Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-10-05
Sd. Read q. R,r..d &, .nd R..d !. Aa.ln.
tawny head at her; Il give you m,
word; for / was there

S"ny Acoo ~ list give you my
word; for i was there"
II seemed to Flora fairly preposter-
GUS that Harry could sit there looking
so matter-of-fact with such expert.
ences behind him. Even Clara looked
a little taken aback. but the effect
was only to set her more sharply on.
"Then such a man could easily
have taken the ring in the Maple room
this afternoon? You think 1t might
have been the man himself?'
His broad smile Of appreciation en-.
veloped her. "Oh, you have scent
like bloodhound. You haven't let 70
Of that once ssnce you started. He
could have done it-oh, easy-but he
went out eight. ten years ago"
"Died?" Flora's rising infection was
| lament.
went over the horizon-over the
r..nge. Believe he died In the col.
onies.'
"Oh," Flora sighed, chen / shall
have to fancy he has come back again.
Just for, the sake of the Chatworth
ring. That wouldn't be too strange.
III all 30 strange keep forgetting It
| is real. At least" abe went on en-.
planning herself to Harry's smile. ..it
seems as II this must be going ON =
long way OF, as II 1t couldn't be 80
close to US. as II the ring wanted 40
much couldn't really be the one that
has disappeared" All the while she
felt Harry's smile enyeloping her with
an odd, half-protecting watchfulness.
but at the close of her sentence he
frowned a little.
We'll. perhaps we can fnd another
ring to take the place Of It,"
She felt that she had been stupid
where she, should have been most deli
cate. But you don't understand" she
protested. leaning far toward him an
II to coerce him with her generous
warmth. 1.-THE Chatworth ring was
nothing but a fancy l had. never
thought of It for moment as an en-
gagement ring!"
BY the light stir Of silk she was
aware that Clara had risen. She look
ed up quickly to encounter that odd
look. Clara's face was so smooth, so
polished. 80 unruffied, as to appear al
most blank. but none the less Flora
saw 1t all in Clara's eye-a look that
was not new to her. It was the same
with which Clara had met the an
nouncement Of her engagement; the
same look with which she had con-
fronted every allusion to the ap-
preaching marriage: the same with
which she now surveyed the mention
Of the engagement ring look Meth.
er approving nor dissenting, whose
calm. considerable speculation seemed
to repudiate all interest positive or
negative in the approaching event ex.
cept the one large question, What
is to become Of me?" Many times
Clara had held 1t up before her, not as
a question. certainly not as an &C
cusation; as fiat assertion Of fact;
but tonight Flora felt 1t SO directly
and imperatively aimed at her that 1t
seemed this time to demand an audi
BILE response. And Clara's way Of get.
ting up, and standing there, with her
gloves on, poised and expectant. as II
she were only waiting on opportunity
to take farewell. took on, in the light
Of her look, the, fantastic appearance
of a final departure. I'm afraid"
she mildly remipded them. that
shima announced the carriage ten
minutes ago!"
"Oh. dear. I'm 30 sorry" F1ora'a
eyes wavered apologetically in the d.
! rection Of the waiting Japanese
Clara's flicker Of amusement made
her hate herself the moment it was
out She could always depend on her.
self when she knew she was on .exhi.
bition. She could be surs OF the right
thing II it were only large enough,
but she was still caught at odd mo.
ments by the trifles. the web Of Ger.
tain social habit into which she had
slipped, full-grown on the smooth sur.
face of her fathers millions. Clara's
feeting smile lit up these trifes to
her now as enormous. It took advan.
tage of her small deficit to point out
to her more plainly than ever to what
large blunders she might be liable