The Washington herald., 1907-12-13
THE IRON LORD
BY S. r.. CROCKETT.
Author Minister Raiders Plume"
by s Crockett
By S. r. CROCKETT.

sudden awe Of the Unknown-the man
ayers house Her heart beat, Her
house, Hers, Yes. that was what he
had meant-what he had taken for grant
ed. He took too many things for grant
ed. Ktsser her. did he? Declared that
she-had he actually said that2 Well
she would show him, But there as the
long brass tube Swayed. trembled. and
settled into crystalline clearness. her
startled eyes beheld as a marvel the
felled tree on which they two had sat
No mistake about that. There was tha
short bough which had come up under
her arm, and prevented her from get
ting any farther away-as she had want
ed 10. of course.
And there. strolling letsurely down the
brae-side. was Phil Calmont, Instantly
Vida snatched herself away from the
eye-piece with that curious fear which
comes 10 those unused to telescopes and
high-power binoculars. She could not rid
herself OF the notion that Phil could
see her as plainly as she could see him.
II seemed like prying, taking an ad-
vantage. And as this is indeed its use
in warmly not, then, in love2
He got down on his knees She went
away with a feeling OF awe suddenly
like one who in carnival dress finds him
self. at the opening OF d door. IN a
church. Vida thought he was praying
But Phil. when he prayed. certainly did
not do so before men.
She looked again. She was not curious
no. OF course not But the men cutting
the turfs Of the house up there seemed
somehow 10 bring matters curiously to a
point for Yida-nearer but mister, Just
like seeing through the telescope Wei.
after all, she had a right to see what
Phil was doing there
Again she put her eye to the little disc
of glass. Her emotion had blurred II.
He seemed to be looking for something
on the ground but all his motions were
seen indistinct as through 4 chrOmatic
haze. She took a fine linen hem-from
near her heart Il was-and wiped the
little eye-piece. She was rewarded. He
had found what he was seeking-the yell
low flower she had worn at her breast
yesterday. He kissed Il. glanced rapidly
every way to make sure that no one was
looking, and then-placed It carefully in
an inner breast pocket!
Then. falling at once into a great care
lessness, out Of another pocket he pro-
duced foot rule and began measuring
the fallen trunk. Some one was moving on
the slope above Vida could see a man
come down toward Phil At first he was
too much in the shadow, but presently he
came clearer into the spyglass field.
1t was James Kahn.
Instant fear glued her eye to the tele-
| scope. She did not think OF moving anv
more. She was not ashamed. She even
pushed the window foot farther I'D. so
| that she could see the better The two
men saluted each other. How clearly She
could see them! Phil did not offer TO
shake hands. He had been OF Vic Morris
faction, and the Kahnite Jews and the
Morrisian Samaritans had none save bust
ness dealings.
The girl saw very well. through Billv's
lighthouse glass. that james Kahn was
holding Phil in discourse. They walked Ia
and fro. Phil the taller by a head Vida
was pleased TO notice the detaiD. Tbev
semed TO be agreeing well enough, though
the vibration or the moisture In the at
mosphere kept her from seeing the ex-
preston Of their faces
The telescope moved a little Perhans
Vida. still inexpert, had shifted the stand
perhaps the loose old screw had swaved
At any rate, when she looked again the
two who had been promenading up and
down her field OF vision, as II they had
been but threescore yards away. had
passed with the silent and almost inde-
cent swiftness peculiar to high-power
glasses. They had been and they were
not.
Instead she saw the gray stone dyke.
which once upon time had edged the