Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-10-13

waggishly. "Oh, l could have been a
crook myself" he chuckled, but his
was the only smiling face in the
party.
For Kerr's was pale, schooled to a
rigid self-control.
And Harry's a crimson and swol-
len, as II with a sudden rush of blood.
His twitching hands, his sullen eyes, !
responded to Judge Buffers last word
as il It had been an accusation.
ut makes me damned sick, the way
you fellows talk-as if 1t was the east
est thing in the world to-" He broke
of. 1t was such a tone, loose, harsh
and uncontrolled, as made Flora
shrink.
AS If he sensed that movement in
her, he turned upon her furiously.
well, are we going to stand here
all night?' He took her by the arm.
She felt as If he had struck her.
Butler was staring at him, but Kerr
had opened the door through which
she had entered, and now, turning his
back upon Harry, silently motioned
her out.
She had a moments fear that Har-
RVS grasp. even then, wouldn't let
go. Indeed, for a moment he stood
clutching her, as If, now that his rage
had spent itself, she was the one
thing he could hold to. Then she felt
his fingers loosen. He stood there
alone, looking, with his great bulk,
and his great strength, and his
abashed bewilderment, rather pa
thetic.
But that aspect reached her dimly,
for the fear Of him was uppermost.
Her arm still burned where he had
grasped it. She moved away from
him toward the door Kerr had opened
for her. She passed from the light
Of the crimson room into the dark of
the passage. Some one followed her
and closed the door. Some one caught
step with her. 1t was Kerr. He bent
his dark head to speak low.
81 don't know why you did it, you
q~uixotic child, but you must not ex-
pose yourself in this way, for any rea-
son whatsoever"
The light Of the crowded rooms
burst upon them again.
"Oh," she turned to him beseech-
ingly, cant you get me away?"
Surely" His manner was as If
nothing had happened. His smile was
r%eassuring. "I1l call your carriage,
and find Mrs. Britton."
When Flora came down from the
dressing-room she found Clara al
ready in the carriage, and Kerr mount
ing guard in the hall. AS he hand
ed her in, Clara leaned forward.
Where is Mr.. Cressy?" she in
quired.
"He sent his apologies" Kerr ex-
planned. "He is not able to get away
Just now"
Flora lay back in the carriage. She
was dimly aware Of Clara's presence
beside her, but for the moment Clara
had ceased to be a factor. The shape
that filled all the foreground of her
thought was Harry. He doomed alarm
ing to her imagination-all the more
SO since, for the moment, he had
seemed to lose his grip. That was
another thing she could not quite I'm
derstand. That burst of violent irri
tation following, as 1t had, Judge Bull
ler's words! II Kerr had been the
speaker 1t would have been natura.
enough, since all through this inter
view Harry's evident antagonism hat
seemed strained to the swapping
point.
But poor Judge Butler had beer
harmless enough. He had been mere
!, ly theorizing. But-wait! She made
SO sharp "a movement that Clar;
! looked at her. The judges theor!
!, might be close to facts that Harr!
was cognizant Of.
! For herself she had had no way O
, finding out how the sapphire had 60
t adrift. But hadn't Harry? Hadn't h,
: followed up that singular scene witt
the %blue-eyed Chinaman by othe
visits to the goldsmith's shop? Why
, yesterday, when he was supposed Il
. be in ~Burlingame, Clara had seen hin
, in Chinatown. The idea burst upol
: then. Harry was after the Who'll
ring. He counted the part she he'll
already his, and for the rest he wa
cropping in Chinatown; he was tryini
! to reach it through the imperturbabl
: little goldsmith. But he had NO
reached it yet-and she could read hi
irritation at his failure in his violen
outburst when Judge Butler SO innt
), Gently flung the difficulties In his face
I She knew as much now as she coul
bear. If Harry did not suspect Kerr
! it would be strange. But-Harry wal
! ing to make sure of a reward befor
|, he unmasked a thief! It was an ugl
Z thought!
: And would he wait for the rest mo-
q now that the situation was so gal
] ing to him? Might not he Just d,
Z eide to take the sapphire, and wit
the evidence Of that, risk his putin
+ his hand on the Idol" when b
y grasped the thief?
The carriage was stopping Clar
k was making ready to get out. Sh
braced herself to face Clara in til
Il light with a casual exterior-bl
when she had reached her own room
If she sank in aSheap in the chair befoI
her writingtable, and laid her hsa
upon Tho table between her arms.
d In her w~retchedness she found ne