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Show - - - - -. --.--v-,--vv - . nniKMT iter ersa umrtrorr co sSL . "s-nJTTj MAT WAX,TR$ . SYNOPSIS. Three girls Elizabeth. Gabrlollo and Ellso started for Canada to spend tho summer there. On board steamer they were frightened by on apparently demented dement-ed stranger, who, finding a bag beloitKlnK to one of them, took enjoyment In scrutinizing scru-tinizing u photo of tho trio. Ellso shored her Htutoroom with u Mrs. Graham, also bound for Canada. Tho young women on a sightseeing tour met Mrs. Graham, anxiously awaiting her husband, who had a mania for Bulling. Thoy wero Introduced Intro-duced to Lord "Wilfrid and Lady Edith. A cottago by tho ocean was rented by the trio for the summer. Elizabeth learned that a friend of her father's was to call. Two mon called, ono of them being tho quecr-nctlng stranger on tho steamer. Tho girls wero "not at homo," but discovered by tho cards loft that ono of tho men was Elizabeth's father's friend. Tho men proved to bo Jolin C. Blake and Gordon Bennett. A wisp of yellow hulr from Mr. Graham's pocket fell Into thb hands of Ellso. Mrs. Grn-ham'H Grn-ham'H hair was black. Lady Edith told tho girls of a robbery, of Jewels at tho hotel, Fearing for the safety of hor own gems, she loft them In a safe at the cottage. cot-tage. Mr. Gordon Bennett was properly Introduced, explained his queer nctlons, returned tho lost bag and told of mysterious mysteri-ous doings of n year before connected with tho cottage. Exploring tho cellar, ono of tho girls found a sphinx cuff-button, the exuet counterpart of which both Gordon Bennett and Lady Edith wero found to possess, also. Ellso, nlonc, explored ex-plored tho cellar, overhearing a conversation conver-sation there between Mary Anno and a man. lie proved to bo hor son, charged with murder. Tho young women agreed to keep tho secret. Lady Edith told a Btory of n lost lovo In connection with the sphinx key, Ellso and Gordon Bon-nett Bon-nett discovered Lady Edith and Mr. Graham, Gra-ham, the latter displaying u marvelous baritone voice. CHAPTER X..Contlnued Lady Edith rested her chin on her hand and thought a while. Mr. Dlako and Mr. Graham gazed nt tho lovely faco grown suddenly serious ns she pondered tho question, and I know that Gordon Hennett forgot my very existence exis-tence as ho leaned forward awaiting her reply. "It la hard for mo to realize," alio said slowly, "never having been tempted." "How 'can any ono know what ho would do until the time comes?" Interrupted Inter-rupted Mr. Graham, "as to yloldlng to an Impulse- well, why aro wo given Impulses If not to obey them?" "Isn't that rather a dangerous theory?'.' Lady Edith lnughod as sho spoke, but therowaa a notbr-alTxToTyffrh6F volco. and sho glanced Involuntarily i , v nt her brother, who still maintained his sulky silence. "A very dangerous theory," remarked re-marked Mr. Bennett; "but to return to our discussion. Smuggling is a hazardous business, Lady Edith, nnd It requires somo courage, too, for ono practically takes his Hfo In his hands, especially stormy nights' when tho sea runs high " "Yes," ejaculated Mrs. Graham; "yes!" "Oh, I don't know," said hor husband, hus-band, "It has Its compensations. Ono lives, you knowr-llves. Think of a night, out thero, with tho waves mountains moun-tains high a stiff wind, and raining, perhaps. Blnck sky, black water, black everything, and tho uncertainty about landing your enrgo safely. Then tho sail back again triumphant and exulting you nnd tho oloments alone together. Can't you tasto tho salt spray? Can't you feel tho boat cut through the water? Can't you" "Harry!" He paused abruptly and turned to his wife. "I bog your pardon, Juliet," ho snld very gently, "I quite forgot your aversion to tho wntor or I wouldn't have let myself go." Ab Ellzaboth often Insisted, there wore nlco things about Mr. Graham after all. His patience with his wife's vngarlos wero certainly most com-.tnondablo, com-.tnondablo, yet I found myself reaching out after hor hand ns though I understood under-stood and sympathized with hor strange attitude which I certainly did "not. Meanwhile the little boat sailed on, and wliethor It carried a smuggler with his lll-gottun spoils or my treasures treas-ures from tho Land of Dreams wo never