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Show it til fit I Across the Top in Thick Black Type Ran the Figures $20,0C0. fUWRiraWrAt&Wtafr IHVUW- SMA'KM CO. " SYNOPSIS. At prlvi.tr view of lhe Clintwortli ,,..,,I,I ..(..to. I" I.h sold lit iiu. l..n ... I Idol ..ii.t-ri UHlv ill.iippcur.. II 'JIV 0. -i.v. who u.im present. de. rib. h II." rinu 1.. til. nan Morn Ull.ey. ami or . I,.. ...... Mr.. ..... 1 trll n l'lnC III,.- I,, nil., r. Ko.1. with h t,.-wiH if ul ...).-..lure ...).-..lure . l In ll- I.i-a.l. Flora '. Ke.r hii KiiKli.l.timn. 1" iIIh'ii..Iii H' di.ii.i.ei.innie of Hi.' rlii. 1 1"' exnlollii f m. l-.'.KliHl. Ihl'f. I'nrrell Wh.i.L are re-.nil..! re-.nil..! K. ir Lil. Flora IhHt li- Ims " I (hi n .oli. h l. Imt - II lnt ph.. M lilt... $ .. rem. id in ofT.re.1 for tin- r. turn id 11,.- rim: III., iv l.ilv.-s Flora flilii""" Ki.l.l.tiiiiir. n 1'iiv tin .MiKHK.'iiH-nl ring. An . i.ilM.' i.ii..lilrn ..'I Hi H li.'i'P " 1. ni- I ..I.-. I'd. Ihirrv itrife" her not ' w.i.r it until It In rod. Tli.' ...h c..lon if iln. runs ..-.'urn t oii.l u. spell "I" Mom HI'.' I"', .mi.', mi. ii. v and sppre-Imislif sppre-Imislif I I. mi I. .nulled l.v llm "" mi Kerr I., n ho W' l. B Kliii..' or to :m,,l.ne. 'l lio .'.n i.itlt V tlii.1 ll' storm Ih pi.rt of Hi.- Cr-w Idol muse. Mom inn. h iinM. lv I nn."'!., Flora ih.roier. (Lin. ii.i.M... kli.c li. r ilrclng room. I l.wii r.-fi... . t" Kin- or ..H ll' stone ,.ir mid o.i.' t III!" of ..'iliK U.'' ihl. f fJlir .I.. I.I.. to return tin' rlnn In l.rv I. hi h.- l.dl. lo r to k.-. t. It for ii d v or t" l-:M' MiiM.t tH Horn ('hint l c itloK l . r cup for her full. it, Indue U .ll.r I lorn l.eliove. Il.irry miim-tie.t miim-tie.t h.-rr inn I I. wiilllng to i.hih.. sore of the r-Mi.r.l l..f..re ti.ii.ijaxk I iik tin. thief. Kerr in.d ( 'I.. in o.if.-.B ili.ir ..vf for en. I, oil . i i l..r.i I. f..ll.."d I.y ii Chlmi-...iin Chlmi-...iin llirrv ...Iii.Iih to I lorn Hint I"' Mi. ' II.. iinu !.. stolen. II"' HtlMlllpl" to In- r ii from her. Horn K' h" 8t'i M ." di..-. lih Mr.. Il.nl. k imd Miit.H I-.. rr i.nd t'lnn to '. Kiln llul- In- l.ril.c i liiiii to l"iv tli- Jinli! hIoii. Iv k.vIiik l.- r it pl. lor.i of I'l.ir. ll W .md 1 irr i. n.l llirrv uii..r''.l''dlv iirrlvn Ml f in Miii.-o, ! lorn I. ov. tl..' j.lr lure of I i.rr. ll Wnii. I from t'liiru for t'i.". HI." inlif.... I., r rln Hfi. r Hurry Imd n-ild f..r...l to htr. Kerr lnrt. In piii.uit .f ll.irrv. CHAPTER XXIV. Continued. 'IH) you fori bettor?" Mrs. Il.-rrlrk n?V (1 Imt. Tlu n h!k. opened Iht cyt wide niul fsiw the tiulU and tho IiIk'i-nr. IiIk'i-nr. ! . el c. illni? of tlio lmtl directly bi.ie her. knew herself lying on the floor, raw iibove her the llguro of t iara. htandltiK with a boltle of naltn, nnd then leiuembered; and. with a inonn. buried her fitee In Mrs. Merrick' Mer-rick' hip. "Oh, no, no, no; don't brini; me back; I don't want to coin" back!" Tlx ir voices Rounding high aliove tier were speaking. Mrs. Merrick nald: Whiit U thatT" Then Clara murmured. mur-mured. Then there wan tli light mulling of paper. Klora moved her band. "fiive ii to me; I want It." She felt the dtllT little niiai'H of cardboard bi-tween bi-tween her llngera, and thmed them around It fant After a lil tie ho went upntalr holding hold-ing tight to the baliiHter with one bund imd to Mrs. Merrick with the other. After a little of Bitting on the edM of her bed nho lay down, mill holding to Mrs. Merrick. Hhn felt an Ihough oine cord within her had been drawn tight, too tight to endure, and every moment nbe hoped It would nap and set tier free. "Von don't think I'm mad, do you?" i!;e ahked. Mer friend carnently din-claimed din-claimed It. "Then things are," Flora aid, "everything. Oh, oh!" The memory overwhelmed her. "Me took pie there as If by chance! Mo gave the wipphlre to me for my engagement engage-ment