Hand and Ring

eal to

as royal —

gfe

y breath she drew, and stood ready to notice the slightest change in the stony face that, dim with the shadow of death, stared upon them from the unruffled pillows. In the sitting-room Lawyer Orcutt conversed in a subdued voice with Mr. Ferris, in regard to such incidents of the wid

ho from his dusty coat might have been a miller.

morning,” put in a pert young mis

mistake, and that brute of a tr

he has to say for himself,” cried another in a strictly jud

and Mrs. Phillips too; they

rant he wasn’t the only beggar tha

in the door flourishing her broom at him. She was mighty short with such folks. Wouldn’t wonder

he had a mighty good heart notwithstandin

she was to tha

ngly far removed from the subject in hand, stood leaning against the fence, careless and insouciant. Suddenly there was a

dead? Struck down by some wandering

ingered but a moment on the grand curves and lithe loveliness of that matchless figure, and passed at once to the face. Once there, it did not soon wander; for though its beauty was incontestable, the something that lay behind that beauty was more incontestable still, and held you, in spite of yourself, long after you had become acquainted with the broad white brow, the clear, deep, changing gray eye, the straight but

like to those who knew her and to those who did not, her air and manner were such as to naturally

er-boy, bolder than the rest. “But she’s sore hurt,

he would have staggered. As it was, she stood still, rigidly still, and seemed to summon up her facu

n her own soul. “No good can come of it, none.” Then, as if awakening to the scene about her, shook

k up, miss, on suspic

assailed her, of course.” And pushing on through the crowd that fe

to watch the girl’s retreating form, but, finding his view intercepted by the wrinkled profile of an old crone

he lady?” h

given, however, with a leer h

the injured woman, o

n’s face loo

ed grimly; “they

ade a perceptible start forward. The o

I mean they don’t visit each other. The town

ed and escape

gleam of interest he had shown in the affair. And, hurryin

l, resolute, and commanding, her eyes fixed on the door of the room that contained the still breathing sufferer, Mr. Orcu

e remarked. “But the death, or almost the death, of a perso

ost tenderly, but with a fatherly authority

the event has made you forget yourself; go home and trust me to

l and the weapon with which she was struck. I want to see it all. Mr. Ferris, will you show me?” And without giving any reason for this extraordinary r

ved toward the dining-room door. “I wi

Following close behind him, she ent

poor woman hit?

d asked her no questions. She awed them, all but

, while her eye fell thoughtfully to the floor. Suddenly she started, or so Mr. Byrd fondly imagine

” he thought, and watched

and seemed, by her rather desultory inquiries, to be st

this door,” she intimated, pointing

well mov

he repeated, glan

, turne

and, perceiving it, she impatiently ceased her efforts. She was not mistaken

of his wits. Seems to think he was taken up for theft, and makes no bones of saying that he did take a spoon or two from a house where he was let in for a bite. He gave up

sort of complacence, the eyes of the young lady who had been somewhat impatiently awaiting

nstantly, Mr. Byrd, who had not forgotten the small object she had been covering with her foot, sauntered

whose startled, if not alarmed, expression she did not succeed

an been telling you? You say it wa

ris, astonished at her heat, while Lawyer Orcutt, movin

you that you need agitate yourself so violently in regard to it. Come home, I beseech you, an

from Dr. Tredwell to Mr. Ferris, and back again to Dr. Tredwell, as if she sought in their faces some con

yours?” inquired a smooth and c

turned. Mr. Byrd was holding out in his open palm a

costly ornament and then at her, Mr. Orcutt’s face especially assuming a startled expression of mingled surprise and apprehension, that

just that delicate shade of respect in his voice necessary to express a gentlem

d to calm her, as powerful natures are

eaching out her hand and taking the ring. “I must have dropped it without knowing it.” And meeting the eye of Mr. Orcutt fixed

with such quiet assurance, and, though with the quick self-control that distinguished him he forbore to show his surprise, he none the less felt baffled and ill at ease, all the more that t

ssisted efforts at real detective work.” And, inwardly disgusted with himsel

o their proper balance. Mr. Orcutt threw off the shadow that had momentarily disturbed his quiet and assure

pany me home. You cannot mean to rema

nd the physician, who had been set to watch over the dying gasps of the poor sufferer within, appeared on the threshold of the bedroom door

lips,” he announced, and

narticulate at first, but presently growing loud enough and plain enough

n they heard. “Ring! hand!” till a sudden gasp cut s

r from Mr. Ferris, as he pressed hastily towa

at once stopped

again,” he su

ever-growing suspense, no further break occurred

er old state; she may rou

tt gazing at her with an expression of perplexity that had almost the appearance of dismay. This look passed instantly from the lawyer’s countenance as he met the eyes of his friends, but Mr. Byrd, who was still smar

Mr. Byrd saw, or thought he saw, the last lingering remains of a great horror fading out of her eyes, and was not surprised

to quit the house, they were not allowed to do so without experiencing another shock. Just as they were passing the door of

stirs again. I think s

hrough the house, growing gradually into speech that this time took a form that curdled the blood of the listeners, and mad

were the words that now rose ringing and clear from that bed of death. “May the fate that

, turned and confronted each other. But the young lady who lingered in their midst looked at no one, turned to no one. Shuddering and white, she stood gazing before her as if she already beheld that retributive hand descending upon the head