e in the gloomy tenement house room, and blazed and sparkled as
with inner fires.

"Look, father."

The old flute-player stretched a wondering hand to take the trinket.
He could not understand, at all, what all this meant. What had the
thing to do with her great agitation? How came she with so valuable a
jewel? What did it mean--all of it? What under heaven could it mean?

"A ring? Ah," said he, "it is a beautiful ring set with a diamond.
Where did you get it, Anna?" He laid it upon the table quickly. He did
not seem to wish to hold it in his hand.

This was the crucial moment and she looked at him with dumb appeal in
her fine eyes. Then, seeing nothing in his face to reassure her, she
dropped her gaze. Her chest heaved with a quick sob.

"My dear, my dear," she now began, "I have a great confession. Do not,
please, be angry with me, father! I must tell you--"

She was interrupted by a quick, sharp rap upon the door. There was in
it the abrupt demand of an official visitation, and it startled both
of them.

Hastily she rose and stood gazing at the closed door; wonderingly he
rose, also, and, poised, ready to go and open it, waiting a second, to
see if there would be a repetition of the knock.

"Who is there?" he called, at length.

"I, Mrs. Vanderlyn," came the reply, in high-pitched, angry tones.

"M'riar," the flute-player called loudly, "go to the door."

Anna, now very plainly much alarmed, cowered back against the table,
her face turned toward the door, her two hands back of her, caught
desperately on the table and supporting her. Kreutzer looked at her
with new alarm--a dreadful apprehension. What could the girl have done
to be thus frightened by the coming of the woman whose employment she
had left?

"Mrs. Vanderlyn!" the girl gasped, weakly.

Then Kreutzer saw her do a thing which added to his great amazement,
his great worry. With a quick stride she crossed the little space
between her and the table, quickly snatched from it the box and ring,
put the cover on the box, and, hurriedly, with almost furtive gesture,
thrust the box into her handbag, being careful, he observed, to see to
it that in the bag it was well covered by a handkerchief and veil.

"Why do you look so frightened?" he demanded, in a voice now hoarse
and painful.

Anna was as pale as death as she replied: "I am afraid she has
discovered--"

"Discovered?" said her father, a grim light breaking on his confused
faculties. Ah, th