The Southern herald., 1910-11-04

l t0e lIdli luE sucu q pr6Clous NeAsAI
At last she had fastened it around her
neIk on the strongest chain she
owned, and thus she carried it all the
morning under her bodice with q
quieter mind than had been hers on
the first day she had worn it. when
there had been nothing to explain her
uneasiness.
She was alone at luncheon, and in
a dream. She glanced now and then
at the clock. She rose only ten min
utes before the hour that Harry was
in the habit of leaving the club. She
went upstairs slowly and stopped in
front Of the telephone. She touched
the receiver, drew her hand back and
turned away. She shut the door Of
her own rooms smartly after her.
But when at last Kerr's card was
handed in to her it gave her a shock.
as If something which couldn't happen.
and yet which she had all along ex-
peeted, had come to pass.
In her instant of indeeision Marrika
bad got away from her, but she called
the girl back from the door and told
her to say to Mrs, Britton that Mr..
Kerr had called, but that Miss Gilsey
would see him herself.
She started with a rush. Halfway
down the stairs she stopped, horri-
ned to find what her fingers were do
ing. They were closed around the lit
tie lump that the ring made in the
bosom of her gown, and she had not
known it, What if she had rushed in
to Kerr with this extraordinary mani
festation? What If, while she was
talking to him, her hand should con-
tinue to creep up again and yet again
to that place, and close around the
jewel, and make it evident, even in
its hiding-place? The time had come
when she must even hide it from her
self. And yet, to creep back up the
stair when she made sure Kerr must
have heard her tumultuous downward
rush! 1t would never do to soundless-
ly retreat. She must go back boldly,
as If she had forgotten nothing more
considerable than pocket handker-
chief.
Yet before she reached the top again
she found herself going tiptoe, as IL
she were on an expedition so secret
that her own ears should not hear
her footsteps. But she went direct
and unhesitating 1t had come to her
all in flash where she would put the
sapphire. The little buttoned pocket
of her bath-robe. There it hung in
the bathroom on one unvarying peg,
the most immovable of all her gar
ments, safe from the excursions of
Marrika's needle or brushes, not to be
disturbed for hours to come.
She passed through her bedroom,
through her dressing-room into the
bathroom. The robe was hanging be-
hind the door. 1t took her a moment
to draw out the ring and disentangle
its chain, and while she was doing
this she became aware of movings to
and fro in her bedroom. She drew
the door half open, the better to con-
ceal herself behind it, and at the
same time, through the widened crack
OF the jamb to keep an eye on the
dressing room, and hurried lest Mar
rika should surprise her. But never
theless she had barely slipped the
ring into the little pocket and re-
fastened the flap, when Clara opened
the bedroom door and stood looking
into the dressing-room.
Her lifted veil made a fine mist
above the luster Of her eyes. She
was perfect to the tips Of her i'm
maculate white gloves, and she wore
the simple, sober look of person
who thinks himself alone. Then it
wasn't Flora, Clara was looking for!
She was looking all around-over the
surface of every object in the room.
Presently she went up to the dress
ing-table. She laid her gloved hands
upon 1t, and looked at the small OBJ
jects strewn over its top. She took a
step backward and opened the top
drawer. She reached into 1t, and deli
cately explored.
Flora could see the white gloves
going to and fro among her white
handkerchiefs, could see them find.
open and examine the contents of her
; iewel-box. And the only thing that
kept her from shrieking out was the
feeling that this abominable thing
which was being enacted before her
; eyes couldn't be fact at all.
Clara took out an old pocket-book
shiny with years, shook from 1t a
shower Of receipts, newspaper clip
pings, verses. She let them lie. she
took out long violet box with a per
tuners seal upon it. 1t held bunch
Of dried violets. She took out a
bonbonniere of gold filigree. It was
empty. A powder box, a glove box, q
froth of lace, handful of jewelers.
boxes, jewel flung loose into the
drawer. This she pounced upon. II
was brooch! She let it fall-turned
to the chiffonier; upended the two
= vases of Venetian glass, lifted the
4 lids Of Jars and boxes, finally came tc
: the drawers One by one she took then
. out, turned the contents of each rap
! idly over, and left them standing
gaping white ruffles and lace upon the
3 floor.
! Her eye fell upoA the waste basket