The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-15

she knew or guessed as yet Flora could
not be sure. but certainly. now. she
couldn't let Clara go. For that would
be turning adrift a dangerous person
with stronger motive than ever for
pursuing her quest. and the oppor-
tunity for pursuing it unobserved, out
of Flora's sight Clara was at II even
now, and the only consolation Flora
had was that Harry. at least. would not
play into her hands
For Harry had a special secret inter-
est of his own. The last 10 minutes OF
their interview had made that plain.
His manner. when he had declared his
intention OF taking the ring. had been
anything but the manner OF a care free
lover merely concerned with pleasing
his lady. Then they were all OF them
racing each other for the same thing
the thing she held in her possession.
and whether she feared most to be
felled by blow from Harry or hunted
far a1eld by Kerr or trapped by Clara.
she could not tell She stood hesitating.
looking out into the Obscurity
of the fog as If she hoped to read the
answer there. Presently she returned
TO the fact that Shima was waiting to
close the door Half way across the
hall she paused again. looking thought
fully down the rose cOlOred vista OF the
drawing room and up at the broad
black march Of the stair. Vague mys-
teries peered at her from every side.
Which should she fee from? Which
walk boldly up TO and dispel?
She went upstairs slowly. She stood
in her dressing room absently before
the mirror. She touched the hard, I'M
yielding stone OF the ring under the
thin bodice of her gown. She recalled
the morning when she had gone to get
it, before anything had happened and
the lure of life had been so exquisite
haf ho.d n n
deed was life that she was laboring In
1T was steep and grabbed, like the
brown hills In summer. far on like
velvet, to climb. plowed ground and
stubble.
And yet she didn't wish herself back.
but only forward. Now she had no
leisure to imagine. to pretend. TO en-
Joy, only the breathless sense that she
must get forward. The chattertng
clock on her mantel warned her Of the
passing time and~set her hurrying into
her walking gown, her hat her gloves,
as If the object of her errand would
only wait for her a moment longer
When, for the second time, she opened
the house door, she didn't hesitate. she
descended into the white fog that COW
cred all the city.
Above her the stone facade OF her
house doomed huge and pinkish In the
mist Her spirits rose with the feeinS
that she was going adventuring again,
leaving that house where for the last
two days she had awaited events with
such vivid apprehensions- She hurried
fast down the damp, gitstening pave
ment seeing long, dim, gray races OF
houses glimmer by. seeing figures come
toward her through the fog, grow
vivid, pass, and hearing at Intervals
the hoarse, lonely voice OF the log
horn at The Heads reaching her over
many intervening hills. She did not
feel sure what she should do at
the end Of her journey or what
swai+ed her there. She knew her
self a most Impractical hunter, she,
who, all her life, had been the most
artful of quarrieS. A quarry she was
still. but in this chase she had TO come
out and stalk the facts in order 10 see
which way to run; II. she told herselI
in her exhilaration, she decided 10 run
at all.
She turned in at the low gate OF i'm
itation grill in front of an enormous
wooden mansion. with towers and Gu
polas painted all a chill slate gray
with fuchsias, purple and red, Chamber
ing up the front. She rang, ana was
admitted into a hall. ornate and very
high, with wide staircase sweeping
down into the middle Of 1T.
The maid looked obviously at Flora
and thought Miss Butler was not ar
home. but would see. Flora turned into
the room on her left and sat down
among the Louis Quinze SOFAS ana
potted palms with feeling that MISS
Ruller was at home, and, for one rea-
son or another. preferred not 70 Dc
seen. She waited apprehenslvely' won
dering whether Ella was not seeing
the world in general, or had really spe-
cified against herself. Could IL be that
Ella was one of those women whom
Harry had alluded to as running after
Kerr? In the short "a hours every IN
dfvfdual help she had counted upon
had seemed TO draw away from ner-
Kerr. whose understanding she nad
been so sure Of; Clara. whose proprlety
had never failed; Harry, whose COM
Portable good nature she had so taken
for granted 1t seemed as II the sap
Dhfre. whose presence she was never
,,ncon scious OF for all she wore Il out
Of sight. had a power like the evil eye
over these people. But II IT could turn
such as Ella against her, why the
Brussels carpet beneath her might Wen
omen and let her down TO deeper
ADVISES than Judge Buffers wine
cellar. =
She started nervously at the step OF
the maid returning. The message
brought was(unexpected- Miss Buller
saws will you please walk upsta1rsz
Flora was amazed That invitation
would have been odd enough AZ any
time for she and Ella were hardly on
such intimate footing. But now she
vas ushered up the majestic stair. AID
from the majestic upper hall abruptly
into a wild little c1uttered sewing ROOM
thence into wilder but more spacious
bedroom, large curtains at the win
dows large roses on the carpet ana
over all objects in the room clutter OF
miscellaneous articles. as II Elias band
boxes. bureaus and work baskets haoiru-
aIlv refused to contain themselves
From the midst OF this Ella confront
ed her still in her wrapper and with
the large pun Of her hair a little awry.
Under IL her face was curiously pink.
color deepening to the tip Of her nose
and putting out under her eyes.
well. Flora" she greeted her guest
ssYou were just the person / wanted TO
see. Sit down. No. not there-that's my
bird of paradise feather. Oh, no, not
there-that's the breakfast. Well,
guess you'll have to sit on the bed
Flora swept aside the clothes that
streamed across it and throned herself
on the edge of the high, white plateau
of Elias four poster Ella. for all her
eager greeting. looked upon her friend
doubtfuIly, and Flora recognized in her