Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21
Continued from page IL

much more important duty to stay on and
marry his favorite niece. He adores Mira,
you know So here we are indefinitely till
the wedding can come off, and I'm simply
dreamily happy, because l love being in
Skye at this time of year. Father says l
may go to the games, and look on at the
ball from the gallery l was afraid he would
be shocked, and think me calous even to
want to go; but got Alastair to talk to him
last night. And you know Alastair can be
fascinating and persuasive, don't your
3Alastair is quite a success as cousin,
replied Daura calmly, with Vane's eyes upon
her, expecting a blush She did not meet
the curious, inquiring gaze, but looked in
stead with apparent interest at a white rose
the elder girl was holding in her hand. See
ing Daura's attention fixed upon the flower,
Vane rather ostentatiously slipped it through
a loop of embroidery on her black chiffon
blouse, seeming to choose a spot as nearly as
possible over her heart Then she took
from small jet beaded bag her handker
chief, into which was stuck a scarfpin set
with a cabochon ruby in the shape of a
heart. With this pin Vane securely fastened
the white rose on her breast, while Daura
looked on, dumb with astonishment.
ONLY yesterday morning she had seen
- that ruby heart lying like a drop of
blood on a background of white velvet. She
was sure, though she had then had but
glimpse of it, that she cLlld not be mistaken.
The pin was one of dozen others in the
tray of the green leather box she had
snatched from George Conway,-the green
leather box that had disappeared from her
chest of drawers last night, or at sometime
unknown, since the moment when she had
hastily hidden it there yesterday morning.
"A pretty pin, isn't it," said Vane in a
voice that sounded defiant.
Daura could hardly speak; but she con-
trived to stammer out that it was indeed
very handsome. She wished to ask how it
had come into Vane's possession, but could
not. And she knew, if she did ask, that her
cousin would not answer truthfully. Some
thing in the light eyes shining between dark
ened 1ashes told the girl that Vane was max
ing up a story to account for the pin, if
questioned, and that she would thoroughly
enjoy the opportunity of 6bbing. But Daura
did not give the opportunity. She dropped
the subject of the ruby heart; though the
sight of it reduced her thoughts to state
of the widest confusion.
The night before, when she discovered
the loss of the green box, and fancied that
her books had been tempered with, she had
not been slow to suspect the alleged detec-
tive, mysteriously trusted by Annira. She
had planned to tell Emmons what had hap
pened, as if asking his advice, watching his
face as he spoke; and she had hoped that
some inspiration might come to her from
his answer or expression. She had even
considered the wisdom of asking DR.. Mac
Donald temporarily to stop the drug giving,
in order that George might come to himself
and hear the story of the detectives arrival,
the story of Annira's secret letter. This ex-
pertinent would be dangerous; for she had
promised that Troy might see George every
day, and more than once every day if he
wished. He was to choose his own time for
the visits; and his eyes were too sharp, his
suspicious too keenly on the alert, for
George to dare play tricks with him. The
one hope Of keeping the terrible man quiet
was to show him his enemy genuinely help
less. Nevertheless Daura had been turn
ing the idea over and over uneasily in her
head through the long hours of the night,
trying to think out some plan that might be
more or less safe. She had not been able to
decide, and now suddenly her whole point
of view was changed. Here was one of the
lost scarfpins in the possession of Vane
Erskine!
"Can she suppose that | won't recognize
the pin?" Daura wondered. Cor is it be-
cause she doesn't care and defies me, because
l wouldn't accuse her of stealing, when we
were little oirlS tooetheror Daura asked her