THE MYSTERY OF THE RING
Frank did not glance back till he turned onto another street, and then
he saw the man in black standing quite still where they had parted.
The reddish glow of the sunset was behind the man, on which his black
figure stood out like a silhouette, the cloak and cape making him
slightly resemble a gigantic bat.
The boy shivered a little as he passed beyond the view of the
mysterious stranger.
"That man makes my blood cold," he murmured. "There is something
decidedly awe-inspiring about him. Somehow, I do not believe I have
seen the last of him."
Frank was right; he had not seen the last of the man in black.
Thinking of what had happened, Frank soon came to the conclusion that
the man was mad, or else there was some mystery about the ring that was
not known to the possessor.
Why had the stranger been so desirous of knowing how the ring came into
Frank's possession?
True he had said that he always wished to know the history of such
rings as he collected; but Frank had refused distinctly to sell the
ring, and still the man had seemed very desirous of obtaining
information concerning it.
Why had he asked the name of Frank's father?
These questions presented themselves to the boy for consideration, and
he remembered how, on hearing the name, the stranger had confessed that
it was unfamiliar to him.
Frank was thinking deeply of these things, when a familiar voice called:
"Hello, Frank! Are you going past without speaking?"
He started and looked up, finding himself in front of Inza's home. It
was a fine, old-fashioned house, built years and years ago, and an iron
fence surrounded the front lawn. Inza was at the gate, a pretty pout
on her face.
The young cadet instantly lifted his cap, as he smilingly retorted:
"I did not see you there, Miss Burrage."
"Oh, bother your 'Miss Burrage!'" she exclaimed. "You know it was Inza
with you long ago--you promised to call me that. No wonder you didn't
see me; you were going past with your head down, your eyes on the
ground, and an expression of profound abstraction on your face. What
in the world were you thinking of?"
"That's a mystery," said Frank, approaching the gate.
"Indeed!" and she lifted her eyebrows with a pretty Assumption of
offended dignity. "A secret from me?"
"I did not say it was a secret; I said it was a mystery. I was
thinking of the man in black."
"Mercy!" She gave a little shiver. "What is the man in black--some
horrible ogre?"
"Well, I fancy he is ogre enough to give you the chills."
"What story did you find him in?"
"Oh, I didn't find him in a story; I met him in real life. I left him
a few minutes ago."
"This is interesting!" she laughed. "Who is he? What's his name?"
"I don't know. Didn't I say he is a mystery?"
"Come, Frank, are you trying to tease me?"
"Not at all. I will tell you all I know about this singular man in
black."
Then, leaning gracefully against one of the iron gateposts, he related
his recent adventure with the unpleasant stranger. She listened with
breathless interest, her eyes growing wider and wider, and an
expression of alarm coming to her pretty face.
"Oh, Frank!" she exclaimed, when he had finished; "I know this terrible
man is dangerous! He will do you harm!"
"Oh, I'm not afraid of that," declared the boy, lightly; "but I would
give something to know what there is about this ring that makes him so
desirous of possessing it."
He held up the ring for her to examine. It was an oddly twisted band
of gold, looking like a writhing serpent. It was set with a peculiar
black stone that seemed quite as hard as a diamond, for all that there
were numerous marks and scratches on its smooth surface.
"It is a horrid ugly old ring," declared Inza. "Anybody must be crazy
to offer fifty dollars for it."
"Unless it bears some value that is not apparent to one who does not
know its secret."
"What value can it bear?"
"That is the mystery. Still, from my mother's words, I am sure my
father prized this ring highly. When it came into his possession he
was in Southern California or Mexico, and he sent it home to my mother
at the earliest opportunity, writing her to be very choice of it, and
not to lose it on her life, as it was very valuable. Now, my father
never revealed the secret of this ring to my mother, if the ring has a
secret; but I am sure that mother believed there was something
mysterious about it, for, when she was dying, she gave it to me,
telling me never to part with it. Of course I will not sell it."
"Of course not," nodded Inza; "but the horrid old thing may bring you
trouble, instead of good."
"Oh, I don't think there is much danger of that."
"The man in black----"
"Will give over his attempt to obtain it when he really knows I will
not part with it on any condition."
"He may; but his words, which you have repeated for me, make me believe
he will do something desperate in order to get possession of it. You
must look out for him--you must be on your guard constantly."
"Why, Inza!" laughed Frank, in astonishment; "I never heard you speak
like this before. You really appear as if you felt a foreboding of
some terrible thing."
"Perhaps I do," she said, very gravely, for a light-hearted girl.
Frank looked down at the ring on his hand. Surely it was an ugly
trifle to make so much trouble.
"Do you see those fine lines on the surface of the stone?" he asked.
They were faintly visible to the naked eye.
"There is something peculiar about those lines," he said. "This stone
is so hard that nothing seems to scratch it, and I am sure those lines
were not made by the ring accidentally striking against hard objects.
They were there when it came into my possession. I do not think
another line or mark has been made upon it since I have owned it."
"That is odd."
"Odd! It is remarkable. It makes it appear that these lines were
traced there with some instrument that could mark the stone, and that
they have a secret meaning."
"Who knows? Possibly that is true."
"And it may be that the man in black can read their meaning."
The red light was dying out of the western sky, and the dusky shadows
of advancing night were gathering in the village street, which was
overhung by large dark elm trees. Standing by the gate, the boy and
girl minded not the approach of darkness as they talked on.
Suddenly Inza uttered a cry and caught Frank's arm, pointing to the
opposite side of the street, and excitedly whispering:
"Look--look there! Who is that man skulking along the walk over there?"
"By Jove! it is the man in black!" declared Frank.