lifted from the interior of the box a string of flashing gems--a
broad band, or necklace, of them, in fact--and let them flow through her
fingers in a stream of sparkling light. They were beautiful, beautiful
pearls--a really wonderful necklace of them!

Ruth held her breath for a moment. The queen turned suddenly and shot a
keen, suspicious glance at her. The girl knew enough to cough, turn
slightly, and recommence her steady breathing.

The old woman had dropped the pearls in haste. Now she picked them up
again, and went on with her silent worship of the gems.

Ruth did not startle her again; but she saw something that made her own
heart beat faster and brought the perspiration out upon her limbs.

Above the old woman's head, and behind her, was a window. Pressed close
to the pane of the window Ruth saw a face--dark, evil, be-mustached. It
was one of the Gypsy men.

She remembered now what she had overheard between the two supposed
tramps who had taken shelter in the deserted house during the tempest.
Was _this_ one of those two ruffians? And was he the one who had railed
at the division of some stolen treasure, and had spoken with
covetousness of the beautiful pearls?

The thought made Ruth tremble. His wicked face withdrew, but all the
time the Gypsy queen was admiring the necklace, Ruth felt that the evil
eyes of the man were also gloating over the pearls.

CHAPTER XI

TOM ON THE TRAIL

In spite of the fact that his sister thought it hard that Tom Cameron
had not returned to the stalled auto by dark, the lad was having no easy
time.

In the first place, he had not run a mile on the road to Severn Corners
when he stepped on a pebble, turned his ankle sharply, and had to hobble
the rest of the way at a much slower pace than he had expected.

All the time, too, Tom was troubled about the uncertainty of there being
at the Corners any repair shop. He knew it was a small settlement. At
most, the repair garage would be very small, and perhaps the mechanic a
mere country "jack-of-all-trades," who would fumble the job.

To obtain a car to drag his own into the town was beyond the boy's
hopes, and when he came at last to a comfortable looking farmhouse some
half a mile that side of the settlement, he determined to see if he
could not obtain a pair of horses from the farmer, to get the car to
the hamlet.

He approached the back door of the house without seeing anybody about.
It was already growing dark