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  THE
  SAPPHIRE SIGNET

[Illustration: "I had the _worst_ time puzzling this out!" she said]




                                  THE
                            SAPPHIRE SIGNET

                                  BY
                         AUGUSTA HUIELL SEAMAN
                Author of "The Boarded-Up House," etc.

                            ILLUSTRATED BY
                             C. M. RELYEA

                            [Illustration]

                               NEW YORK
                            THE CENTURY CO.
                                 1916




  Copyright, 1915, 1916, by
  THE CENTURY CO.

  _Published, September, 1916_




CONTENTS


  CHAPTER                                                           PAGE

      I THE HOUSE IN CHARLTON STREET                                   3

     II SOMETHING TURNS UP                                            16

    III THE DISCOVERY IN THE ATTIC                                    32

     IV A KEY TO THE MYSTERY                                          53

      V "THE LASS OF RICHMOND HILL"                                   65

     VI A SURPRISE                                                    79

    VII THE DISCOVERIES CORINNE MADE                                  91

   VIII BAFFLED!                                                     102

     IX INTRODUCING ALEXANDER                                        114

      X ALEXANDER TAKES HOLD                                         126

     XI ALEXANDER SPRINGS A SURPRISE                                 135

    XII THE MYSTERY UNRAVELS FURTHER                                 149

   XIII ALEXANDER ENGAGES IN SOME HISTORICAL
          RESEARCH                                                   162

    XIV A BELATED DISCOVERY AND A SOLEMN CONCLAVE                    179

     XV SARAH TAKES A HAND IN THE GAME                               192

    XVI THE SAPPHIRE SIGNET                                          209

   XVII IN WHICH SARAH CHANGES HER MIND                              228

  XVIII TWO SURPRISES                                                245

    XIX THE MISSING LINKS                                            255




ILLUSTRATIONS


                                                                    PAGE

  "I had the _worst_ time puzzling this out!" she said    _Frontispiece_

  "Corinne noticed that the bottom of the trunk seemed
      all wrong."                                                     37

  "He gazed hard at me as I stood on the lawn."                       71

  "Madame Mortier warned Alison that she wasn't to have
      any communication with the rebels."                            109

  "I poked around it, top, bottom, and sides."                       143

  "You must welcome the latest member of the Antiquarian
      Club, Miss President!"                                         205

  He began to tap the inside of the trunk all over, carefully,
      with the handle of his penknife                                223

  "For a minute or two she didn't answer."                           265




  THE SAPPHIRE SIGNET




  THE SAPPHIRE SIGNET
  OR
  "THE LASS OF RICHMOND HILL"




CHAPTER I

THE HOUSE IN CHARLTON STREET


It was five o'clock and a very dull, dark afternoon in Charlton
Street. One by one lights had twinkled out in all the little
two-story-and-dormer-windowed houses on the block,—in all but one.
The parlor windows of this house were still unlit, but behind the
flower-box in one of them a hand could be seen moving aside the white
curtains at frequent intervals and a dim face peering anxiously into
the dusk.

At ten minutes past five precisely, two trim girl-figures turned the
corner of Varick Street, hurried down the block, raced up the steps
of this same house, and waved frantically at the dark windows. An
answering wave saluted them from between the parted curtains. At the
same moment lights twinkled out from the windows, and a quick hand
pulled down the shades with a jerk, shutting out the dim street for the
night. But back of the drawn shades a small figure in an invalid-chair
held out welcoming arms to the girls who had just entered.

"My! How long you were! I thought you'd never get here to-day. And it's
been so dark and dismal all the afternoon, too!" The two girls, who
were plainly twins, knelt down, one on each side of the invalid-chair.

"We _were_ an age, I know, Margaret dear," began Bess, "but there was a
good reason. It's quite exciting,—all about the new girl!"

"Yes, you can never guess what, either!" echoed Jess, winding one of
Margaret's dark curls around her finger.

"Oh, tell me—quick!" The child's big, beautiful gray eyes fairly
sparkled with eagerness, and a faint flush tinted her delicate face.
"Is it that queer girl