The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-08-15

old she caught sight of Harry standing
in the big bay window of the drawing
room, in the same spot where Kerr had
awaited her the afternoon before.
Harry was tall and large and freshly
colored, and yet he did not fill the
room to her as the other man had
done. He met her, kissed her, and
she turned her head so that his lips
met her cheek close beside her ear.
She did not positively object to his
kissing her on the lips, but her in
stinct was strong to offer him her
cheek. He had sometimes laughed at
this, but now he resented 1T. He in
sisted on his privilege, and she was
passive to him, conscious OF less love
in this than assertion of possession.
You are not going to Burlingame.
are your" she asked him with her first
breath.
flushed and sulky air What differ
ence would that make to yo6? 1 am,
as it happens, but suppose you think
that's no reason for disturbing you
so early" He was angry, but at what.
she wondered, with creeping uneasi-
ness. He held her and caressed her
with a morose satisfaction, as if he
had to make sure to himself that she
was really his, and she permitted it
ished her.
What is the matter?" she urged.
"Are things going crookedly at Bur-
lingame?"
Things are going as crooked as
you please, but not at Burlingame.
Sit over there" he said, nodding to-
ward the window bench; II want to
talk to you"
Harry had the air of one about to
~. -
anybody was carrying matters with
a high hand, it wasn't herself; but she
didn't follow his direction She con-
tinued to stand, while he, sitting on
the tables edge, drumming the top of
his hat, gloomily regarded her.
"Well?" she persisted, troubled by
this look of his and this silence.
Look here" he began, 81 have to
be away a couple of days and 1 wish
you'd do me a favor"
Floras thought flew to the ring.
Was he going to ask for it back, to
have it reset as he had promised op
the threshold of the goldsmith's shop?
Here might be the chance she had
hoped for of getting rid of it. She
grasped at it before she had time to
waver.
II wonder if it's the very favor I
was going to ask of YOU"
seemed hardly to hear her. as if his
mind was too much absorbed with
quite another question: question
that the next moment came out fiat.
What was that Kerr doing here yes
terday?"
She was taken aback. so far
and her apprehension of Harry $
jealousy slipped into the background
in the last "a hours. But her
consciousness that Harry was not
behaving well, even for a jealous man,
made her take it up all the more
lightly.
why. he was calling, chatting, TAX
ing tea-what anybody else would do
from to 6. What in the world gave
you the idea that he was doing any
thing extraordinary"
wen he said you shouldn't do
the sort of thing that makes you talked
about"
THAT makes. me talked about?" 1t
made her pause in front of him.
why, yes; it isn't like you. It's
never happened before. Look here.
drop into the Buffers yesterday; find
Clara sided up to the judge; look
around for you. Hello I say, where's
FIora1 Oh says she. 'Flora's at home
amusing Mr.. Kerr Amusing Mr.
KERR he repeated. That's a nice
thing to hear.
Flora went red. She walked down the
room from him to give her suddenly
tumultuous heart time. However little
he might guess the real trend of her
interview with Kerr, she couldn't hear
himScome near it without apprehension.
She was angry. helplessly angry, at
Harry that he had taken this moment
for his stupid jealousy. But she was
more angry at Clara, since such a
speech on C1ara's part wasn't careless
ness. She had meant it to work upon
him, and here he stood, like the fine
animal that he was. smoldering with