The Jasper news., 1919-10-23
CHAPTER iI-Continued.

Well, of course, l hadn't meant any
thing so serious as that when spoke,
but seeing that she was very much in
earnest l let 1t pass and told her the
story Of the ring. 1t Is pleasantly
romantic tale, the curious escapes from
perlls and sudden deaths coincident to
the rings possession giving you the
feeling that it's lucky.
Mrs. Delario listened, and when l
had finished she burst out, "I'm mad
over gems-simply mad! It's been the
dream of my life to own them in hand
fuls. You can't imagine the Influence
they have over me. could sing-I
could dance. They thrill me through
and through. People don't generally
think it, but gems are alive"
We had some discussion on this,
rather flippant on my pert, and 1t was
this incident that started us talking
gems and gem values. subject that
had been my pet delight since child
hood when l learned the story of the
ring that was one day to be my own.
A few days later she came to my
stateroom with very mysterious air.
said she had some stones she would
like to have me value for her. and pro-
duced package of topaZes. She saId
she had bought them in little town
in Belgium.
ran them through my hands, held
few to the light and In less than
sixty seconds told her they were worth
from ninety cents TO a dollar apiece.
She was in high feather over 1t. say
ing she'd paid only franc each for
them. She next asked me to appralse
the diamonds In ring she wore.
gave her the value of the stones and
the probable price that had been paid
for 1t. She appeared so much i'm
pressed by my knowledge that she flat
terlngly said as she rose TO leave me,
"Tll know where to come II ! ever
need expert opinion on stones-and ]
may some day."
didn't think anything OF this at the
time-people always say 1t to me out
of politenesS-and l no more expected
her TO call on me as q gem expert
than looked for her TO call me as q
physician or q lawyer OF anything that
professionally wasn't. She knew
was writer, for was peggng away
at Belgian Byways" as hard as ever
could to get 1t ready in time for
Blanks magazine-so much that had
TO tell Claire frankly she mustn't both.
er me while l was working. | remem-
her that l was quite sharp to her one
morning. saying should not be able
TO 90 out on deck with her till after
noon, and after she had left me. look
ing rather sad, had to rush to my
stnteroom for my forgotten penknife,
and there was Claire.
confess 1t surprised me TO see her
there without Invitation, but she ex-
cused 1t by saying that she thought
wouldn't mind-she'd grown so tired
of her own stnteroom and Mrs. Delario
was always talking about people she
didn't know-and wouldn't |, Just out
of pity, let her lie In nv berth while ?
My suitcase was open in the berth.
took II out and slowed 1t; and then
Just out of pity laid Claire down In
its place and stayed with her. That
one trifling act probably changed the
course of my life; but I'm telling the
story-as 1t unwound its length and
coiled It's entangling meshes over the
straight and narrow path my feet
were treadinG
Ii WIS because of our common In.
terest In Claire that l saw great
deal more of Mrs. Delario than other
wise should have done. 1t was on the
last day out that she first mentioned
her own children to mt, saying that
one reason why she'd been willing to
take the responsibility of Claire was
that she was so like her Lila. girl
Of thirteen in u boarding school; and
from Lila she went on to Eugene, who
couldn't meet her at the steamer. un-
fortunately, because she'd come back
two weeks early and he was In the
West.
He seemed very near her heart and
after talking of him for half an hour
she either warmed to IT or let slip by
accident. | couldn't tell which, the
words, ITS the grief of my life-and
of his, poor boy-that he detestS my
profession SO. But what can do?"
Your professlonl What Ia your
prc'esslonf" exclaimed thrown quite