Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-26

further delay he drew off the rings
slipped them into his pocket and re
placed his hands on the smooth table
top.
Then, at the moment that he replaced
them, peculiar thing occurred.
From the farther side Of the dark
partition came the quick, rustling sti1
of skirt and the slight scrape of q
chair pushed either backward or for
ward. Then there was silence.
Now, silence can suggest anything
from profound thought to imbecility,
but in this case It's suggestion was nil.
That something had happened, that
some change had taken. place, was as
patent to Loder as the darkness Of the
curtain or the band of light that crossed
the floor, but what had occasioned it,
or what it stood for, he made no at
tempt to decide. He sat bitingly con-
scious Of his hands spread open on the
table under the scrutiny Of eyes that
were invisible to him, wildly aware
OF the awlswardness Of his position.
He felt with instructive certainty that
q new chord had been struck; but q
man seldom acts on instructive certain
ties. II the exposure Of his hands had
struck this fresh note, then any added
action would but heighten the dilemma.
He sat silent and 1nohonless.
Whether his impassivity had any
bearing on the moment he had no way
Of knowing; but no further movement
came from behind the partition. What
ever the emotions that had caused the
sharp swish of skirts and the sharp
scrape of the chair, they had evidently
subsidized or been dominated by other
feelings.
The next indication of life that came
to him was the laying down of the
crystal ball. It was laid back upon the
table with slight jerk that indicated
q decision come to; and almost stimuli
tnneously the seer's voice came to him
again. Her tone was lower now than
1t had been before, and it's extreme
ease seemed slightly shaken-whether
by excitement, surprise or curiosity 1t
was impossible to say.
"You will think 1t strange" she be-
gan. You will think Then she
stopped.
There was pause, as though she
waited for some help, but Loder re-
manned mute. In difficulty silent
tongue and cool head are usually
mans best weapons.
His silence was disconcerting. He
heard her stir again.
"You will think it strange" she be-
gan once more. Then quite suddenly
she checked and controlled her voice.
"You must forgive me for what am
going to say" she added in a com.
pletely different tone, but crystal gaz-
ing is such an Elusive thing. Directly
you put your hands upon the table
felt that there would be no result, but
/ wouldn't admit the defeat. Women
are such keen anglers that they can
never acknowledge that any fish. how
ever big. has slipped the hook" She
laughed softly.
At the sound Of the laugh Loder shift
ed his position for the first time. He
could not have told why, but it struck
him with slight sense Of confusion.
A precipitate wish to rise and pass
through the doorway into the wider
spaces Of the conservatory came to
him, though he made no attempt to act
upon 1t. He knew that, for some mex
plicable reason, this woman behind the
screen had lied to HMM the controll-
ing Of her speech, In her change Of
voice. There had been one moment in
which On impulse or an emotion had al
most found voice; then training, in.
stinct, or it might have been diplomacy,
had conquered, and the moment had
passed. There was a riddle In the very
atmosphere of the place-and he abom.
mated riddles.
But Lady Astrupp was absorbed in
her own concerns. Again she changed
her position, and to Loder, listening
attentively, 1t seemed that she leaned
forward and examined his hands
afresh. The sensation was so acute
that he withdrew them involuntarily.
Again there was confused rustic.
The crystal ball rolled from the table,
and the seer laughed quickly. Obeying
strenuous impulse, Loder rose.
He had no definite notion 6 what he
expected or what he must avoid. He
was only conscious that the pavilion,
with its silk draperies, its scent OF
musk and its intolerable secrecy, was
no longer endurable. He felt cramped
and confused in mind and muscle. He
stood for second to straighten his
limbs; then he turned and, moving di-
rectly forward, passed through the
portiere.
After the dimness Of the pavilion the
conservatory seemed comparatively
bright, but without waiting to grow
accustomed to the altered light he
moved onward with deliberate haste.
The long green alley was speedily
raversed. In his eyes it no longer
possessed greenness, no longer suggest
ed freshness or repose. 1t was simply
a means to the end upon which his
mind was set.