knew, for It slipped away Into tho darkness as quietly as It had emerged. I felt as though I had lost something very valuable as I looked out ovor tho empty water and tho on-suing on-suing silence brought mo no vaguely blissful dreams, but ratlior a senso of uneasiness and Impending danger. Our flro had burned Itself away Into a bed of omborB, whore charred bits of wood occasionally sent forth feeble nia"nie"aratlrernlght-Avlntl-brotight-Hiom renewed Hfo. The moon climbed high t - - In tho heavens ns wo snt listening to tho waves wash over tho. rocks, whllo the embers glowed and paled and glowed again In Indignant protest against their relegation to tho ashes of tho past. Presently Lady Edith turned to Graham. "Sing," sho snld. And Harry Graham obeyed without sclf-conaclous demur. Looking up nt tho rock whero sho sat with Elizabeth, lid smiled nnd removed his cap. "If It will glvo you pleasure," ho said, qulto simply. Sho hindo n gesture of UBsent and after n moment's silence he begnn to sing, softly at first, then his volco gradually attained Its full compass. I have never heard a volco Just -like Harry Graham's so strong nnd yet so Bwect. It htvrt a wonderful dopth of tenderness about IP, too, and wo listened entranced, unwilling to lose a noto or n word of his song, which was qulto unfamiliar to me nt least. Out of the purple distance, Over tho Hunting sea. Borne on the winds of heaven Cometh a Volco to mo; See how tho white gull restcth Low o'er the tossing spray, Pausing awhile to listen Before It Is up and away! O'er the trackless wasto of waters Where nameless thotlRundH sleep, From the realm of endless silence, Cometh the Volto of the Deep; Hark, to tho whispering water Bringing a message to me, "Child of the restless ocean. Thy destiny waits for theo." Where the far-nway dim horizon .Touches tho mist-bound sea, There Hot li nn Unknown Kingdom With Its gates ajnr for mo: And, ho, llko tfio gull, I'm resting At peuco o'er tho tossing foam, Just waiting, listening, longing, For tho Volco to call mo home. "Don't! Oli, Harry, don't." Mrs. Graham had risen and wns gazing at her husband with widely dilated eyes and arms oxtomled. It was a cry of irrepresBlblo suffering, apparently wrung from her against hor will. I reached hor first, being nearest, and as 1 1 slipped my arm through hers I found that sho was trembling nnd very cold. Mr. Grnhnni had reached his wlfo almost as soon as I had and Ills volco was filled with genuine solicitude. "Why, you're- cold," ho continued, "awfully cold, your lips aro qulto blue nnd trembling. This night air has been too much for you, as you feared. I'm sorry I urged you to como, but 1 thought you would enjoy It." Sho clung to him, oblivious of our presence. "Take mo home. I must go homo." "And so you shall." Ho spoke gently, ns one calms n frightened -child, and still retaining her hand turned to Ellzaboth. "I'm really very sorry, but we must go home. It has boon nn awfully jolly evening. Mrs. Graham Is a bit unstrung, un-strung, sho's not strong, you know; I shouldn't have allowed her to stay out so long In tho night air. And of course I shouldn't liuvo sung." Wo murmured pollto, If slightly Incoherent, In-coherent, regrets nnd tried to look ns though nothing surprising had happened, hap-pened, but I think wo wero all rolloved when tho Grahams flnnlly dopartod. As wo watched their retreating figures fig-ures gradually grow smaller In the distance, Gabrlollo voiced the question thnt trembled on my Hps. "Why shouldn't ho sing?" Nobody was ready with an appropriate appro-priate reply, for It really did Beom as though ono endowed with so enviable a gift should be permitted to usa It at will. I shivered a little, for tho embers no longer sent out any heat, and the wind from the ocenn had suddenly grown damp and chill. Itdy Edith also shivered and drew hor cloak closely about her. , "I think wo, too, must go," sho said; "I am sorry tho evening has ended. It has been very delightful,, and I shall always remember It." "I should suppose. Mrs, Graham would remember It also," remarked Gabrlolle, "but I don't believe sho thought It delightful." Wo wore gathering up our wraps preparatory to going homo as sho spoke, and Mr. lllako had just taken possession of tho shawl spread upon tho rock whoro Elizabeth had been