The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-11-01
At home there was a telegram await
ing him. 1t read:

interest be not promptly paid shall dis
pose of ring at end of statutory period
Telegraph instructions.
SNOOD & HARGREAVES
1t was a blow to make any man
stagger: defenseless. his first instinct
was to hide in his room. Matt locked
the door and with desperation read the
TELEGRAM again Good God all be had +
then was the money in his pocket.
Were it not for Chris he would have
been less unnamed. The sea is |
hard master. but it will always feed .
md ciothe man who has made it his
trade. He couldn't starye-it was1i't !
that. But it meant losing Chris-aban- |
doning ali thought and dreams of her |
rs his wife
How Gid be know that he wasn't DC |
ing cheated? There was 10 flaw IL /
the ruby. Everything John Mort had |
was Of the best, Of the finest. Elk
Derts pronounce ruby faWedr' The |
chap would have paid him $500 then
and there for the ring. He was az |
expert himself. that bald man. He !
hadn't diIlydallied or anything. but !
had been eacerness itself to clinCh the |
bargain. Il was inconceivabIe that he |
had been mistaken. He WAS ii thief, |
that was what he was. a low. con
temptible thief who had discovered
how to get the ring for i thousand
the thousand originally advanced
He ragged up and down the room in
impotent wrath People knocked ana
spoke through the keyhole. but he dis
~ 4 caTEll VI -
been of the least Soiace to him. and
she was lying in that great. grim house
beyond those miles OF dripping woods
But she would know soon enough
too soon. \ few days and they would
say gOodby for the last time. forever.
unless a miracle happened. The gen
eral was the only person capable OF
figuring in Il miracle. But Matt built
no hopes there. 1t was impossible to
associate BLESS you. my children
with that keen. proud face-rather. a
whitening sentiment and glance that
would strike 1ke KnlTe. 1-le inlr"CIe
would lie how 10 get out alive-how to
escape with the lest shred of self re-
spect.
No. with $4,000, with Daggancourt
and the aid of Chris intrepid spirit, it
had been within the bounds of reason.
The rose could have been plucked.
general or no general. and carried in
triumph to thai Kentucky farm. But
$50 was eighty
BY supper time he had somewhat re-
covered his composure and. though
very pale. contrived in other respects
to conceal the crushing nature of his
misfortune. He announced gravely
that he had received bad news and
begged that he might be excused from
giving the particulars.
After supper he got his overcoat and
settled himself i'll q dry corner OF the
| veranda. where his reflections were
| suddenly arrested by the stoppage of
an automobile at the gate and the de-
/ scent of a vaguely familiar figure. 1t
was an immense Limousine. not unlike
| the one be had associated with MIR.
| Nay's departure the night before. In
| fact. the vaguely familiar figure was
| Mr. Kay himself. advancing hurriedly
up the board walk.
brought the mint with yOu!" asked
Matt.
Why. certainly l have" exclaimed
Mr. Kay with undisguised eagerness.
| Il am ready to raise our offer to a
hundred thousand. and shall be most
/ pleased to settle the matter at once
| on that basis.
Il gave you my decision last night.
| Matt said "Or rather ! told you /
| hadn't the informat ton you wanted.
| You surely can not have any better
proof of it than this. What man in
! his senses would refuse hundred
thousand dollars? | know | wouldn't.
/ was only joking when ] raised you.
/ It was only to see how far you would
go. Mr. Kay. YOU are trying to buy
something | haven't got and there it
is in Il nutshell"
Then who WAS the violiniSt yOu
referred to in that newspaper account?
The man who played on the ship. and
0uelled the Savaces when they were
ready to attack YOU? Answer me Ehat.
please It is very important-it is the
key to everything"
Matt started: he had completely for
gotten that chance reference to John
Mort the fndiscretion Of it now took
his breath away What an ass he had
been ever to let Hunter Hoyt extor1
it from his fins,
Answer me that" continued the
stranger. with CLEAN of his yellow
teeth. and clutching at Mats arm
again.
"Oh. the violinist 2" returned Matt
defending to laugh. He was nothing
to get excited about In reality. b.
wasn't q violnist at ALL but played tn
concertinS and he didn't Guell any