ring. Oh, dreadful! Oh, poor Marry!" AH that afternoon and all night she alept fitfully, starting up at intervals, trembling at nameless horrors. She wakened languid and weak. She lay looking about the room, nnd, like a person recovering alter a heavy How, wondered what had happened. Then her hand, as with her first waking thought It had done for the List week, went to the locket chain nroimd her neck. Oh, yes. yes; nhe bad torgoitcn. The sapphire was one. Cone by fraud, K"ne at a klsM for ner with Marry no, with Farrell - Wand. For Marry was not Marry; and Kerr was not Farrell Wand. Me was In lecd an unknown quantity. Since ah bad found Marry she bad lost bitl Kerr's name and bis place In hei fHlry tab; She hat up quickened with humllla tinn. The thing was not a tragedy. II was a protesfjue. Jilushing more am! more crimson, struggling with strange rnlr.ghd crying and laughter, ah dipped out of the bed, and. still In her rU'lit gown, ran down the hall, am! knocked on Mrs. Merrick's door, un til the dlKtiiayed lady opened It. "I thought It was he," Flora gasped "I thought It was be who had taker the ring! Why didn't he tell nie! Why did be keep It secret? I woulJ done anything to have saved It foi him. and I let Marry get It! Oh. Isni It cruel? Isn't It pitiful? Isn't It rl dlculous?" Mrs. Merrick, who, for th last 3( bours, had so departed from her cur ticulum of safety, and courageouslj met many strange appearances, now was to hear stratger facts. For Flor l.ad let go completely, and Mrs. Mer rick, without hluUng at hysterica, lei her laugh, let her cry. let her tel piece by piece, as ahe could, the storj of the two men, from the night whei Kerr had spoken no strangely at th club on the virtues of thieves to th moment when, tn the willow walk they discovered that the jewel wai cone. Clara's part In the affair, ant the price she bad exacted, even It " this unnerved moment. Flora's In tlnct withheld, to save Mrs. HwTtrl the last crudest touch, itut for tb rest she let Mra. Herri, k have It al and under tin shadow of the grim facts the two women clung toget , as If to make sure of their ow n identities. identi-ties. "I don't even know who be Is," Flora said faintly. Mrs. Merrick gave her a quick glance. She had not a moment's hesitation hes-itation as to whom the "ho" meant. "You will have to ask him when he conies." "Do you think he will come back?" Mrs. Merrick hnd the heart to smile. "tut think of what I have done. I have loHt him tho sapphire, and he loves It loves It as much as he does me." Again the glance. "Did he tell you that?" Mora nodded. The other seemed intently to consider. "Mo will come back," he declared. Upheld by her friend's assurance, Flora found the endurance necessary to spend the day, an empty, stagnant day, in moving about a house and garden where a few hours ago had passed such a storm of events. Hlie reviewed them, lived them over again, but without taking account of theni. Mer mind, that had worked so sharply, was now In abeyance. She lived In emotion, but with a tantalizing senso of something unexplained which her understanding bad not the power to reach out to and grasp. For a day moro sho existed under the same roof with Clara, for Clara stayed on. At (lrst it seemed to Flora extraordinary extraord-inary that she dared, but presently It began to appear bow much more extraordinary ex-traordinary it would have been if Clara hud promptly fled. Hy waiting a discreet length of time, as If nothing noth-ing bad happened, she put herself Indubitably In-dubitably on the right side of things. Iudoed, when one thought, bud she ever been legally off it? That was the very horror. Clara had simply I timed tho situation over nnd seen Us inarket value, and how enormously she had made It pay! Flora herself had paid; and ahe had seen the evidence that Marry had paid, paid for his poor little