Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-08-13


make her think him worth SO long a
study and looked again. more keenly
curious.
With this second glance appreciation
stirred the artistic side of his nature.
that was already grown impatient OF
his frctted mood. Tho slender and girl
lsh figure. posed with such absolute
lack OF intrusion against screen OF
rose ana gilt. moved him TO critical
admiration. The tinted glow OF shaded.
candles caught glistenlng on the spun
gold OF her fair hair enhanced the flno
pallor OF her young shoulders.
In the sheer youth Of her Che real.
izcd) more than In nught else my her
chicfcst charm. She could he little
more than child. indeed, n he were
Go Judge her by tho purity Of her shhd-
owed eyes and the absence OF emotion
I'm the calm and direct look which
presently she turned upon him who
sut wondering at the level, pcncllcd
darkness of her brows.
At length. aware that she had SUR
rriscd his interest. Kirkwood glanced
aside coolly deliberate lest she should
detect I'm his attitude anything moro
tuWu AlhltiE'ilul NIIINNhls
A slow color burned his checks In
his temples there rose curious pulls
Ing
After awhile she drew his gaze again
impcrlously. herself all unaware or tho
havoc she was wreaklne on his tenn
permanent.
Eighteen" he haZardcd -"cIghtcen
or possibly nineteen dining at the Pleas
I'm ravishlng dinner gown and un.
happy? oh. hardly not shew
Yet the impression haunted him. and
ere long ne was fain to seek conflrma-
ton or denial of It I'm the manner or
her escort
The latter sat with back To Kirk
wood. cutting figure ns negative as
bis snug evening clothes. One could
surmisc little from neshy thick neck.
a round glazed bald spot, n fringe OF
rrizzlcd hair and two bright red ears.
Calendar!
Somehow the fellow did suggest
KIRK woods caller Of the afternoon.
The young man could not have said
precisely how. for he was unfamiliar
with the aspect Of that gentleman's
back. None the less, the suggestion
persisted.
by now fcw OF the guests, thenter
bound for The most part, were leaving.
Here ana there n table stood vacant
that had been filled. cloth furnished,
chairs disnrraugcd, I'm another moment
10 be transformed into its pristine bril-
lance under the dcft attentions OF the
scrvilors.
Down an aisle. past the table nt
which the girl was sitting. came two,
making toward the lobby. the man.
slight and mcngcr young personality,
I'm the lead Their pnrty had attracted
Nlrkwood's notice ns they entered
why, he did not remember. but II was
In his mind that then they had been
three. Instinctivcly he looked mt the
table they had left. one placed ut some
distance from the Girl and hidden from
her by an angie In the wall. 1t APP
pearcd that the third member had
chosen 30 daily II few moments over
his tobacco and n liqucur brandy.
Klri;wood could see him plainly lounR-
Ing In his chair nud fumhlihg the stem
Of glass. heavy man of somber
habit his black aud sullcn brows low
crlng ana thoughtful above face
boldly handsome.
The woman Of the trio was worthy
OF closer attention. Some PAGES I'm the
wake Of her lacklustcr esquire she
was making lcIsurcly progress, trail
ing TIE skirts OF n gown magnificent
hryood dispute. half concealed though
u was by the opera cloak whose soft
'olds drnpcd her shoulders Slowly.
CON .fr.
ID. iusocut eyes reviewing the room
from bcncnth their heavy lids. metal
hc md mature type of dark beauty
supremacy SELF confident ana self pos-
sCsayd
Men turned lnvolunllrily TO look aft
er her, not altogether In undilutcd adj
mirntIDu
I'm the act ~ passing behind the pu-
talyc calendar she paused momcuta-
rily bending as n 10 "athcr up her
train. Pro umHhly the action disturb
ed her balance. She eHIrcd a little
and iu the effort to recover rested tho
Ups Of her piovad fingers upon tho
edge Of DO" table simultaneously
lkrtwood could have SWORN Gin
ge word lnfl nor lips word evident
Zeal Calendar alone Th.u She swept
on inpcrturhnbi", assured.
Io thc prrpiey'd observer 10 was to
dubhabIy evident that some commu-
nic1u0u had passed from tho woman
90 the man. lakewood saw the fat
shoulders Of the girls companion stiff
cn suddenly as thc womau's hand rest.
ed at his elbow. Ass 'c moved away
a littIe ripping shivrr was plainly vis-
itIc iu tbo muscles of his b1ok bcncuh
DTS cont Wute token Of roiayng ton
sion An instant Inter orc plump and
notified hand was carcIcs Iy placed
whafe ODE womou's had been and
was nt once removed with fingers
closed.
To tho girl. watching Dor face COW
arIT k.rEwo1I turned fYr clew to