The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-01

Flora's back The broad, pale face re-
f1ected beside her own in the mirror
was reassuring by its serene indiffer-
ence. She had soothing hands, Mar
rika. 1t was q luxury to be dressed by
her mental soporific. But today 1t
wrought no relaxation in Flora's
frightened nerves. All the while she
was being combed and laced and
hooked her eyes were alertly on the
dressing table drawer, that remained a
little open: and presently she caught
herself vaguely specializing on how,
after she had been fastened up and into
her clothes so securely, she could dis
pose upon herself the sapphire. How
had she arrived at this consideration?
No course of reasoning led up to it.
She was annoyed with herself. If she
wasn't going to wear the ring on her
finger, and show it, why did she want
to take it with her at all? For fear 1t
might be lost? Lost. in her jewel box,
in the back of the drawer She blushed
for herself She looked severely at her
guilty reflection in the mirror. Perhaps
she did look tail; yes, and outwardly
sophisticated. but underneath that bold
exterior Flora knew she was only the
smallest, youngest most ridiculous
child ever born. There were moments
when. this fact appeared to her more
NlNlQlY Inan at OIneT6- OnG mao D66n
the other night when Kerr's eyes had
looked through and through her; and
here she was again, when she was
going to a girls luncheon. and most
wanted to feel competent, stared out of
countenance by the wonderful eye of a
ring
Through the long afternoon it was
more apparent to her than the faces of
the people around her. She was rest
less to get back to it, but people
talked unfortunately. At the luncheon
they talked of Kerr. Flora knew these
girls felt little resentment that she
had so easily captured Harry Cressy;
for Harry had been more than an
eligible man in the little city. He had
been an eligible parsonage. Not that
he had money; not that his family tree
was plainly planted in their midst; but
that without these two things be had
achieved what, with these things. the
people he knew were all striving for
He stood before them as the embodi-
ment of what they most believed in
perfect bodily splendor, and perfect
knowledge of how to get on with the
world and the fact that he wouldn't
quite be one of them, but after five
years still stood a little off-made him
shine with greater brilliance, espe-
girls. 1t was hard, they seemed to
feel, that such an apparently remote
and difficult person should have sue
cumbed so easily, and now that new
luminary of equal luster was apparent
In their sky, Flora felt their remarks a
little triumphantly aimed at her. It
was odd to her that they should envy
her anything, especially those one or
two exquisite flowers of old families.
whose lovely eyes saw not one inch
farther than her turquoise collar. And
the way they talked of Kerr, with
flourishes made her feel faint, re-
sponsive irritation that he had talked
to so many of them in exactly the same
way.
But between the threads of interest
the table group wove together. kent
flashing up her furtive desire to be
away, to be at home, to see what had
happened to the sapphire. OF course.
she knew nothing could have han
pened- but she wanted to look at it.
to open the casket and see the flash Of
it before her eyes. For was she quite
sure that 1t was not one of those fairy
gifts which, put into the hand in a
blaze of beauty, may be found in the
pocket as withered leaves. Yet her
tenacious nets of duty caught and
caught, and again caught her, so that
when the carriage finally fetched her
home it was between lighted street
lamps.
They were dining early that night on
account of the Buffers box party. but
it was nearly o'clock before Flora
reached the house. And it was. Of
course, for that reason that she ran
upstairs-ran wildly. regardless before
the eyes of Shima-and along the hall.
H. al a
floors. and through her bedroom to the
dressing room, snatched open the table
drawer. unlocked the casket with a
tw1tch of the keY-and. ali. it was