hour of cscapo which a mere murderer might have granted him In pity. Yet Clara could walk beside them, meet them at tlinner with tho same smooth face, chat upon the terrace with the unsuspecting unsus-pecting Mrs. Merrick, and even face Flora in a security which bad the appearance ap-pearance of serenity, since she knew that nothing ever would be told. At every turn in the day'a business Flora kept meeting that placid presence; pres-ence; and It was not until the end of the day that sho met it primed for departure. de-parture. Mora was with Mrs. Merrick, Mer-rick, and Clara, coming to seek them out, had an air of casual farewell. The small, sweet smile she presented "behind "be-hind her misty veil, the delicate whltegloved hand she offered were symbols of enduring friendship, as if she were leaving them only for a few bours; as If, when Flora returned to town, she would find Clara waiting for them in the house. Hut Flora knew It was only Clara's wonderful way. This uprising and departure were her last. Now all her waiting was for Kerr's returning. Sho did not know how she should face him, but ahe wanted htm. A telegram camo an hour before him, came to Mrs. Merrick announcing him; and then himself, driven up on the high seat of the cart, just as daylight was closing "Did you save It?" Flora Bsked. Me looked at Mra. Ik-nick, hesitating. hesitat-ing. "You can tell, she knows," Flora assured as-sured him. "No, J haven't saved It not so far," he said. Me bad taken off bis bat and the strong light showed on his face lines of fatigue and anxiety. '"Me gave me the slip no trace of him. 1 No one saw him come Into tho city; i nothing turned up In the goldsmith's i shop. Mis friend, the blue-eyed I Chinaman, has dropped out of sight. I haven't made It public," he glanced at Flora "but our men think he's gone by the water route Lord known In wtiHt or where! II" must have bad i this planned for days." M"j dldn'l r look at Flora now. Me turned bl communication carefully on Mrs. Mer rick. "There were seven vesseU t sailed that day, and all were search I ed; but there are ways of smuggling . opium, and why not men?" They were walking toward th house. Kerr looked up at the window I where, a short time before, Clara'i face bad looked down upon the con fusion In the garden. "Is that paid woman still here?" i "Oh, no; she's gone." Mora looker1 t him warnlngly. Hut Mrs. Horrid had caught bis tone. "Why shoul.Nfi she be?" she demanded with dellcatt I asperity. Kerr had dropped hla monocle. Te cause. In common decency, sh ; couldn't. She sold Cressy to me for t . good round sum." r Mora and Mrs. Merrick exchange.! r a look of horror. i "I'd suspected him," said Kerr. l . knew where I'd seen him but I I couldn't be sure of his Identity til she showed me the picture." t "What picture?" cried Flora, i "The picture I'.uller mentioned a( the club that night; Farrell Wand i boarding the fxnh Kttlve. Don't yoi , remember?" Me spoke gently, as I i afraid that a hasty phrase In surl connection might do her barm. Now l when be saw how white she looked - he steadied her with his arm. "W. ( won't talk of this business any more,' i he eald. 1 "But I must talk of !C Flora In I i..e over the dead line on to your side. That was the very point you made. That was where you would have dropped me if I had stuck by my kind, as you thought It, and not come over to yours." She saw herself fairly caught. She beard her mental process- stated to perfection. "Hut if you hadn't felt all alone; I was your kind, If you hadn't hud an Idea that I was a stray from the original orig-inal fold, you would never have wanted want-ed to go In for me," he explained It. Flora had her tloubta about the truth of this. For a time she had been certain of his belonging to the lawless other fold, and at times ahe would have gone with him In spite of It, but this