sitting sit-ting when she uttered an exclamation. "My ring! It is gone my ruby ring." This ring was Elizabeth's dearest possession and tho prldo of her heart. It was a marquise, formed of seven rubles surrounded by diamonds, und us nil of tho stones were unusually good It was really very valuable. Wo I wero aghast at tho cutastropho and hastened to help her look for It. ; "It can't bo gone," oxclalmed Gabrlolle, Gabrl-olle, turning ovor sticks nnd stones suspiciously; ''It must bo horo." "It wns too looso; I should not havo worn It. I must liny, lulled Into tho water and 1 shull no 300 It again." Elizabeth spoko in il hushed tone In which ono refers to thoso recently I removed by death. "Don't feel thai wny about It," said I Lord Wilfrid, rousod it last; "I am qulto sure wo will llnu 't. Let's see you sat horo with Edith, and Graham and Mr. Ulako just below. It might havo caught In tho frlngo of the bawl. Perhaps Mr. Dlako will Kindly, shako It." - v ' 1 "LLH Us! aaaaV Mr. Blnko" compiled without result . . m Useless also was tho ensuing Bcarcri 1 of tho rocks, .although thoy were gono fll over Inch by Inch, tho men lighting; fi al mntches to oxamlno dark crovlccs xlaaai whllo Wo scrutinized tho most im- pl probnblo places nnd tried to peer Into lH tho rapidly rising wntor. ( At last wo gavo It up and prepared ' j '.H to go homo, each In turn assuring Ellz- - ; nbeth that when morning came sho would surely find her ring, but never-thelcss never-thelcss secretly convinced that it was Irrevocably gono. ' "I've had a good time, barring tho jH Inst half hour," said Gordon Bennett, ns ho took my Bhnwl; "havo you 7" l "I don't know whnt Elizabeth will. PH ovor do without hor ling," was my - ll evasive reply. ' il "Glvo hor another. Tho jowels your ll ship Is bringing you nro fnr moro val- Kil uablo " lH "Nonsonso," I Interrupted. "Can't il you boo thnt sho Is unhappy and wo , til nro all worried?" JH "Plcaso don't worry," ho snld; "to- K '' morrow morning bright and early I'll 'v v have another look at tho rocks. I'm H rather a good prophet nud something ,H tolls mo sho will get it 'again. If I can't find it I'll got a diver nnd seo whnt ho can do. But I don't think we - il will need him, for whon daylight comes it will probably bo discovered Isl exactly whero sho dropped It. Any- JH way, thoro Is no uso giving up a thing as lost until every possible menus of finding It Is exhausted. You won't worry, will you?" Thcso practical suggestions wero very cheering and I turned to repeat Jil them to Ellzaboth. Sho was saying fl good-night to tho Campbells, who hnd ' fl decided to return to tho hotel along ll tho shore. To my surprlso I heard il Lady Edith also suggesting tho sorv- Ll Ices of a diver. 'tl "Thoy aro qulto wonderful, you Hil know," sho was saying, "nnd nil sorts (l of things havo boon recovered from rl tho ocenn." FbLH "Yes," added Lord Wilfrid, "wo will . IH all havo another look to-morrow, nnd tl If It Is 'not to bo found by daylight I fl know of an expert diver. However, ,H I'm suro when tho tide goes out It will bo loft among tho rocks." ' rf jH So by degrees our guests departed ' j.J - and wo returned to tho cottago, rath. H cr depressed and Inclined to consider H tho ovonlng n failure. jl Mary Anno mot us, holding tho door hospitably open and smiling oxpan- fl ) "Well," sho remarked, "and' did you- ',' jf 'avo n good timo? And didn't I 'avo tH a good supper?" cH Wo told her about Elizabeth's loss ' J and she listened In silence. But hor f'H ruddy faco grow serious nnd her jaw rlafl dropped, as wo described our soarch jJ among tho rocks and our theory that jflH tho ring had dropped Into tho sea. , . H "Lost, is It?" sho said at last; "don't you frot, Miss Ellzaboth, dear. I know r il them rocks Inch by inch, nnd I'll 'avo ll a look mcsulf, so I will. Jost go to . . slcop nnd rest easy now." . Wo wore glad to follow this sensible i advlco, but I think wo all wero some tlmo In getting to sleep. I found my 'M solf thinking of Mrs. Graham, rather - than the lost ring, and wondering sH vaguely why sho did not like to hear ! her husband sing. The puzzle was too much for mo, and I wns just slipping laal into a blissful state of unconscious-neas unconscious-neas when I thought I heard a sfep ,, under my window. v H (TO BE CONTINUED.) |