The San Francisco call., 1909-09-12

Kerr and Harry. Everything that had
seemed so phantasmal then. everything
she had put down as figment OF her
own imagination, had meant just this
plain fact. All three OF them had
wanted the picture. For his own rea-
son Kerr had turned aside from the
chase. but Harry had stood with Ii to
the last, and now, when finally the
prize had been assured to him. Clara
had It.
At this moment she had 1t In her
hand At this moment she knew what
was the aspect of the figure In the
picture whether it showed face, and.
il face. whose. Flora,s hands opened
and closed. "Oh." she whispered to the
great silence of the great house await
ing him; where is he? Why isn't he
here?"
All those terrible things which might
be happening beyond her reach pro-
cessioned before her Had Clara already
snapped the trap of the law upon Kerr?
And If she hadn't yet. what could be
done to hold her of? Flora turned
again to the telephone. Slowly she
took down the receiver and gave into
the bright mouthpiece of the instru-
ment the number OF her own house.
Presently the voice OF Shima spoke
to her. Mrs. Britton had gone out to
dinner.
Tell her. Shima." Flora commanded.
tell her to come down on the earliest
train" She hesitated. then finished in
a firm voice. Tell her not to do any
thing until she has seen me-"
Shima would tell her-but Mrs. Brit
ton had been out all day. He did not
know when she would be back.
The words sounded ominous in
F1ora's ears. She turned away. Was
everything to be finished Just as she
had light enough to move, but before
she had a chance?
The sound of spinning wheels on the
drive startled her to fresh hope. and
sent her hurrying down the stair. 1t
was the phaeton returning from the
last train Through the open door she
saw the figure of Mrs. Herrick expect
ant on the veranda- Then the carriage
came into the porte cochere and passed.
With rush she reached the veranda
and stood looking after 1t. She
wouldn't believe her eyes-she couldn't
that it had returned again empty.
Mrs. Herrick's voice was asking her:
What shall we do? Shall we serve
dinner now, or wait little longer?'
"Oh, it's no use." Flora murmured:
he won't come tonight. He'll never
come" She dropped against the tall
porch pillar
My poor childv' Mrs. Herrick took
her passive hand. II she read in the
profound encouragement of Flora's
face that something more had trans
pfred than a mere nonappearance, she
did not show it. but waited, alert and
quiet, while they gazed together out
over the darkening garden.
1t was the time OF twilight when the
sky Is so much brighter than the
earth. Across the lawns between the
bushes from hedge to hedge the veil
OF the obscuring light was coming in;
and through 1t the avenue OF willows
marched darkly. Their leaves moved
little. Flora watched the ripple OF
their tops. cleaf on the bright sky.
and deeper down among mysterious
branches there was a sense Of move
ment where the eyes could not see.
There was curious flick. flick. flicker
Ia progression, a passing from the
far dark end OF the willow avenue to-
drive Flora's eyes, absently. inyolun-
tarily, followed the movement. She
felt Mrs. Herrick's hand suddenly close
on hers
rs some one comingT'
They clung to each other, peering
timorously down the drive. little
gust of wind took the garden, and
before the trees had ceased to tremble
and whiten a man mad emerged from
their shadow and was advancing upon
them up the middle OF the drive.
Flora's heart leaped at sight Of him.
All her impulse was to fly to meet
him. but she felt Mrs. Herrick's hand
tighten upon her wrist as IL 1t OWNED
her madness.
His light stick a-swing In his hand.
his step free and incautious as
ever, gray and slender and seem
ing to look more at the ground
than at them. the two women
watched him drawing near. His was
the seeming of quiet guest at the
quietest of house parties. To meet him
Flora saw she must meet him on the
high ground OF his reserve. AS he
came under the light of the porte
. cochere his look. his greeting, his hand,
were first for Mrs. Herrick.
I'VE were afraid we had missed you
altogether" said she.
TT was who somehow missed your
carriage, was hardly expecting to be
expected at such an hour"
Flora watched them meeting each
other so calamity with q trembling
compunction. Mrs. Herrick. who trust
ed her. was giving her hand In sub
lime ignorance. 1t was vain that
Flora told herself he had given warn
ing. She knew she had thrown the
softening veil OF her spiritual crisis
over the ugly material fact Had she
said, II want you to uphold me while
I meet a thief whom love and wish
to protect. He's magnificent In all
other ways except for this one obses-
sion," she knew Mrs. Herrick simply
would have cried. Impossible. out
rageousy' Yet there they stood to-
gether. and as Flora looked at them
she could not have told which was Of
the finer temper. Kerr's bearing was
so unruffied that II seemed as IL he
had flown too high to feel the storm
Flora was passing through. But when
he turned toward her. in spite Of him
self, there was eagerness In his man
ner. He looked questionin gly at her. as
II no time had intervened, as IL q mo-
ment before he had said to her
through the carriage window. II viii
give you "a hours" and now her time
had come to speak.
Only the thought that time was
crowding him into a bags end gave
her courage 70 VOW she would speak
that night Yet not now. while they
stood Just met In the deepening dusk.
in the sweet breath OF the early now-
ers: nor later when they passed In
friendly fashion. the three Of them.
through fairy iabyrinths OF arch and
mirror. into the long. high. glistening
room. whose round table. spread,
seemed dwarfed to mushroom height.
xrxAf ~ ~