Geoffrey's Victory by Mrs Georgie Sheldon — page 153: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

EVERET MAKES A STARTLING DISCOVERY. 149 to reassert itself irritated bim, when, without the slight- est warning, the step ou which he was standing gave way and he was unceremoniously precipitated into the rank grass and among the brambles which grew all about it. He picked himself up, after giving vent toa somewhat | unrefined expression of annoyance, rescued his hat, which had lodged in a prickly cactus near-by, and then -turned to see how much damage he had done. The step wasa complete wreck, the top board being split entirely across, while the rotten supports beneath were wholly demolished, and lay inacrumbled heap on the ground. He gave the massa kick with his foot, scattering it right and left, when suddenly a gleam of light from something among it, flashed into his eye. He stooped to see what had caused it, when, to his in- tense surprise, he found a small ring, the gold all black- ened and tarnished, but with a beautiful diamond, clear and brilliant as a drop of dew in the sunlight, set in its delicate crown. “Well, I imagine I have found a treasure now,” Everet exclaimed, eagerly, as he turned it over and over to ex- amine it more closely. He saw that there was some inscription upon its inner surface, but it was so blackened with age and so filled with dirt that he could not make it out. ‘“Aha!” he cried, exultantly, “Ill wager almost any- thing that I have at last found the end of the broken thread that will unravel the mystery.” He sat down again upon the upper step of the porch, deliberately drew a cigar from his pocket, lighted it, and began to smoke. The first ashes that he detached from it he carefully saved upon a piece of wood, and, using his handkerchief, began to polish the discolored ring with them. It wag not long before his efforts were rewarded—the inner surface of the ring began to take on its original eolor and the inscription to stand out more plainly. ‘“‘It is evidently an engagement-r ‘ing with only some in- itials and a date engraven upon it,” the young man mur- mured, as he held it up to inspect it more closely. The next instant he lifted his head with an air of triumph, though his face wasas white as a sheet. “It is the key tothe whole mystery,” he said. ‘This will take me straight to the heart of the secreé,” | GOmicooo S (€(0) =)