last knowledge she withheld. with-held. She withheld It because ahe could make out now, that, for all bis seeming wildness, he had no lawless instincts In himself. Generations of great doing and great mixing among men had created hlni, a creature perfectly per-fectly natural and therefore eccentric; eccen-tric; but tho same generations had handed down from father to son the law abiding Instinct of the rulers of the people. Me could be careless of the law. Me was strong In It. In hla own mind be and the law were one. Mis perception of tho relations of life was so complete that he bad no further use for tho written law; and Farrell Wand's was bo limited thnt he had never found the use for it. IjwvIit.h both; but the two extremes. They might seem to meet but between be-tween those two extremes, between a Chatworth and a Farrell Warul why, there was all tho world's experience between! She raised her eyes and smiled at him In thinking of it, but the smile faltered nnd she drew away. They were about to bo disturbed. P.eyond tho rose branches far down the drlvo ahe saw a figure moving toward them at a slow, uncertain pace, looking to and fro. "See, there's sonio one ?omlng." "Oh, the gardener!" he said aa one would say "Oh, fiddlesticks!" The gardener hud been her first thought. Hut now she rose uneasily, slnci' she saw It was not he, asking herself: "Who else, at such an hour?" Hy this time Chatworth, still seated, bad caught eight of it. "Hello." be said, "what sort of a thing Is that?" It was a short, shabby, nondescript little figure, shuffling rapidly along tho winding walk between the rose bushes. Now they saw the top of his round black felt hat. Now only a twinkling pair of legn. Now, around the last clump of buahes he appeared full length, and, suddenly dropping bis businesslike shuffle, approached them at languid walk. Flora grasped Chatworth's arm In nervous terror. "Tell him to go," she whispered; "make Mm go away." The blue-eyed Chinaman was planted plant-ed before them stolidly, with the i curious blind look of his guarded eyes blinking In his withered face. Me wore for the first time the blouse ol his people, and his bands were folded i tn hl.i sleeves. "Who's this?" said Chatworth, appealing ap-pealing to Flora, i At this tho Cb!naman spoke. "Mr, i Crew," ho croaked. The Englishman, looking from the Oriental to Horn, still demanded ex i pianatlons with expostulating gesture "It Is the one who sold us the sap phlre." she whispered: and "Oh, whal does he want of you?" "F.h?" said Chatworth, Interrogating i the goldsmith with his monocle "What do you want?" f Tho little man finished hla long i and, what had seemed his blind, stare; then dived Into his sleeve. Me drew i forth a crumpled thing which seemed , to be a pellet and this he proceeded to unfold. Flora crept cautiously for i ward, loath to come near, but curl , cms, nnd saw hlrn spread out and hold t up a roughly torn triangle of news r raper. She gave a cry at sight of It Across the top In thick black typ ran tho figures 120,000. t Chatworth pointed a stern fore ; fing. "What Is It?" he said, thougl I by Ms tone he knew. The Chinaman also pointed at It ' bt.t cautious and apologetic. "Twentj thousand dollar. You likee twentj thousand dollar?" Me waited a mo r ment. Then, with a glimmer as of re ' turning sight, presented the alterna t tlve. "You liken god? little Joss?-j Joss?