The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-18

the tail of Elias marshaled force, she
had guilty feeling that there should
be nothing in her mind but a normal
desire for supper.
Yet all the way down the great
stair, The Corridors OF Time" where
the white owl glared his CLASSY wis
dom on the passings and counter pass
ings, she was haunted with the thought
that Harry had seen the extraordinary
Kerr before; not shaken hands with
him, perhaps-perhaps not even heard
distance, once glimpsed him, and had
never quite shaken the memory from
his mind. For there was something
marked, notable, unforgettable in that
lean distinctiveness. Against the sleek
form of the men they met and shook
hands with, he flashed out-seemed in
contrast fairly electric She saw him.
just ahead of her where the crowd was
thickening in the door of the
supper room. making way for
Clara through the press with
that exasperating solicitude of his
deep that was half ironic. And the
large broadside offered by her elegant
Harry matter of-factly towing Ella
by the elbow, herself conscious of a
curl or two awry, and Judge Butler
trauping heavily at her side, all took
on to her the aspect of a we'll chosen
peep show with the satanic Kerr Of
ficiating as Snowman. Even the
smooth and pallid Clara, who usually
coerced by her sheer correctness, failed
TO dominate this fantastic image;
rather, she took on, as she was handed
into the supper room, the aspect of his
chief exhibit.
The room, hot, polished, faring re-
Elections of electric lights from it's
glistening floor. announced itself the
heart of high festivity, through the
midst of which their entrance made
an added ripple. The flushed faces of
the women under their flowers, under
their pale tinted hats, with their smil-
ing recognitions to Clara, to Flora, to
Ella, smiled with a sharpened interest.
1t proclaimed that Kerr was a
stranger, and. in a circle which
found itself a little stale for lack
of innovations, desirable one.
Explanatory greetings. running into
skirmishes of talk, here and there
halted their progress, and even after
they had settled about their table in
the center of the room the attention OF
one and another was drawn over the
shoulder to some special, transtable
recognition.
apparently Tic QOIllHdHI note OI
their party was Elias clamorous Sc
lection for the supper; but to Flora
the more real thing was the atmos-
phere of excitement and mystery she
had been moving in alp the evening.
She was pursued by the obsession of
something more about to happen
something imminent-though of
course, nothing would; at least, how
could anything happen here, to them?
these people around her so stupidity
talxing-the eternal repetition of the
story she had read out that evening to
Clara, and not one glimmer of light!
She wondered If her obsession was all
her own-or did 1t reach to one of
them? Certainly not, Ella; not Judge
Butler. settled into his collar, choos-
ing champag nes. Clara? She had to
skip Clara One never knew whether
Clara had not more behind her smooth
prettiness than ever she brought to
light. Kerr? Perhaps. With him she
felt potentialities enormous. Harry?
Never. Harry was being appealed to
by all the women who could get at him
as to his part in the affair-what had
been his sensations and emotions? But
Flora knew perfectly well he had had
none. He was only oppressed by the
attention his fame in the matter, and
the central position of their table,
brought upon him. Protesting, he made
his part as small as possible
"Oh confound it, I can't get at my
oysters." he complained, leaning back
into his group again with a sigh.
You divide the honors with the nys
FERROUS unknown, eh?" Kerr injured
across the table.
Hang it. there's no division. Id offer
you a sharer' Harry laughed, and 1T
occurred to Flora how much Kerr could
have made of it.
.'Purdie'd like to share something
Butler vouchsafed Hes been paving
the air ever since Crew cabled. and
this has blown him up completely"
Crew" Flora wondered. Here was
something more happening. Crew2
She had not heard that name before
Ut made stir among them all: but
IL Kerr looked sharp, Clara looked
sharper. She looked at Harry and
Harry was vexed.
Who's Crew?' said Ella; and the
Judge looked around on the silence.
why, bless my soul. isn't It. Oh.
anyway, it will all be out tomorrow.
But / thought Harry'd told you. The
Chatworth ring wasn't Bessie's.p
1t had the effect OF startling them All
apart, and then drawing them closer
together again around the table over
the uncorked bottles.
Why, Judge Butler went on, this
ring is celebrated thing. It's the