Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-12-14

est thing in the world to-" He broke
on. 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.
We'll. 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 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.
Il don't know Why you did it, you
quixotic child, but yoI 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
reassuring. I'm 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 imaginatioR-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 it had, Judge Bull
ler's words! If Kerr had been the
speaker it would have been natural
enough, since all through this inter-
view Harrys evident antagonism had
seemed strained to the swapping
point
But poor Judge Butler had been
harmless enough. He had been mere
ly theorizing. But-waitl She made
so sharp a movement that Clara
looked at her. The judges theory
might be close to acts that Harry
was cognizant Of
For herself she had had no way of
finding out how the sapphire had got
adrift. But hadn't Harry? Hadn't he
followed up that singular scene with
the blue-eyed Chinaman by other
visits to the goldsmith's shop? Why.
yesterday, when he was supposed to
be in Bgrlingame. Clara had seen him
in Chinatown. The idea burst upon
then. Harry was after the whole
ring. He counted the part she held
already his, and for the rest he was
cropping in Chinatown; he was trying
to reach it through the imperturbable
little goldsmith. But he had not
reached it yet-and she could read his
irritation at his failure in his violent
outburst when Judge Butler so inno-
Gently flung the difficulties in his face.
She knew as much now as she could
bear. If Harry did not suspect Kerr,
it would be strange. But-Harry wait.
ing to make sure of a reward before
he uamasked q thief! 1t was an ugly
thought!
And would he wait for the rest now
now that the situation was so gall
ing to him? Might not he just de-
eide to take the sapphire. and with
the evidence of that, risk his putting
his hand on the Idol when he
grasped the thief?
The carriage was stopping. Clara
was making ready to get out. She
braced herself to face Clara in the
light with casual exterior-but
when she had reached her own rooms
she sank in heap in the chair before
her writing-table. and laid her head
upon the table between her arms.
In her wretchedness she found her
self turning to Kerr. How stoically
he had endured it all, though it must
have borne on him most heavily,
How kind he had been to her! He
had not even spoken of himself, though
he must have known the shadows
were closing over his head.
In the gray hours Of the morning
she wrote him. She dared not put
the perils into words, but she i'm
piled them. She vaguely threatened;
and she implored him to go, avoiding
them all, herself more than any; and.
auaking at the possibility that he
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