n glanced at the bed, which was undisturbed. Surprised, she
exclaimed:

"Why, I thought you were going to lie down!"

He shook his head. Shifting uneasily on his feet, and, without looking
up, he answered:

"No--I can't sleep. I'm too nervous. I'll sleep to-night."

Advancing farther into the room she went up him and put her arm
affectionately round him. Sympathetically she said:

"You'll feel better in a few days, dear. Just rest and take things
easy. I won't hear of your going to the office for a week at least.
All the business you and Mr. Parker have you can transact here. By the
way, dear, you haven't even mentioned the most important thing of
all--have you brought back the diamonds?"

Instead of replying at once to her question, he turned quickly and
pulled down the blind.

"You don't mind, do you?" he said. "The light hurts my eyes."

"Of course not," she replied. Sitting down near him she went on: "Tell
me--have you got the diamonds? How beautiful they must be! How I
should love to see them!"

When finally he turned and confronted her she could see his face only
indistinctly, as the drawing of the blind had left the room almost in
darkness. His voice was strained and tense as he replied huskily:

"I have not got the diamonds!"

Helen almost started from her seat.

"You have not got them!" she exclaimed. "Where are they, Ken?"

"They are lost!"

"Lost?" she echoed, stupefied.

"Yes--lost."

"Oh, how terrible!" she faltered.

This, then, was the secret of his strange manner, his depression and
nervousness. He had lost the diamonds. He had returned home to
announce to the eagerly awaiting stockholders that over a million
dollars' worth of property had suddenly been swept away. His feeling
of personal responsibility must have been awful. No wonder he was not
himself. It was enough to unnerve any man. Of course he was not to
blame, but the world is so merciless. He would have to bear the
censure, even when he was perfectly innocent. How she regretted that
he had ever undertaken so heavy a responsibility. Timidly, not wishing
to embarrass or annoy him, she said:

"How did it happen, dear?"

For a moment he made no answer, but just sat and stared at her. What
little light entered between the shade and the window frame fell full
on her face, lighting up the fine profile, the delicately chiseled
mouth, throwing off golden glints from her artistically arranged hair.
From he