-j come so?" And with his finger b i traced In the air a curve of such dell - cate accuracy that the Kngllsbmar with an exclamation made a step to j ward him. Hut the Chinaman did no move. "Twenty thousand dollar." h I ktated. It sounded an Impersonal t.lafe 1 ment, but nevertheless It was quit. 1 evident this time to whom It applied t The Kngllnhman measured off hii 1 words slowly as If to an lneompleti understanding, which Flora was awsr. - waa all too miraculous'y quick. "Thli . littl" god. this ring do yon knon t where It Is? Can you take rue to If?' The goldsmith nodded empbatleall , at each word, but when all was sal. t he only reiterated, "Twenty thousanc t dollar" Chatworth rave Flora an almo k hame,'ac( "I glance, and she saw wit! - a curious twinge of Jealousy that b p v as !n;ei!y xcli d. "Miglt a r well have a pet shut at it," he said i and sluing down on the eiln of tin fountain and taking out Ms chock I book, rested It on Ms kr.ee and wrot. Then be rone; he held up the fill.-d I: : Jin l'for the Chinaniun's ey ' l "!l-re," b ss'd. ''twenty tho-rant I dclUti" Me btid the a;.r w i ou of the little man's reach. "Now." ha challenged, "tell mo where It la?" Into the goldsmlih'a eyes came a lightning flush of Intelligence, such as Flora remembered to have seen there when Farrell Wand, leaning on the dusty counter, hnd bidden him go and bring something pretty. Mo seemed to quiver a moment In indecision. Then he whipped his band out of his sleeve and held It forth palm upward. This time It was Chatworth who cried out. The thing that lay on the goldsmith's gold-smith's palm Flora had never seen, though once It had been described to her ' a bit of an old gold heathen god, curled around himself, with hl head of two yellow papphirea and a big blue stone on top." There It blazed- nt her, tho jewel she had carried In her bosom, that she had hidden In her pouch of gold, and ihat bad vanished from It at the touch of a magic hand, now cunningly restored to its right (dace In the forehead fore-head of the Crew Idol, crowning him with living light. Speechless they locked together nt the magic thing. Ihry hnd thought It far nt sea; and as if nt a wuve of a gonll's wand it was here before them flushing in the quiet garden. With an effort Chatworth seemed to keep himself from seizing on ring i and man together. Me looked search-Ingly search-Ingly at tho goldsmith and seemed on the point of askliig a question, but. Instead, he slowly held out hla hand. Me held It out cup fushlon. It shook so that Flora saw the Chinaman steady It to drop In the ring. Then, folding; Ills check miraculously smalli enveloping Jt In tho ragged piece of newspaper, the littio man turned and shuffled from thcu down the gravel walk. Chatworth stood Blaring after him with his Idol In his palm. -Then, turning turn-ing slow eyes to Horn. "Mow did he come by this?" be asked, as sternly as if he demanded It of the mystery Itself. It-self. "Me bad It. from the very first." Tho pieces of the puzzle were flashing together In Flora's mind. "Thnt first time Harry left the exhibit he took It there." "Hut tho blue sapphire?" Chatworth insisted. "Harry." Flora whispered, "Harry gave It up to him." "Gave It up to him!" Chatworth echoed In scorn. Hut she had had an Inspiration of understanding. "He had to for money to get off with. Ho gave Clara all he had so that she would let him get away. Poor thing!" she added In a lower breath, but Chatworth did not hear her. He bad taken the Idol In ' hla thumb and finger, and. holding It up In the broadening light, looked fixedly at It with the passionate Incredulity In-credulity with which ono might hold and look at a friend thought dead. , She watched him with her jealous pang increasing to a greater feeling i a feeling of being separated from him hy this jewel which be loved, and , which had grown to seem hateful to her, which had shown Itself a breeder : of all the greedy passions. She came softly up to him, and, lifting her ; band, covered the Idol. He turned toward her In wonder. "Ah, you love It too much," she , whispered. "That'g unworthy of you," be re- - proached her. "I have loved you I more; and that In spite of what I I believed of you. and what this means to me. To me. this ring la not a pretty thing seen yesterday. It Is I tho symbol of my