Dr. Archie laughed. "It's an opal. Spanish Johnny
brought it up for me from Chihuahua in his shoe. I had it
set in Denver, and I wore it to-day for your benefit."

Thea had a curious passion for jewelry. She wanted
every shining stone she saw, and in summer she was always
going off into the sand hills to hunt for crystals and agates
and bits of pink chalcedony. She had two cigar boxes full
of stones that she had found or traded for, and she imagined
that they were of enormous value. She was always plan-
ning how she would have them set.

"What are you reading?" The doctor reached under the
covers and pulled out a book of Byron's poems. "Do you
like this?"

She looked confused, turned over a few pages rapidly,
and pointed to "My native land, good-night." "That,"
she said sheepishly.

"How about `Maid of Athens'?"

She blushed and looked at him suspiciously. "I like
'There was a sound of revelry,'" she muttered.

The doctor laughed and closed the book. It was clumsily
bound in padded leather and had been presented to the