“He and the Nervina vanished together. I turned round just as she rushed in, crying out, 'I can't let you go alone! I'll save you, even beyond.' That's all she said, before--it happened.” “You saw nothing of the Rhamda then?” “No.” And we had neither seen nor heard of him since. Until we got in touch with him, one important clue as to Harry's fate was out of our reach. There remained to us just one thread of hope--the ring, which Charlotte was now wearing on her finger. I lit a match and held it to the face of the gem. As happened many times before, the stone exhibited its most astounding quality. As soon as faintly heated, the surface at first clouded, then cleared in a curious fashion, revealing a startling distinct, miniature likeness of the four who had vanished into the Blind Spot. I make no attempt to explain this. Somehow or other, that stone possesses a telescopic quality which brings to a focus, right in front of the beholder's eyes, a tiny “close-up” of our vanished friends. Also, the gem magnifies what it reveals, so that there is not the slightest doubt that Dr. Holcomb, Chick Watson, Queen and Harry Wendel are actually reproduced--I shall not say, contained--in that gem. Neither shall I say that they are reflected; they are simply reproduced there. Also, it should be understood that their images are living. Only the heads and shoulders of the men are to be seen; but there is animation of the features, such as cannot be mistaken. Granted that these four vanished in the Blind Spot--whatever that is--and granted that this ring is some inexplicable window or vestibule between that locality and this commonplace world of ours, then, manifestly, it would seem that all four are still alive. “I am sure of it!” declared Charlotte, managing to smile, wistfully, at the living reproduction of her sweetheart. “And I think Harry did perfectly right, in handing it to me to keep.” “Why?” “Well, if for no other reason than because it behaves so differently with me, than it did with him. “Hobart, I am inclined to think that this fact is very significant. If Chick had only known of it, he wouldn't have insisted that Harry should wear it; and then--” “Can't be helped,” I interrupted quickly. “Chick didn't know; he was only certain that someone--SOMEONE--must wear the ring; that it mustn't pass out of the possession of humans. Moreover, much as Rhamda Avec may desire it--and the Nervina, too--neither can secure it through the use of force. Nobody knows why.” Charlotte shivered. “I'm afraid there's something spooky about it, after all.”