“Since you ask it—but you must write to us oftener.”
Mrs. Graham turned as if to renew her attention to her other guests when Mr. Mackworth slipped something into her hand.
“I almost forgot it,” he explained and in an instant he, too, was busy over the fowling piece.
Mrs. Graham had no need to look into the little leather case—she knew it contained jewels. One glance revealed a birdlike hair ornament of diamonds, amethysts and pearls. The glints in the half light hinted at a cost of thousands of dollars. She was about to rush forward with a cry of pleasure when the blood flushed her face and she snapped the lid shut. In another moment she was by her brother’s side.
“Did you—you mean that—that was to get me to say ‘yes’?” she whispered excitedly.
“By no means,” laughed Mr. Mackworth. “You agreed before I remembered that I had it.”
“You’d better say that,” she retorted.
“How do you like it?” he asked as he took the case from Mrs. Graham, opened it and removing the quivering ornament, snapped it in the coils of her hair.
All on the gallery stepped forward to examine the jewel. Then the heartless Mackworth had his revenge. While all were bubbling over with admiration for the valuable ornament, Mrs. Graham’s brother exclaimed:
“O, by the way, gentlemen, Mrs. Graham has consented that Frank may go with us.”