Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-18

As Jil-Bett spoke. she held the
ma RnihCent ruby up before his eyes.
Jack stared at 1t intently. brushing
his hand across his forehead. Inc
sight of II held him rooted 10 the
spot spollbound.
She looked away from him. out
over the water, as she went on: MY
grandfather was to carve word
upon II. and IT was to be so faintfy
traced 1t could not be seen save by
the aid of a powerful mashiryyinss
means, God be with thee and me until
we meet again. Is not that a beau
tiful sentiment, Jack?
With an awful cry. and Dyes d.
lated. he leaped to his feet, snatch
Ing the ruby from her hand. Jil-
Bett was terrified; He looked like
one who had suddenly become In
sane-violently mad. d.
Jil-Bett drew back from him in
terror. what had como over him?
They were all alone on the deck, he
was looking at her with bloodshot
eyes. The doctor had not told her
sudden insanity. She had heard
strange stories of those whose rea-
son had left them instantaneously.
without warming.
A wild prayer rose in her heart
that some one would come to their
rescue. She quite expected that his
next action would be to reach the
rail with one bound and leap over
board into the seething waters be-
low.
She tried to cry out but the sound
died away in her throat. making no
sound.
Jack" she whispered piteously.
Jack"
He turned and faced her, and the
look on his face was like nothing
human.
Jack" she moaned. you terrif1
me. your own little Jil-Bett."
Still he made her no answer. but
stood looking into her face with tho
awful glare Of one gone mad. and
with infinite cunning formulating
some frenzied deed.
Jil-Bott sank down on her knees.
holding up her outstretched hands TO
him. murmuring: Jack. my love. you
have suddenly become Ill: let your
own Jil-Bett soothe and minister to
you"
He drew back from her with an
expression of such anger on his face
that 1t was indelibly stamped upon
her memory until the hour she died.
you are all the world to me. my
me like that, you are breaking my
heart Come. let us go inside"
He seemed to be staring at her
without seeing. and the awful inten-
sity Of that stare made the blood in
her veins run cold. She tried to rise
he had left with Liffany's. He re-
paralyzed: she tried to hold in check
her violent trembling. She remem-
bered vagely. in that terrible mo-
ment. that she had somewhere read
that g. person alone with one who
had suddenly lost his reason must
every effort. superhuman one. must
be put forth to conquer the maniac
by force OF will power. holding the
| maniac's gaze with a steady intense
gaze. that must make him quail.
Jn-Bett tried to do this. but her
eyes were so full Of terror that she
, was the one who quailed, not he.
This means death for both Of u.s."
she sobbed. and wild prayer went
up from her lips to her God to save
| both Jack and herself.
In an instant Of time memory had
| returned to him. This was the ruby
he had left with Liffany's. He re-
| called IL all-his hurried call on the
girl he loved-she who was so soon
to become his bride-the bachelor
home in his car-Thorne at the wheel
talking of the great seaplane that
| WAS to leave at daybreak for the
other side OF the world.
All-ail-was as clear as MONDAY
| to him now: he had been shanghaeid
taken of on that seaplane and
dropped. with the life nearly out of
J his body. on the far-off Arabian
coast.
His bloodshot eyes travelled to jill
Bet.
Then she saw that. all in an in
slant his memory had come back to
; hint was not madness. She could
not tel whether 1t was intense agony
or rage that was consuming him.
I His face was livid; the veins on his
forehead Stood ont like Whincords
, while great beads of Precipitation
rolled down his face like drops of
heavy rain.
With single leap he gained the