Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-08-11

dered what she had found IN him 10
make her think him worth so long
study and looked again. more keeRly
curious
With this second glance appreciation
stirred the artistic side OF his nature.
that was already grown impatient Gf
his frettcd mood. The slender and girl
ish figure, posed with such absolute
lack OF intrusion against a screen OF
rose and gilt. moved him to critical
admiration. The tinted glow OF shaGe'
candles caught glistening on the spui.
gold Of her fair hair enhanced the fire
pallor OF her young shoulders.
In the sheer youth OF her Che real
led more than in auGht else lay hei.
chiefest charm. She could be little
more than child, indeed. II he were
TO judge her by the purity OF her shad-
owed eyes and the absence OF emotion
I'm the calm and direct look which
presently she turned upon him who
sat wondering at the level, penciled
darkness OF her brows.
At length. aware that she had sur
prised his interest, Kirkwood glanced
aside coolly deliberate lest she should
detect in his attitude anything more
than impersonal approval
4 slow color burned his checks In
his temples there rose curious pulls
ing.
After awhile she drew his gaze again
imperiously, herself all unaware OF the
havoc she was wreaking on hts tom
permanent.
Eighteen" he hazarded- eighteen
or a.
I'm ravishing dinner gown and I'M
happy? OH hardly-Oot she"
Yet the impression haunted him, and
ere long he was fain TO seek confrma-
ton or denial of it In the manner or
her escort.
The latter sat with back TO Kirk
wood. cutting n figure as negative as
his snug evening clothes. One could
surmise little from II feshy thick neck.
a round glazed bald spot. fringe OF
griZzled hair and two bright red ears
Calendar!
Somehow the fellow did suggest
Kirkwood's 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 few OF the guests, theater
bound for the most part, were leaving.
Here and there n table stood vacant
that had been filed, cloth furnished.
chairs disaTansed, in another moment
to be transformed into its pristine bril-
lance under the def attentions of the
servitors
Down an aisle, past the table at
which the girl was sitting, came two,
making toward the lobby, the man. n
slight and meager young personality,
In the lead. Their party had attracted
Kirkwood's notice as they entered
why, he did not remember, but It was
In his mind that then they had been
three. Instinctively he looked ut the
table they had left, one placed mt some
distance from the girl and hidden from
her by an angle I'm the wall. It ap-
peared that the third member had
chosen TO daily n few moments over
his tobacco and liqueur brandy.
Kirkwood could see him plainly loung-
Ing in his chair and fumbling the stem
Of n glass heavy man OF somber
habit, his black and sullen brows low
boldly handsome.
The woman OF the trio was worthy
OF closer attention. Some PAGES In the
wake Of her lackluster esquire she
was making leisurely progress, trail
ing the skirts OF n gown magnificent
beyond dispute, half concealed though
II was by the opera cloak whose soft
folds draped her shoulders. Slowly.
carrying her head high, she approach
ed, insolent eyes reviewing re room
from beneath their heavy lids metal
hn and mature type OF dark beauty
supremely self confident and self DOS
sessed
Men turned Involuntary to look aft
or her, not altogether in undiluted ad-
miratiOn.
In the act ef passing behind the pu-
tativc Calendar she paused momcnta.
rlly, bending as If TO gather up her
train. Presumably the action disturb
ed her balance. She swayed little
and I'm the effort TO recover rested tho
tips Of her gloved fingers upon the
edge OF the table. simultaneously
ONirkwoOd could have sworn sin.
gle word left her lips, word evident
~ pitched for the ear OF the hypothet-
ical Calendar alone. Then she swept
on, imperturbable, assured.
To the perpleXcd observer It was In
dubitably evident that some commu.
nication had passed from the woman
To the man. Kirkwood saw the fat
shoulders Of the girls companion stiff
en- suddenly as the woman's hand rest.
cd mt his elbow. AS she moved away
little ripping SILVER was plainly Wis.
ible IN the muscles OF his back beneotb
his coat, mute token OF relaxing ten.
sion. An instant later one plump and
notified hand was carelessly placed
whore the woman's had been and
was at once removed with fingers
closed
70 tho girl, watching her face GOV.
ertly, Kirltwood turned for Glow to
the incident. lie made no doubt that
she had observed the passage. Proof
OF that one found IN her sudden star.
ding pollor Cof indignatonD and in her