for my request; but I will beg you to permit me to defer it un- 1 til I return
 | Sir Reginald looked surprised, but ] inclined his head and waved his hand. Certainly we will wait" he said. 'I will order some refreshment. Please do not be away longer than you can help"
 vane nodded and went out. Steele got an impromptu mean, and the three men went into the dining-rooom but, tired as they were, they were too excited, too agitated, to avail 1 themselves of it; and they were still pretending to eat, when Steele an- nounced that MT. vane had returned and was in the library. They went there quickly. Vane was sitting On the table, his hands in his pockets; they saw with amazement that he was in his shirt sleeves, and that his shirt and front of his waistcoat were soiled with dust Dexter Reece gazed at him steadily with knit brows and | frightened lips.
 l What on earth does this mean 9" demanded Sir Reginald.
 "T will explain presently said vane 'I should like to ask MT. Reece a question" He looked across at Reece. Understand, sir, that you are disposing of the Giant Ruby, as it is called, for the sum of twenty-five i thousand pounds?"
 1 That is so." assented Reece; lon behalf of another person. l "Quite so," said Vane drily. Where l is it?'
 ! Reece took the box from his pocket
 There it is," he said. | Vane turned the stone out on the table and licked it with his finger and 1 thumb.
 ''It is nothing of the kind!" he said. That is not the ruby" They gazed at him in silent astonishment, as If they were dumbfounded. That isn't the ruby at all,'' he continued grave ly. 'It is a counterfeit; a remark ably clever one, but counterfeit, all the same.''
 1 "Whati" exclaimed MT. Lexham; while Dexter Reece, flushing hotly, laughed incredulously.
 You surely don't expect me to be- lieve that?" he said, with a sheer. ''Of course not" responded Vane. ''In your place, I should be just as incredulous. You will consult an ex- pert, of course. I'm not one; but I've taken an interest in precious stones, and I'm open to bet you-that is," he corrected himself in a tone which was like the cut of a whip, 'if I cared to make a bet with you, which I don't-a thousand to one, that this thing is, as I say, a counterfeit of coloured crystal
 There was a pregnant silence for a moment; then Sir Reginald said, with suppressed agitation:
 Are you sure, vane? It is in- credible-!"
 Vane nodded confidently. 'I am quite sure, sir," he said; ESQ sure that I will ask you to tear up | IndI iIttic SIcCIhSlt, dAu IStUIu IO
 MT. Reece this pretty little sham, with
 your permission to do what he bally
 we'll likes with it. Reece looked from one to the other
 with half-defiaft, half-confused air. "If this is not the Giant Ruby-of course, I know that it is; know how I came by it-I mean'---he faltered for a moment-"if this is not it,
 where is it?"
 'In my pocket" replied vane quiet ly, almost casually.
 They all stared at him, far too
 overwhelmed to utter a word.
 At last Dexter Reece gasped, with
 a laugh and a sheer:
 "Show-show it to us!''
 'I will" said Vane; If you will . be good enough to take up that coun- f terfeit and put it in your pocket. It is so like the real Simon Pure, that f we don't want to run the risk of any
 --er-confusion."
 As Dexter Reece, with trembling hands, took up the box, Vane with 1 drew his hand from his pocket open , ed it, 1svseSe@ A ami,aF Sox, and