family. It Is the power and pride of us. which our . women have worn on their hands at they have worn our honor In their hearts. It Is part of the life of my people; and now It has made lUelf r part of our life, of yours and mine. Shall I ever forget how starkly you . held It for the sake of my honor, r even against myself? . Should I vrr r have known you without It?" He - put the ring Into her hand. and. smll- - Ing with his old dare, held It over tho fountain. "Now, If you want to, drop It- In." He released her hand and turned to leave her to her will. For a moment sho stood w ith power i In her hands and her eyes on hi - averted head. Then with a littbi t rush she crossed the space between them. "Here, tak It! You love It! - I want you to keep It! b it I can't for- get the dreadful things it his made people do. It makes n.e afraid " i In spite of bis smiling h emrd f her very grave. "You dear, silly child! The whole storm and troub'a of lifo conies from rMngs belt g in r the mrotig place. This tins b. cn la the wrot.g place and made mischief" r "Like me," sh rnumniicl. I "I.lk you," be agreed ' Now we 1 shall be as we should be. Give me your band." t Me drew oT all the rings wl:' whi.h she bad once tried to dim tee spnrkl" of the npphlre, ar.d. i',rs plr.'r thoin no h'n rne!:et litre .e ; j much dros. slipied on the that covered her third Tug' r in s; !e:,.li. b.ir from knukie t joint. HnV-irg I hr by J.mt the tip c.f t:,: rr. r, Iran- ( Ing hfk a lit?K he lnnkul Into hr j errs, pnd , locking b-..n. kne kt 1 , It d.l.l U, m onrf lor alt. t i 1 ME KNU. J grass nnd. regardless of dew, skimmed tho lawn for the fountain aud the rose garden. There she saw him the one man-already man-already awaiting her. He stood back to back with a mossy nymph languishing languish-ing on her pedestal, and Flora hoped by running softly to steal up behind hlin, nnd make of the helpless marble lady a buffer between their greetings. Hut cither sho underestimated tho nymph's bulk, or forgot how tnvarla-p'-'1 -"tired waa the man's attack; for lartTTng and seeing hor, without any circumvention, with one sweep of his long arm, he Included the statue In his grasp of her. With a laugh of triumph he drew her out of her concealment. con-cealment. To her the splendor of skies and trees and morning light melted Into that wonderful moment. For the first timo In weary daya she hnd all to give, nothing to fear or withhold. Sho waa at peace. She was ready to stop, to stand here In her life for always here In tho glowing garden with him. and their youth. Hut ho was Impatient. Me did not want to loiter In tho morning, "Come, speak," he urged, as they paced around tho fountain. "When am I to take you away?" She hung back In fear of her very eagerness to go, to plunge head over ears Into life In a strange country with a stranger. "Next month," she ventured. "Next month! why not next week? why not to-morrow?" he declared with confidence. "Who Is to say no? I am tho head of my house and you have no ono but me. To bo sure, there is Mrs. Merrick excellent woman. wom-an. Hut she has her own daughters to look out for, and," he added slyly, "much as she thinks of you, I doubt if she thinks you a g(od example for them. As for that other, as for the paid woman " "Oh, hush, hush!" Flora cried, hurt with a certain hardness In his voice; "I don't want to sec her. I shall never go nenr her! And Marry" "I wasn't going to speak of him," said Chatworth, quickly. "I know," sho answered, "but do you mind my speaking of him?" They had sat down on the broad lip of the fountain basin. Me was looking at her Intentlr. "It Is strange," she said, "but In spite of his doing thin terrible thing I can't feel that he Mm self Is terrible liko Clara." "And yet." he answered In a grave voice, "I would rather you did." She turned a troubled face. "And have you forgotten