around her waist, when she struck him a stinging blow on the face
with her open hand.

As he stepped back a ring fell from somewhere and bounded on the
tiled floor. Platt groped for it and found it.

"Now, take your useless diamond and go, Mr. Buyer," she said.

"This was the other one--the wedding ring," said the Texan, holding
the smooth gold band on the palm of his hand.

Miss Asher's eyes blazed upon him in the half darkness.

"Was that what you meant?--did you"--

Somebody opened the door from inside the house.

"Good-night," said Platt. "I'll see you at the store to-morrow."

Miss Asher ran up to her room and shook the school teacher until she
sat up in bed ready to scream "Fire!"

"Where is it?" she cried.

"That's what I want to know," said the model. "You've studied
geography, Emma, and you ought to know. Where is a town called
Cac--Cac--Carac--Caracas City, I think, they called it?"

"How dare you wake me up for that?" said the school teacher."
Caracas is in Venezuela, of course."