South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-11-11
FLAMING JEWEL
by ROBERT W. CHAMBERS

Erosite gem-tho magnificent Flam-
ing Jewel. a glory OF living. binding
FIRE
Nobody stirred or spoke. Oar
ragh bunked at the crystalline
blaze as though stunned.
Then the young girl who had once
been Her Serene Highness Theo-
dOrica. Grand Duchess Of Esthonia.
looked up at her brand-new hus-
land and laughed.
Did you really suppose IL was
these that brought me across the
ocean? Did you suppose Il was
passion for these that filed my
heart2 Did you think IL was for
these that 1 followed your"
She laughed again, turned to Eve:
You understand Tell him that
II he had been in rags I would have
followed him like a gypsy.
They say there is gypsy blood IN us.
God knows I think per-
haps there is n little Of il In all real
women" Still laughing she piaced
her hand lightly upon her heart
In all women-perhaps-a Flaming
Jewel imbedded here"
Her eyes tender and hooking,
met his; she lifted the jewel-case.
closed 10. and placed IL in his hands
Now" she said. you have every
thing in your possession; and we
are safe-we are quite safe. now. my
jewels and l."
Then she went to Eve and rested
both hands on her shoulders.
Shall we put on our snow-shoes
and gO-home >"
Stormont flung open the bullet
splintered door. Outside in the snow
he dropped on both knees to buckle
on Ewes snow-shOes.
Darragh was performing a like
Office for his wife, and the State
Trooper, being unobserved, took
Ewes Sim hands and kissed them,
looking up at her where he was
kneeling.
Her pale face blushed as IL had
that day in the woods on Owl
Marsh. so long. so long, ago. when
hands.
AS their eyes met both remem-
bered. Then she smiled at her lover
with the shy girls soul of her gaz-
ing out at him through eyes as blue
as the wild blind-gentians that grow
among the ferns and NOSES of Star
Pond.
Far away in the northwestern
forests Quintana still dashed his
horses through the primeval pines.
Triumphant. reckless. resource
full. dangerous he felt that now
nothing could stop him, nothing bar
his way 10 freedom.
out OF the wilderness lay his road
and his destiny; out OF it he must
win his way, by strategy. by cum
ming, by violence-creep out, lie his
way out, shoot his way QUIT
scarcely mattered. He was going
out! He was going back to life once
rSre. Who could forbid him2 Who
stop him? Who deny him, now,
when. in his pockets. he held all
that was worth living for-the keys
I to power, 10 pleasure-the key to
everything on earth,
In fierce exultation he slapped the
glass Jewels in his pocket and
! laughed aloud.
The keys to the world" he cried.
Let him stop me and take them
who is a better man than T." Then
his long whip whistled and he
cursed his horses.
Then. of a sudden, close by in thu
snowy road ahead. he saw State
Trooper on snOw-shoes-saw the up
flung arm warning him-screamed
curses at his horses. flogged them
forward 20 crush this thing TO death
that dared menace him-this. object
that suddenly rose out Of nowhere
TO snatch from him the keys OF the
world
/ For a moment the State Trooper
looked after the runaway horses.
/ There was no use following; they'd
/ have to run till they dropped.
Then he lowered the leveled rife
I from his shoulder. looked grimly al
I the limp thing which had tumbled
+ from the sledge into the snowy road
and which sprawled there crimson
] ing the spOtless flakes that fell upon
it.
THE END.