tinued Manda, with a shake of her head.
"Tilly 'lows it's that thar ring of old Marse Gilpin's."

"Hardly," said Mrs. Parton, with a laugh. Belle, remembering the stranger,
wondered if it might not be true.

Such talk among the servants of Friendship was nothing new. Since the
first excitement over the disappearance of the ring, it had broken out
periodically; but to Belle this morning it seemed a strange coincidence.
Suppose some one else had seen the ring in Morgan's possession? And now it
occurred to her to tell Miss Celia.

On her way to the Fairs' she met the stranger again, this time in front of
Mrs. Graham's school. He was looking about him with an air of interest,
and as Belle approached he asked if this was not the Bishop residence.

"It was," she answered, "but it is a school now."

The gentleman thanked her and walked on.

"I believe he is a detective," she said to herself.

Celia was in her usual place in the arbor bending over a piece of
embroidery, when Belle found her.

"Miss Celia, I have the strangest thing to tell you," she began, and then
unfolded her story.

Celia listened in astonishment. "Why, Belle, it isn't possible--you don't
think--"

"Miss Celia, I don't know. I saw the ring, and I know Morgan isn't a
thief, but I don't understand it."

"No, indeed. Morgan, whom we have always known--who is honest as the day!"
Celia was silent for a moment, then she said, "Belle, it seems to me the
only thing for you to do is to tell Mr. Whittredge. The ring belongs to
him; he will know what to do far better than we, and he will think of
Morgan, too."

"I would have told him, but he has gone away."

"Gone?"

Belle wondered a little at Miss Celia's tone; it was as if she cared a
great deal.

"I don't think he will be gone long. He took Rosalind with him," she
added.

"Then I should wait till his return. A few days more can't make much
difference. You have been very wise not to mention it to any one."

But when Belle told about the supposed detective, Celia laughed and said
she had a vivid imagination, and that it was only a coincidence that the
old rumors should be revived just now.

As Belle went down the hill, feeling somewhat crestfallen and rather tired
of the whole matter of the ring, she met Maurice and Jack. Jack had spent
the night with Maurice, and now they were on their way to the landing to
take some pictures with Maurice's new camera. They made no objection to
her proposal to