Evening star., 1924-07-24
Continued from Yesterdays Star.)

Come and sit round this table. all
OF YOU" she said. II want to have
a talk to you-all. That's why I've
come down tonight Gomez!
Under pretence of drawing chairs
up to the table for Miss Hepple and
to me. And he whispered word in
my ear which only 1 caught.
Mad"
l wasn't sure that he wasn't right
There was queer look in Lady Rem
ardsmere's eyes; a Strangeness in her
manner; strange jerkiness about
her movements. And as sat down
opposite her 1 began to watch her
steadily. Yet her voice was firm
enough, and her words coherent
enough, and there was the old, ia
maliar, brusque, peremptory tone.
Still
You're all wondering what I've
been after since I left Renardsmere,
she said when we had gathered round
the table. I'll tell you, I've been
making sure of something that 1
was bound to possess-something
thatll make my winning the Derby
tomorrow a dead sure thing. This
With sudden swift movement she
drew from the folds of her gown a
package Of soft white tissue paper
and placed it on the table before her.
With equally swift movements she
tore the paper away, and revealed a
slender, Snake-like belt of bright
green leather. in the center of which
was a round brooch-like thing, a
sort of medallion of solid-gold. And
in the center of that was set a mag
nificent blood-red stone, at sight of
which Miss Hepple let out a sharp
cry.
"A ruby"
THE Burma Ruby said Lady
Renardsmere. THE finest ruby in
the world: There never was such a
ruby. And-mine! Look at it! Touch
1T! Handle it!'
But not one Of us put out a hand.
l suppose the others were thinking
what l was thinking. Here, before
us, baleful and suggestive in the
glare of the electric light above our
heads. was the thing that had caused
murder! Between it and me rose
the ghost-faces of four dead men
"Rippling Ruby will carry that to-
morrow" said Lady Renardsmere.
She'll wear 1t round her neck
nothing can beat her. wearing that.
It's a magic stone-a fetish! If she
were half-trained she'd win, with
that on her! Round her neck, to-
morrow"
1 looked round at my three COM
panions. 1t was not difficult to see
that the opinion which Peyton had
formed so quickly was already shap-
lHS llSeI III the HllnQS OF MISS f1opple
and Peggie-each was staring at
Lady Renardsmere as If fascinated
and frightened.
And was frightened myself
frightened Of the whole thing
frightened Of what might come next
For there was that in Lady Renards-
mere's manner, increasing with every
moment, which suggested strange
things; she sat there looking from
one to the other of us, with burning
eyes, toying with the green belt and
the blood-red stone in it's gold set
ting -.
Listen" she said suddenly. bend.
ing over the table toward US. I'll
tell you all about it! This was once
a sacred stone!-it was set, 1t with
another. now vanished. in certain
idol. 1t was broken out-out of the
adventures. 1t came at last into tho
hands of a group of Chinese finan-
ciers-they paid great price for 1t
One of them. Cheng. coming tc
Europe on business, brought 1t with
him, thinking to sell it to some
was stolen from Cheng in Paris by
his secretary, Chuh Sin. 1t was
stolen from Chuh Sin in Portsmouth
by a man named Holliment, who had
another man, Quartervayne. in
league with him Holiiment and
with it. and took another man. Nea-
more, into their confidence about IT.
Neamore had once had business with
me, under another name. about dia-
monds: he came to me and offered
the stone. 1 bought 1t from him and
Holliment and Quartervayne: I gave
them ten thousand pounds for It
They deceived me: I believed they'd
the right to SELL But they were
punished!-Chuh Sin and a gang he'd
got together were on their track
and Holliment and Quartervayne and
Neamore were murdered. Then l
found out the truth-and I got the
ruby away from Pennithwaite's
where I'd sent it for safe keeping
4,