that Miss Parsons had an eccentric old aunt, who wished to give the
seminary some money, and so turned over the ring, to be converted into
cash. This ring Miss Harrow left on her desk in the office. Nellie
went into the office to see the teacher, but finding no one there,
came away. Then Miss Harrow came back a few minutes later, and found
the diamond ring gone. She at once made inquiries, but as she could
find nobody who had been in the once after Nellie had left, she called
Nellie in and wanted her to tell what had become of the piece of
jewelry."

CHAPTER IV

A FOUR-HUNDRED-DOLLAR RING

"Did you see this ring, Nellie?." questioned Tom, after a painful
pause.

"Why, yes, it was lying in the middle of a flat-top desk," responded
the girl, wiping her eyes with her handkerchief.

"Didn't somebody go into the office after you were there?"

"I don't know, Tom. In fact, nobody seems to know."

"I was in the office with another girl about five minutes before
Nellie went there," came from Grace. "I saw the ring there, too, and I
thought it was very foolish to leave it so exposed. Why, anybody could
have run off with it."

"It certainly was careless," put in Sam.