The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1910-09-02

CLARA isn't here" he said.
WELL then your time is all the
shorter" She was nettled that he
should be oblivious of his lapse.
I'm sorry" he said, arriving at last
at his apology. 81 couldn't help be-
ing late. I've had day Of it." He
drew his hand across his forehead,
and she noticed that he was in his
morning clothes and looked as rum
the office.
She relented. Poor dear! You do
look tired! Don't take that chair. It's
more Louis Quinze than comfortable.
Come into the library. And remem-
ber," she added, when Shima had set
the decanter and glasses beside him,
you are to stay just 20 minutes"
He took a sip of his drink and
looked at her over the top of his
glass. 81 may have to stay longer If
you want to hear about It,"
"Oh, Harry, you really know some
thing? All the evening I've heard
nothing but the widest rumors. Some
say Maj Purdie couldn't speak be-
cause some one way up knows more
than she should about It, And some
body else said it wasn't the real ring
at all that was taken, only paste
copy, and that is why they're not do
ing more about getting 1t back"
mot doing more about getting 1t
back?" Harry laughed. is that the
idea that generally prevails? Why,
Flora" He stopped, waited mo-
ment while she leaned forward ex-
pectant. Flora" he began again,
ARE you NUM-"
She nodded, breathless.
mot word to Clara?"
ooh. of course not"
well" He twisted around in his
chair the better to face her. "To-mor-
row there will be published reward
of 100000 for the return of the Crew
Idol, and no questions asked"
"Oh!" she said. And again, "Oh,
is that ALL" She was disappointed.
81 don't see why you and the major
should have been so mysterious about
that"
you don't, Ell? Suppose you had
taken the ring-wouldn't it make diff
ference to you if you knew "a hours
ahead that reward of $4,000 would
be published? Wouldn't you expect
every mans hand to- be against you
at that price? If you had a pal,
wouldn't>you be afraid he'd sell you
, up?"
Flora leaned forward with knitted
brows. Eyes, I can see that, but still,
just among ourselves, this morning
Harry smiled. you've lost sight of
the fact that it is just among our
selves the thing has happened"
"Oh, oh! Now you're ridiculous!"
81 might be, if the thing had hap
pened any where but in this town;
but think moment. How much do
we know of the people we meet,
where they were, who they were, be-
fore they came here? There's a case
in point 1t was not quite among our
selves this morning"
Harry, how horrid of you!" She
was on the point Of declaring that she
knew Kerr very well indeed; but she
remembered this might not be the
thing to say to Harry.
my dear girl, I'm not saying any
thing against him. l only remarked
that we did not know him."
Don't you, Harry?"
He gave her quick look. 'Why,
what put that into your head?"
IL don't know. l thought you
looked at him very hard last night in
the picture gallery. And afterward,
at supper, don't you remember, you
did not want me to mention your con-
nection with something or other he
was talking about?"
Something or other he was talking
about?" Harry inquired with a frown-
ing smile.
81 think it was about that embassy
ball"
81 didn't want you to mention the
embassy ball?" he repeated, and now
he was only smiling. MY dear child
surely you are dreaming"
She looked at him with the bewild-
cred feeling that he was fatty con
tradicting himself And yet she could
remember he had not shaken his head
at her. He had only nodded. Gould
it be that her cherished imagination
had played her a trick at last? But
the next moment it occurred to her
that somehow she had been led away
from her first question.
"Then have you seen him, Harry?'
she insisted.
moi" He jerked it out so sharply
that it startled her, but she stuck to
her subject.
And you wouldn't have minded my
telling him you had been at that
ball?"
There was pause while Harry
looked at the fire. Then Look
here" he burst out, did he ask you
about it?"
ooh, no." she protested. 81 only just
happened to wonder"
He stared at her as if he would
have liked to shake her. But then
L. .a., e,or, HE frou-nino attitude ha