The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-08-23

we take 1t that makes the afterward,'
Mrs. Herrick added.
The thought of an afterward had
stood very dim in Flora's mind, and
even now that Mrs. Herrick's words
confronted her with it she couldn't
fancy what it would be like. She
couldn't imagine her existence going on
at all on the other, side of failure.
But suppose" she TREMENDOUSLY
urged, suppose there seemed only one
way to take what had happened to you,
and hat way, If 1t failed, would leave
you no. afterward at all, no peace, no
courage, nothing"
Mrs. Herrick's eyes fixed her with
their deep pity and their deeper APP
p%rehension. There are few things SO
bad as that" she said slowly. "an1
those are the ones we must not touch. p"
Flora paused a moment on the brink
Of her last plunge. d you think what
I am going to do is such a thing as
that?"
ooh, my poor child, how do l know?
l hope, | pray it is not!" Her fingers
closed on FIora's hand, n the girl
chung to the kind grasp 1t was a com
fort, though it could not save her from
the real inality.
In spite of the consciousness of a
friendly presence in the. house her fears
increased as the afternoon waned, and
her thoughts went back to what she
had left behind her. INC forward tt
what might be c~oming-the one person
whom she so longed for, and so dreaded
to see. What could she do that she
had not done before, except to show
him by just being here, accessible and
ready to serve him at any risk, how
much she cared. Gould his generosity
resist that?
Beyond the fact of getting him away
safe she didn't think. The returning
of the sapphire itself seemed simple
beside 1t, and the fact that her position
in the matter might never be explained
of nc Importance.
Now while every moment drew hel
nearer her greatest moment she grew
more absent, more strained, more rest
less, more intently listening, more
easily starting at the lightest SCUM
until, at last, when the late day touched
the rooms with fiery unse colors, hel
friend, watchful of her changing mood
ready at every point to palliate cir
cumstance, drew her out into the gar
den.
The wind, which had fallen with ap-
preaching evening. was only a whispe
among the trees. The only sounds wer
the sleepy notes of birds and that faint
high whisper of the tree-tops on al
evening that is not still.
Loud and .shrill and shriller and NOR
piercing, from the west wing of tn
house, ~overhanging the garden, tn
sound reached them-an alarum tina
set Flora's heart to leaping. Startle'
apart, they istened.
Would that be-is that for you?"
Il think it's for me-"
The words came from them sinful
~taneously. and almost at the same in
slant Flora had started across tn
lawn. The sight of an aproned mai
coming out on the veranda and peerinI
down the garden set her running fieetly
IT'S a telephone for Miss Gilsey.
the girl said.
"Oh, thank you,f' Flora painted.
She knew so well the voice she ha
expected at the other end of the wir
: that the husky, boyish note whic
reached her, ~attenuated by distance
struck her with dismay and disappoint
ment.
ELLA, oh. yes; yes; Ella What wa
! she saying? Ella was using the tele
phone as If it were a cabinet TO
secrets.
" ITO Ne CorfIp "a Tomorrow.,