Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-11-24
CHAPTER xxlv.-continued.

do you feel better?" Mrs. Herrick
asked her. Then she opened her eyes
wide and saw the walls and the high
arched ceiling Of the hall directly
above her, knew herself lying on the
floor, saw above her the figure Of
Clara, standing with a bottle of salts,
and then remembered; and, with a
moan, buried her face in Mrs. Her
rick's lap. ooh, no, no, no; don't
bring me back; I don't want to come
back!"
Their voices sounding high above
her were speaking. Mrs. Herrick said:
'What is that?" Then Clara mur-
INJURED. Then there was the light
rustling of paper. Flora moved her
hand.
Give it to me; I want it." She felt
the stiff little square of cardboard be-
tween her fingers, and closed them
around it fast.
After a little she went upstairs hold
ing tight to the baluster with n
hand and to Mrs. Herrick with the
other. After a little of sitting on the
edge of her bed she lay down, still
holding to Mrs. Herrick. She felt as
though some cord within her had been
drawn tight, too tight to endure, and
every moment she hoped 1t would
snap and set her free.
"You don't think I'm mad, do you?"
- a.7xa5 IIor friand aornnct1v dfc-
claimed it. "Then things are" Flora
said, everything. Oh, obi" The
memory overwhelmed her. HE took
me there as If by chance! He gave
the sapphire to me for my engage
ment ring. Oh, dreadful! Oh, poor
Harry"
All that afternoon and all night she
slept fitfully, starting UP at intervals
trembling at nameless horrors.
She Weakened languid and weak. She
lay looking about the room, and, like
a person recovering after a heavy
blow, wondered what had happened
Then her hand, as with her first
waking thought 1t had done for the
last week, went to the locket chair
around her neck. Oh, yes, yes; she
had forgotten. The sapphire was
gone. Gone by fraud, gone at a kiss
for ever with Harry-no, with Farrell
Wand.
For Harry was not Harry; and Kerr
was not Farrell Wand. He was In
deed an unknown quantity. Since she
had found Harry she had lost boil
Kerr's name and his place in he
fairy-tale
She sat up q~uickened with humilia
tion. The thing vas not a tragedy,
was a grotesque. B~lushfng more ant
more crimson, struggling with strang'
mingled crying and laughter, sh'
slipped out of the bed, and, still in he
n%ight-gown, ran down the hall, an
knocked on Mrs. Herrick's door, III
til the dismayed lady opened it.
Il thought 1t was he" Flora gasped
IT thought 1t was he who had takel
the ring! Why didn't he tell me
Why did he keep it secret? / woul
uOu6 duybuluS W AdfO odtOu IL ~
him, and / let Harry get 1t! Oh, ism
it cruel? Isn't it pitiful? Isn't 1t r
diculous?"
Mrs. Herrick, who, for tbs last .
hours, had SO departed from her rul
riculum of safety, and courageodsl
mel many strange appearances, mo-
was to hear stranger facts. Fer Flor
had let go completely, and Mrs. He
rick, without limiting at Mysteries, lie
her laugh, let her cry, let her te
piece by piece, as she could, the stor
of the two men, from the night whe
Kerr had spoken SO strangely at th
club on the virtues Of thieves to th
moment when, in the willow wall
they discovered that the jewel wa
gone. Ciara's part in the affair, an
the prize she had exacted, even |
this unnerved moment, Tora's Il
stinct withhesA to save Mrs. Herric
the last ~cruelest touch. But for th
rest--ahe let Mrs. Herrick have It a