The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-03-06

IIOAu ucF uuSeE anu TIC lily WAS CuL
slightly, as though the jewel had been
roughly torn away.
1t was u moment Of intense excite
ment when Ina faced Anthony Ora
veth and told him about the loss OF
the black opal ring.
The incrcGulOus smile on his III
tenance when she described her dream
and told OF her awakening to dis
cover that the ring had really disap-
peared brought a strange terror to
her heart.
"What is it. Anthony?" she cried
sharply. why do you look at me like
that?"
Because l am interested in your
story" he replied dryiy.
"But-but you look a. though you
scarcely believed me-" persisted Ina
~nervously. "Of course l know that
some n must have entered my room
and stolen the ring from my finger, but
but you must understand that the
entire transaction appeared as a dream
to me and nothing more!"
"Of course l never doubt a lady's
word said the man, with a mOcking
smile. But. mademOiselle. you I'M
derstand that as the black opal en-
gagement ring has vanished, so our
betrothal is dissolved!' With Il deep
bow he vanished from the room. leav-
ing Ina ~heartbrOken Over his coward
ly insinuatiOns.
J,n', f,fhnr ipcfif,fn.1 u clnSa in
quiry INTO the matter of the vanished
open ring, and, unknown to the girl, he
consulted Robert DelmOre. who had
long been a friend of the family. Rob
ert had long loved Ina and wanted to
marry her, but the girls ambitious ma
ture had chafed against his slow
ing. and she had accepted the more
brilliant Craveth. whose courtship had
been as brilliant as it was brief.
Both Mr.. Standish and DelmOre
agreed that it would be an easy mat
ter for Il thief to steal the ring from
Ina's finger, for her bed, was drawn
close to an open window, which. al
though heavily barred, was always
Open at night. 1t would have been
easy for an interloper to have stood
on the little balcony outside the win
dow, thrust his arms between the
iron bars. taken Ina's hand and remov-
ed the ring.
They decided that that had been the
course pursued, for they found muddy
footprints on the floor Of the balcony
and deep indentations on the flower
beds beneath. where some one had
jumped to the ground.
A few days afterward Ina sat list
lessly regarding the advertisements in
the daily newspaper. Suddenly a "a
miliar name caught her eye:
LOST.-Stolen from the residence Of An
thony Craveth Of Sydney. Australia. a val
liable ring set with a large black opal sur
rounded by diamonds. Large reward and
no questions asked for con-
corning jewel. Address
MESSRS. LINN & HODDY.
Counseiors. Wharf Street. Sydney.
How stranger cried Ina. "Why,
the ring was stolen from my hand!
What does Anthony mean? Has the
loss Of the ring driven him out of his
senses|'
She put all these questions to her
father. who confessed himself Devil
dered. In turn he showed the clipping
to Robert DelmOre.
'Ill take this home with me and
study it out said DelmOre gravely.
and his first visit vas to the nearest
cable Office. where he sent off Il long
message to Linn & Hoddy at Sydney.
While he waited for Il reply he made
what Investigations he could concern
ing Anthony Craveth and his family
history.
To his surprise, he found that the
only Anthony Craveth who was known
to be living was a native of Australia
and had never visited America. The
New York Craveths r~epudiated any
acquaintance with the man who had
engaged himself to Ina Standish.
Inquiry at Craveth's hotel revealed
the fact that the nan had paid his
bill and departed four days before.
No one knew where he was or the
reason for his sudden departure. Rob-
ert Delmore asked permission to ex-
anime the rooms he had vacated, and
there he found a pair Of mud stained
shoes which proved to fit exactly the
footprints around the Standish resi-
dence.
Two days after he Sent the cable
message to Sydney Robert Delmore
called upon Ina Standish and her IA
Their.
AT last | have uncovered the mys-
terry surrounding the disappearance Of
the black opal ring" he said gravely.
land l must say. Ina. that the ring
certainly brought i'll luck to you as
we'll as to its real owner"
Its real Owner!!" echoed the girl.
Didn't it belong to Anthony Craveth
after ALL"
eyes, it belonged to him safe enough.
and the tradition concerning it was au-
thentic, but it happens that the man
You knew as Anthony Craveth was not
that gentleman Mt all, but a thief who
stole the ring from Craveth's home in