The dark eyes glanced at the short paragraph, the red lips parted in a malicious smile, and Jewel said, airily: "It means what it says, of course." She saw the slight, graceful form shiver with emotion, the blue eyes dilate widely. "Oh, Jewel!" gasped the girl, pleadingly. "This Laurie Meredith--who is he?" Jewel gave utterance to a low, mocking laugh, and answered: "Not the dead alive, certainly; for although you have come back from your supposed grave, your old lover has not. I could keep you in suspense awhile, but I see you are not able to bear it, so I will tell you at once that this man whom I am so soon to marry is a cousin of your Laurie Meredith." "A cousin!" Flower faltered, disappointedly, plainly betraying the wild hope that had lurked in her heart, and causing Jewel to exclaim sharply: "Why, of course! You could not suppose it was the same man after you read his death in the paper." "I--I--thought--hoped, it might be a mistake--that it was some one else who was dead--not my husband! Oh, I can not tell what I hoped when I saw that dear name in the paper again!" wailed Flower; and unable to stand longer, she sunk upon the velvet couch, and sobbed heart-brokenly. Jewel watched the bowed, golden head with a terrible hatred, a panther-like fury in her large, black eyes, and clinching her white teeth fiercely, she said to herself: "Ah, I did not know what a hell of hate was in my heart until this weak girl came between me and my heart's beloved! I can understand now how my mother hated her mother! I can feel the same murderous jealousy that made her life wretched! Ah, what am I to do? She is alive, she is in the same city with Laurie Meredith, and they will surely find each other out despite all my lies and all my schemes." Dark, terrible thoughts came into her mind. She wished that she could see her sister fall down dead at her feet, so bitter was her hate. Suddenly Flower lifted her beautiful, pathetic face, and a gleam of her old spirit shone in her eyes. She exclaimed, warningly: "Jewel, I warn you not to deceive me! If it be really Laurie Meredith, if it was not he who died, tell me the truth! What could it profit you to keep us apart now? I remember that you used to love him, that you were angry because he preferred me, but even if he had learned to love you, believing me dead, you could not be his wife now--now, while I am alive!" A cruel, mocking laugh came from Jewel's writhing lips. She bent forward, and hissed, vindictively: