es of mountain
before he spoke again. Then he became ingenious, for he had half worked
out what Mrs. Henry's meaning must be; but he must make quite sure.
Therefore, according to his wild, shy nature, he became ingenious.

"Men wear rings," he began. "Some of the men on the ranch do. I don't
see any harm in a man's wearin' a ring. But I never have."

"Well," said the lady, not yet suspecting that he was undertaking to
circumvent her, "probably those men have sweethearts."

"No, ma'am. Not sweethearts worth wearin' rings for--in two cases,
anyway. They won 'em at cyards. And they like to see 'em shine. I never
saw a man wear a topaz."

Mrs. Henry did not have any further remark to make.

"I was born in January myself," pursued the Virginian, very
thoughtfully.

Then the lady gave him one look, and without further process of mind
perceived exactly what he was driving at.

"That's very extravagant for rings," said she. "January is diamonds."

"Diamonds," murmured the Virginian, more and more thoughtfully. "Well,
it don't matter, for I'd not wear a ring. And November is--what did yu'
say, ma'am?"

"Topaz."

"Yes. Well, jewels are cert'nly pretty things. In the Spanish Missions
yu'll see large ones now and again. And they're not glass, I think. And
so they have got some jewel that kind of belongs to each month right
around the twelve?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Henry, smiling. "One for each month. But the opal is
what you want."

He looked at her, and began to blush.

"October is the opal," she added, and she laughed outright, for Miss
Wood's birthday was on the fifteenth of that month.

The Virginian smiled guiltily at her through his crimson.

"I've no doubt you can beat around the bush very well with men," said
Mrs. Henry. "But it's perfectly transparent with us--in matters of
sentiment, at least."

"Well, I am sorry," he presently said. "I don't want to give her an
opal. I have no superstition, but I don't want to give her an opal. If
her mother did, or anybody like that, why, all right. But not from me.
D' yu' understand, ma'am?"

Mrs. Henry did understand this subtle trait in the wild man, and she
rejoiced to be able to give him immediate reassurance concerning opals.

"Don't worry about that," she said. "The opal is said to bring ill luck,
but not when it is your own month stone. Then it is supposed to be not
only deprived of evil influence, but to possess peculiarly fortunate
power. Let it be an opal