The San Francisco call., 1909-08-29
CHAPTER xv-Continued

He had a moments fear that
> Harry's grasp. even then. would
- not let go. Indeed. for
moment he stood cIutching her
as II, now. that his rage had spent
itself. she was the one thing he could
holo TO- Then she felt his fingers
loosen. He stood there alone. looking.
with his great bulk, and his great
strength, and HIS abashed bewiIder-
ment rather pathetic.
But that aspect reached her dimly
Tor the fear Of him was uppermost.
Her arm still burned where he had
grasped IT, She moved away from
MIN toward the door Kerr had opened
for her. She passed from the light of
the crimson room into the dark of the
passage. Some one followed her and
closed the door. Some one caught step
with her. Tt was Kerr. He bent his
dark head 10 speak low.
don't know why you did it, you
QuiNotic child, but you must not expose
yourself in this way, for any reason
Whatsoever"
The light Of the crowded rooms burst
upon them again.
"Oh," she torned to him beseech-
ingly, can't you get me away?"
surely" His manner was as II
nothing had happened. His smile was
resssuring. 'Tu call your carriage,
and ind Mrs. Britton"
When Flora came down from the
dressing room she found Clara already
IN the carriage. and Kerr mounting
guard IN the hall. AS he handed her
IN. Clara leaned forward.
Where is Mr.. Cressy?"
''He sent his apologies" Kerr ex-
plained. He IS not able TO get away
just now"
Cfs-a oo.,rs - oor+~o, , roolx ~
estonishment. AS the carriage began
20 move and Kerr's face disappeared
from the square of the window, she
turned to Flora
Have you and Harry quarreled over
that man2"
Florzs voice was low No. But
Esrry-Harry-" she stammered. hard
iy knowing how TO put II, then put It
most truly: Harry is not quite him
self tonight"
Flora lay back in the carriage. She
was dimly aware OF Clara's presence
beside her, but for the moment Clara
had ceased to be a factor. The shape
that filed al the foreground of her
thought was Harry. He loomed alarm
ing 70 her imagination-all the more
60 since, for the moment he had
seemed TO lose his grip That was
another thing she could not quite un-
oerstand. That burst Of violent irrita-
ton following. as IL had. Judge Bull
ler's words, Il Kerr had been the
speaker Il would have been natural
enough. since all through this inter
view Harry's evident antagonism had
seemed strained to the swapping point.
But poor Judge Butler had been
harmless enough. He had been merely
theorizinE. But-wait, She made so
sharp q movement that Clara looked
at her. The judges theory might be
close 10 facts that Harry was cogni-
Eant Of
For herself she had had no way of
finding out how the sapphire had got
sdrift But hadn't Harry7 Hadn't he
followed up that singular scene with
the blue eyed Chinaman by other visits
70 the goldsmiths shop7 Why, yester-
day, when he was supposed TO be in
Burlingame, Clara had seen him in
Chinatown. The idea burst upon her
then. Harry was after the whole ring
he counted the part she held already
his, and for the rest he was groping in
Chinatown; he was trying to reach it
through the imperturbable little gold
smith But he had not reached it yet
and she could read his irritation at
his failure in his violent outburst when
Judge Butler so innocently flung the
difficulties in his face. She knew as
much now as she could bear. If Harry
did not suspect Kerr it would be
strange. But-Harry waiting to make
sure Of a reward before he unmasked
thief, Il was an ugly thought!
The carriage was stopping Flora
was making ready to get out. She
braced herself to face Clara in the
light with a casual exterior-but when
she had reached her own rooms she
sank IN a heap in the chair before
her writing table and laid her head
~ H.a-
In her wretchedness she found her
self turning TO Kerr. How stoically he
had endured II all. though it must
have borne on him most heavily, How
kind he had been to heri He had not
even spoken of himself though he must
have known the shadows were closing
over his head. Any moment he mlsnt
be enshrouded. II IL came to choice
between having him taken and giving
him the blue Jewel, she wondered
which she would do
In the gray hours Of the morning
she wrote him She dared not put the
perils into words. but she implied
them. She vaguely threatened: and
she implOred him 10 go. avoiding them
all, herself more than any; and ouak-
Ing at the possibility that he might,
after all. overcome her she declared
that before he went she would not
see him again. She closed with the for
bidding statement that whether he
stayed or went. at the end OF three
days she would make sure disposal
OF the ring. She put all this in reckless
black and white and sent ii by the
hand Of Shima. Then she waited She
waited, IN her little isolation. with
the sapphire always hung about her
neck. waited with what anticipation Of
marvellous results-avowals ideal fare
wells, or possibly some Incredible
transformation OF the grim face OF
the business. And the answer was
silence.
rHn--1 xr