The San Francisco call., 1909-08-08

Su aN her with humorous
n twist Of mouth. What? So sell
| a'@r es. :. . SCI
She was impotent II he wouldn't
be snubbed; but at the worst she
wouldn't be cornered "oh. dear no
but people who come at other times
take q chance"
Does that mean that I may take
mine tomorrow
lie was pressing her too hard. WHY
was he so anxious to see her. as he had
. not been the first night or yesterday.
or even ten minutes ago? She. who
ten minutes ago, would have been glad,
= now was doing her best to put him off.
She was silent a moment, considering
the conventions. and then, like him.
she abandoned them. Without word
she turned away from him. Whatever
she said. he had her. But. if she said
nothing and still he came tomorrow.
whatever she did then. he would have
to take the consequences of his in
Eistence. Her only desire now was to
evade him. lest he should force her out
Of her noncommittal attitude She
wanted to shield herself from further
pursuit.
She couldn't escape yet, for the fig
ures on the stage were stiu gesticulat-
ing and trilling. and the people around
her, in the small inclosure where she
sat, hemmed her IN so that she could
no more move away from Kerr than If
she had been that impaled specimen he
lad made her feel at their first meet
, -ng- The most she could do was to
turn away, but even thus, with her
eyes averted and her ears full Of Ella s
voice, she was still acutely aware of
him, sitting looking straight before
him across the black house with face
worn, wary, weathered to any catas-
trophe. and such an air Of being alertly
nNed on something a iong way off that
her silence made no more difference to
i'm than her futterings and her rude
p ness And yet she knew he was only
waiting, waiting his chance to get at
her again and make her commit her
self; and that, she was determined,
should rot happen.
what had already happened. through
its very violence, had left an impress
sion like a dream
It seemed unreal. and yet it had made
her forget everything else-the stage,
the people around her and even the
very sapphire that had generated her
ineXplica bic situation. She drew her
glove over the ring. The lights were
imminent. i would he hard 10 hide
the great flash of the jewel And be-
sides she didn't trust il. She couldn't
tell. in what direction il might not
strike out a spark OF horror next
The rustic Of final departure was all
over the house. The people in the box
We're stirring and beginning 10 stand
UP. and Flora saw Kerr turn and look
at her. She wanted some one to stand
between herself and Kerr. and it was to
Harry that she turned; not alone that
he was so large and adequate, but be-
cause she thought she saw in him an
inclination to step into that very place
where she wanted him. She saw he
was a little sullen. and though she
. didn't suspect him quite Of jealousy,
she wondered if he had not right to
blame her for the appearance of fiirta-
tion that she and Kerr must have pre-
sented. Then how much more might
he blame her for what she had actually
done-fOr deliberately showing the
sapphire to Kerr The very thought of
II frightened her. She knew she was
rafting TO Harry all the while he
fetched her cloak and put it on her,
and she was glad now of that ability
- she had cultivated in herself of making
a smooth crust Of talk over her seeth-
irg feelings. She talked the harder,
she even took hold OF Harry's arm to
be sure Of keeping him there between
hey and what she was afraid of, as
they came out on the sidewalk and
stood waiting in the windy night for
the approach Of their carriage lights.
Row upon row Of street lamps flared
IN the travelling gusts. The midnight
noises Of the city were at their loudest;
and half their volume seemed to be a
scattered chorus OF hoarse voices yell
ing all together like a pack Of wolves.
Thin. ragged shapes shot in and out
among the crowd, ducked under horses
feet and cut wild zigzags across the
street like flying goblins. The sense
Of their cry was indistinguishable,
but it was the same-the same
inarticulate shape Of sound on
every tongue First one throat, then
another took up the raucous singsong z
shout. then all together again, as IL
the pack were in full cry on the scent
of something. What was this fresh
quarry Of the press, Flora wondered,
that made ii give tongue so hideously? :?
10 cover her ears. and yet she strained
70 catch its meaning.
She had stopped her head TO the car
rage door, when Harry stopped and
took one OF the damp papers from a
crier in the pack. She saw the head
line. It covered half the sheet-the
great figure that was offered for the
return Of the Chatworth ring.
CHAPTER TX