The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-08-12

"Then, isn't it for us to show them
that we are more than usually civil
lied? / can't run away from him like
a frightened little native"
'Of course not: but that Is where I
come in: it's what I'm for-to get rid
of such things for you"
Clara had risen and stood considering
a moment with that same sweet. I'M
personal eye which Flora found it hard
est to comprehend.
What l mean,' she explicitly stated.
'is hat if he should undertake to carry
out his preposterous suggestion and call
this afternoon, 1 am quite ready, il
you wish, to take him off your hands,"
This last took Flora's breath away.
1t had not occurred to her that Clara
had overheard.
You're very kind" she managed to
get out; and that seemed to leave her
committed to hand Kerr over, tied hand
and foot, when she wasn't at all sure
she wanted to.
Then shall 1 tell Mrs. Herrick that
you will consider the house?" said
Clara, already in the act of departure.
"She is to call today to go into 1t with
me more thoroughly. Thus far we've
only played about the edges"
Her eyes strayed toward the dressing
table as she passed it. I'M as she
reached the door glanced over the chif-
fonier.
But there was another quality in
Clara she did not lose sight of, and she
waited for the closing of a door further
down the hall before she drew the sap
phire from under her pillow.
With the knocking at the door her
first act had been to thrust 1t there.
Her conviction of the night before
bad sunk to a shadowy hypothesis. She
knew nothing-nothing that would JUS
tify her in taking any step; and her
only chance Of knowing more lay in
what she would get out of Kerr: for
that he knew more about her ring than
she, she was convinced. She was afraid
of him, yet, in spite Of her fear, she had
no intention of handing him over to
Clara. For, on reflection, she knew
that Clara's offer must have a deeper
motive than mere kindness. and she
had a most unreasonable feeling that 1t
would not be safe.
She thought a good deal about Clara
while she was dressing. A good many
times lately she had looked forward to
the fall, the time of her marriage,
when their rather tense relationship
would be ended. This house in the
country, which was to be her last little
bachelor fling, was to be Clara's last
commission to her.
Meanwhile she dared not let the sap
phire out Of her grasp; and yet she
could not wear 1t on her hand. She
had thought of the pear-shaped pouch
Of gold which it was her custom to
wear; but the slender length of chair
that linked it to her neck was too frail
for such q precious weight. At last
she had fastened 1t around her neck
on the strongest chain she owned. hnd
thus she carried it all the morning
under her bodice with a quieter mind
than had been hers on the first day she
had worn it, when there had been moth
ing to explain her uneasiness.
She was quite sure she was going to
give bach the sapphire to Harry, yet
she couldn't help %picturing to herself
what her meeting with Kerr would
have been, supposing she had decided
differently. As the morning slipped by
she found herself. doubling that he
would come at all. p ttAtaA~
But when at last Kerr's card was
as If something which couldn't happen,
and yet which she a all along ex-
pected, had come to pass.
In her instant of indecision Marrika
had got away from her. but she called