The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-11-10

I Don't be sorry for what 1 told
you"
I'm not" he said. His voice sound.
ed muffled. He did not look at her
only held out his arm in a mute sign
to her to come. She felt it around her
but 1t was a mere symbol of protec.
tion. It lay limp on her shoulder,
and he continued to stare through the
window at the street. 'Tm not sorry
for what you said," he repeated slow.
ly. I'm glad; but, child, l wish II
wasn't true"
Don't, dont!" she besought him,
"for I don't"
He gave her a look. That's beau
tiful of you, but"-and he turned to
the window again and spoke to him.
self-"it puts an awful face on my
business. All along you've made me
think for you, and of you, more than
you deserve, more than can afford"
The stare she gave this forced out of
him a reluctant smile. why, didn't
you know it? Do you think couldn't
have had the sapphire that first
night l saw it on your hand, If it
hadn't been-well, for the way ]
thought of you? 1 fancied you knew
that then" He made restless move
ment. His arm fell from her shoul-
der. There's been only one thing
to do from the first" he said, "and l
don't see my way to it."
"Oh, don't take it! Leave it," she
pleaded. Leave 1t with me! What
does it matter so much? A jewel! If
only you would leave it and go away
from mel"
He whirled on her. 'Tn heaven S
name, fine piece Of logic! Leave the
sapphire to people who can make no
better use Of it than I? Leave you to
go on with this business and marry
this Cressy? Even suppose you gave
ne the sapphire, couldn't let you
do that!"
"If l gave you the sapphire" Flora
said, "oh, he wouldn't marry me
then!" She couldn't tell how this had
come to her, but all at once it was
clear, like a sign Of her complete
failure; but Kerr only wondered at
her distress.
"Well, If you don't want to marry
him, what do you care?"
"Oh, / don't, don't care for that.
She sank back listlessly in her chair
again. She couldn't explain, but in
her own mind she knew that if she
lost the sapphire she would so lose in
her own esteem; so fail at every point
that counted, that she would never be
| able to see or be seen in the world
again as the same creature. Even tc
Kerr-even to him to whom she would
have yielded she would have become
different thing. She realized now
she had staked everything on the
premise she wouldn't have tC
! yield; and now it began to ap
pear to her that she would. His
weakness was appearing now as
terrible strength, strength
that seemed on the point Of crushing
her, but 1t could never convince her
That strength Of his had brought hel
here. Was it to happen here, that
strange thing she had foreseen, the
end Of her? Was it here she was tc
lose the sapphire, and him?
She looked vaguely around the
room, at the most impassive aspect
of the place, as at a place she never
expected to leave; the darkening win
dows, the fast-shut door, the child
leaning on the desk, watching them
with sharp, incurious eyes-this would
be her niche forever. She would be
left forever with the crusts and the
dregs. And Kerr's figure in the twi
light seemed each time it moved to be
on the point Of vanishing into the
grayness He moved continually III
and down the narrow spaces between
the tables. He troubled the dry re
pose of the place. Sometimes he
looked at her, studying, questioning
undecided. Once he stopped, as il
just there an idea had arrested him
He looked at her, as If, she thought
he were afraid of her. Then for long
moments he avoided her, until, as
though he had come at last to his de
cision, he walked straight up to hel
and stood above her. She rose tt