CHAPTER XXXII.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7383, 8 February 1902, Page 1 (Supplement)

CHAPTER XXXII.

THE RING.

One evening about a week after the events just related Mr Gregory received a call and was cloistered for a long time with a stranger, while the subdued murmur of their voices, as it came to Theo, who was reading in the drawing-room, seemed to have a solemn and ominous sound.

It must have been nearly two hours after Mr Gregory's visitor rang the bell, when her guardian opened the door between thetwo rooms and looked in upon her.

"Oh, you are here, then, my dear," he said. "I was wanting to see you."

And she noticed that his face looked very grave and stern.

"Yes, I have been here all the evening," ishe returned, regarding- him with a rapidly beating heart, for something seemed to whisper to her that he had unpleasant news to communicate.

He came forward after carefully closing the door, and fixing his eyes upon her left hand he asked:

"Theo, where did you get that emerald ring 1 which you have worn so long?"

The young girl grew very pale — her lips quivered, and looking at the ring gleaming upon her white finger, she answered with starting tears: "Bertie gave it to me, sir." "I thought as much — it is the one which he usedj:o wear, is it not?" "Yes, sir. He gave it to me on the day when we parted, as — as a sort of seal to the goodwill and friendship which we pledged to each other."

"Did you ever have a betrothal ring or anything to show that you were plighted to him?"

"No, sir; but Bertie thought I ought to have one, and strangely enough he brought it to me that very day. He said it was very queer that he had never thought of it before, since our engagement had been of such long standing. But it had suddenly occurred to him as he was coming to see me that it would be the proper thing to give me one, so he bought it and brought it to me. He did not tell me this until after we had had our talk about the wisdom of never marrying each other; for, fearing my courage would give out, I broached the subject almost immediately after his arrival; but even after that he asked me if I would accept the ring and wear it in a friendly way."

Theo paused to wipe her . tears, which were falling fast as she thus recalled that last touching interview.

"I did not like to take it," she resumed after a moment or two, "because he had bought it for a betrothal ring, and I knew that everyone observing it upon my finger would naturally suppose it to be such. But I told him that if he would give me this emerald which he had worn and which I had alwaj's admired, I should be yery glad to wear it as a seal to our new friendship. So he gave it to me, and putting the other in his vest pocket took it away with him. He took it out of a little case when he offered it to me, but he slipped it into his pocket without it when I told him that I would rather not have it. He did it thoughtlessly. I am sure, and it was a very careless thing to do, considering that the ring was so valuable. I did not mind it at the time, my thoughts were so full of other things; but afterwards I did, for I found the little case on the floor ■when he had gone. I intended to re-

turn it the next time I met him; but, oh! Papa Gregory, you know I never saw him again!" she concluded, entirely overcome with her grief. "Can you describe the ring?" Mr Gregory asked.

Theo gave him an accurate description of it, for she remembered it as distinctly as if she had seen it but yesterday.

"Do you think you Would recognise that ring if you should see it now?"

"Oh, yes," she answered, unhesitatingly.

One of Mr Gregorys- hands had hung, by his side ana a little behind him during the above conversation. He lifted it now, unclosed it, and upon its palm there lay a ring with a pure,, glittering diamond set in a crest upon it.

The moment her eyes fell upon it Theo knew it. She cried out witb_ sudden pain, "Oh, Bertie, Bertie!" and then fell to sobbing as if her heart would break.

"An, you recognise it? Will you. take the ring, dear," Mr Gregory said,, "and see if you are quite sure it is the same?"

She obediently took it between her thumb and forefinger, trembling with, excitement as she did so, while her small white teeth chattered audibly. Had Bertie's dead body been found at last and this ring upon it? she wondered. the dead mystery about to be solved?

""Yes, it is the same — the very same," she said, falling back upon her chair and almost fainting, Mr Gregory sprang across the halL to the diningrooui, and brought her a glass of water, it revived her ai~ must immediately.

"lias — has he Deen found?" sne cried, sitting up and looking wildly at her guardian.

"No; nothing has been found savethe ring and — this."

He laid a little piece of dark cloth upon her lap as he spoke.

"Oh!" she cried, eharply, "that isa piece of his coat— the very coat which he wore that day. Tell me oh, tell me; 1 must know about it!" and she wrung her hands in distress.. "Be calm, my dear," said Mr Greory, soothingly. "I can tell you nothing satisfactory as yet. Nothingsave this ring and a bit of cloth has. been found, and though they may prove invaluable, as leading to something more tangible in the future, at present the mystery only seems togrow darker and more perplexingthan ever."

"Oh! Papa Gregory!" Theo cried, clasping her trembling hands around his arm and clinging to him, "tell, me that there is nothing in all this that will be likely to fix suspicion anew upon Guy!" "No, dear, not according to my way of looking at it. And yet there is nothing about it, either, to lighten the suspicion against him."

Mr Gregory men tenderly requested Theo to seek her own chamber as she needed rest. He parted from her with a low-spoken "good-night," and then went back to his strange guest, with whom he was closeted* until midnight.

(To be continued.)