The Southern herald., 1910-12-02


he had. there was nothing for it but
to 90 in The door shut behind her
sharply, with a click like a little trap;
and she breathed such an atmosphere,
Fat, faint and stale. the mere ghost
OF some fuller, more fragrant flavor.
In the little anteroOm where they
stood, whose faded ceiling all but
brushed their heads, and in the larger
little room beyond the Nottingham
lace curtains. prevailed a mild shah
biness, a respectable decay. Curtains
and table-cloths alike showed a dull
and tempered whiteness as If the
shadow Of time had fallen dim across
the whole. The little restaurant
seemed left behind in the onward
march Of the city, and its faded, kindly
face was but a shadow Of what had
been Of the yigor and flourish Of bOur-
geois Spain 80 years before. There
was no one eating at the little tables,
no one sitting behind the high cash
desk in the snteroom. Not a stir of
human life in all the place.
Hello" said Kerr among the tables
looking around him, we've caught
them asleep" He raped on the wall
with his cane. Flora peered at him
between the curtains, all her fascinat-
ed apprehension of what was to fol-
low plain upon her face. Shall it be
a giant or dwarf?" he asked her
There's nothing | won't do for you,
you know"
The door opened and a little girl
with long black braid and purple
apron came In.
"A dwarf" cried Flora. She
laughed with a quick relaxing of her
strained nerves. 1t might almost have
been the truth from that old little
swarthy face and sedate demeanor that
hardly noticed them. The child walked
gravely up to the desk and mounting
to the high stool struck a faint-voiced
bell.
There" said Kerr, lends formality.
Now let the real magic begin!"
Not black magic" Flora took up
his fancy
He had drawn out a chair for her,
THAT depends on you. I'm not the
magic maker. / have no talisman."
She felt the conscious jewel burn in
her possession. She looked up be-
seechingly at him, but he only
laughed, and, with a swing, lifted the
chair little off the ground as he sat
her up to the table, as if to show how
easily he could put forth strength.
There was nothing defiant in him. He
was taking her with him-taking her
upon the wings of his high spirits;
but mischievously, obstinately, he
would not show her where the fight
was leading, nor let her listen to any
thing but the rustling of those wings. |
He was determined to make holiday, |
whatever was to follow. For the |
glimpse Of blue through the dim win.
dow might be the Bay of Naples; and, !
ali! Chianti Perhaps the sort one
gets down Monte Video way, where
France fades into Italy-perhaps, at
least If her fancy could get the bet
ter of the reality,
"She wouldn't care If you jumped |
up and threw me out of the window"
he affirmed. That's why this hole is
so harmless. Oh, isn't that harmless?
What's more harmless than to let one
alone? There's only one dangerous
thing here" he grinned and let her
take her choice of which.
She came straight at it.
"You know l can't let you alone"
He laughed We'll isn't that why
we're here at last-that you may die
tate your terms?'
"I have. Didn't you get my letter."
"Oh, indeed l did. Haven't obeyed !
It? Haven't I kept away from your
house? Have l tried to approach
your"
Haven't you, thought" she threw
at him accusingly.
"Ah," he deprecated, you came to
me. l was down in the garden"
She looked at him through his
persiflage wistfully searchingly. But
there were other things in that let
ter"
There were?" He regarded her
with grave surprise Oh, how she
his gravity! why, to be
sure there were things-things that
you didn't mean-one thing above all
others you couldn't mean, that you
want me to drop out when the game
Is half done, to stink away and leave
1t all like this.-abandon you and my
Idol to each other My dear, for
what do you take me?"
She burst out. "But can't you see
the danger?"
He met 1t quietly.
Certainly. l have been seeing
else but the danger-to you.
Do you think I've been idle all these
days? Every line l have followed
has ended in that. It's brought me
finally to this" The gesture Of his
hand included their predicament and
the dingy little room. You'll really
have to help me, after ALL"
"Oh, haven't I tried to? That is
why l wrote. Don't you see your own
ianger at all?"
mo, but I'd like to-" He leaned to-
|