what you said the first night I met you? You said it doesn't matter what a man Is, even If he's a thief, as long as he's a good one. At this he laughed a little grudg Ingly. "Oh. I dorrt go back on that but I was looking through the gresi impartial eye of the universe. Whereas Where-as a nian may be good of bis kind he's only good In his kind. Tip out a cat among canaries and see what happens. My dear glii. we were the veriest birds In bU paws! Ard no tir-e that It Isn't n.oral law li s in stlnct. We recogniie by scent before we see the shape. You never knew him. You never could. And yoi; ntver trusted him." "Put," she Interrupted eagerly, "I would have done anything for yot when I thoeght yon were a thief." "Anything?" he caught ber up wltr lausnter. "Oh. yes, anything to hau! slsted tremblingly. "I don't even know what you are," For tho flrat time ho showed apologetic. apolo-getic. Mo looked from oue to tho other with a sort of helpless simplicity. sim-plicity. "Why, I'm Chatworth I'm Crew; I'm the chap that owns the confounded confound-ed thing!" To see him stand there,' announced In that name, gave the tragic farce Its last touch. Flora bad an Instant of panic when flight seemed the solu. tlun. It took all her courage to keep her there, facing him, watching, as If from afar off, Mrs. Merrick's acknowledgment acknowl-edgment of the Informal Introduction. "I camo here, quietly," he was saying, say-ing, "so aa to get at It without making mak-ing a row. Only Purdle, good man! knew nnd he's been wondering all along why I've held so heavy a hand on hlrn. We'll have to lunch with them agnlu, ch?" Mo turned and looked at Flora. "And make all those explanations necessitated by this lady's wonderful sense of honor." It was hero, somewhere In the neighborhood f this sentence of doubtful meaning, that Mrs. Merrick left them. In looking back, Flora could never recall the, exact momest of the departure. Hut when she raised her eyes from tho grass where they bad been fixed for what seemed to her eternity sho found only Kerr no, Chatworth standing there, looking look-ing at her wilh a grave face. "Eh?" bo said, "and what about that honor of yours? What shall we say about It, now that tho sapphire's gone and no longer In our way?" She was breathing quick to keep from crying. "I told you that duy at tho restaurant." "Yes, yes; you told mo why you kept tho sapphire from me, but" he hung fire, then fetched it out with an i effort "why did you take It In the i first place?" I She looked at him In clear astonish-; astonish-; ment. "I didn't know what It was." i "You didn't!" It seemed to Flora the whole sltua-i sltua-i tion was turning exactly inside out. The light that was breaking upon her ; was more than she could bear. "Oh," she walled, "you couldn't have thought , I meant to take It!" "Then If you didn't." he burst out, i "why, when I told you what It was, . didn't you give It to me?" Tho cruel comic muse, who makes our serious suffering ridiculous, had I drawn aside tho last curtain. Flora r felt the laughter rising in her throat, t the tears In her eyes. "You guessed who 1 was." ho Insisted, In-sisted, advancing, "at least what I . represented." She bid her fare In her hands, and i her voice dropped; tiny. Into the stillness. still-ness. "I guessed you were Farrell Wsnd." - CHAPTER XXV. I I The Last Enchantment. The tallest eucalyptus top was all of the garden that was twin lied wi'h I sun w hen Flora came out of the house in the morning. She stood a spare i 1. Miking at that lit lo cone of bright- : f ness far above a'l the other trees. ! , swaying on the delicate tky. It was j not higher lifted nor brighter burnished burn-ished than her spirit then. Ehorn of t her locket chain, her golden pouch, free of her Uars, she poiswl looking over the garden. Then with a leap I she went from the veranda to tie |