Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-10-26

real than fairy; but at Kerr's accla-
nation it had proclaimed itself more
real than flesh and blood, and Kerr
himself the most real thing in all her
life.
Then what was Harry? The bland
implacable announcement of Shima
had summoned him up to stand beside
Kerr more clearly than her own eyes
could have shown him
Kerr, with his brilliant initiative,
might carry him off, but Kerr was
still the quarry. For had not Harry,
from the very beginning, known
something about him? Hadn't he at
first denied having seen him before,
and then admitted it? Hadn't he
dropped hints and innuendoes without
ever an explanation? She remember
ed the singular fact of the embassy
ball, twice mentioned, each time with
that singular name of Farrell Wand.
And to knOw-if that was what Harry
knew-that man of such fame was
in community where a ring of such
fame had disappeared-wha further
proof was wanted?
Then why didn't Harry speak? And
what was going on on his side of the
affair? Harry's side would have been
her side few days before. Now, I'M
accountably, it was not. Nor was
Kerr's side hers either. She was
standing between the Understanding
hesitating between her love of one
and her loyalty to the other and what
he represented. The power might be
hers to tip the scales Harry held,
either to Kerrs undoing, or to his
protection. At least she thought she
might protect him, if she could dis
cover Harry's secret. Her special,
authorized relation to him-her right
to see him often, question him freely
even cajole-should make that easy.
But she shrank from what se>med like
betrayal, even though she did not be-
tray him to Kerr by name.
Then, on the other hand, she doubt
ed how much she could do with Har-
ry. She wasn't sure how far she was
prepared to try him after that scene
Of theirs. She had no desire to pique
him further by seeing too much of
Kerr. On her own account she wanted
for the present to avoid Kerr. He
reused feeling in her that she fear
ed-a feeling intoxicating to the
senses, dazzling to the mind, unknit-
ting to the will. How could she tell,
if they were left alone, that she might
not take the jewel from her neck, at
his request, and hand it to him-and
escape seeing him altogether until
she could find out what Harry was do
ing and what she must do!
Meanwhile, there was her promise
to Ella. She recalled it with Difficult
ty. 1t seemed vague thing in the
she could never meet Clara in disa-
greement without a qualm. But she
made the plunge that evening, before
Clara left for the Buffers, while she
was at her dressing-table in the half
disarray which brings out all the soft
ness and the disarming physical
charm of women. From her low chair
Flora spoke laughingly of Elias per-
turbation. Clara paused, with the
powder puff in her hand, while she
listened to Flora's explanation of how
Ella feared that some one might, aft
er all these years, be going to marry
Judge Butler. Who this might be she
did not even hint at. She left it ever
so sketchy. But the little stare with
which Clara met it, the amusement,
the surprise, and the shortest possible
little laugh, were guarantee that Clara
had seen it ALL She had filled out
Floras sketch to the full outline, and
pronounced it, as Flora had, an alb
surdity. But though Clara had
laughed, she had gone away with her
delicate brows a little drawn together,
as if she'd really found more than a
laugh, something worth considering,
in Elias state of mind.
She heard the wheels of Clara's de-
parting conveyance. Now was her
chance for an interview with Harry.
She spent 20 minutes putting together
three sentences that would not arouse
his suspicious. She made two copies,
and sent them by separate messen-
gers, one to his rooms, one to the
club, with orders they be brought
back if he was not there to receive
them. Then-the business of wait
ing in the large house full of echoes
and the round ghostly globes of cleo
trio lights, with that thing around
her neck for which-did they but
know of it-half the town would break
in her windows and doors.
The wind travelled the streets with
out, and shook the window-casings
She covered over the library fire,
listening. The leaping flames set her
shadow dancing like goblin. A bell
rang, and the shadow and the flame
gave a higher leap as if in welcome of
what had arrived. She went to the
library door. In the glooms and lights
outside Shima was standing, and two
messengers. 1t was odd that both
should arrive at once. She stepped
back and stood waiting with a quicker
pulse. Shima entered with two let
tiers upon his tray. She had mo-
ment's anxiety lest both her notes had
been brought back to her but nO-the