The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-12-23

saw them now IN the pack OF the SnOp,
close by the grinning brazier.
The light OF it showed what would
have been otherwise dark. 1t showed
her Harry, straddling, hands in peck
cts, hat thrust back, silhouette as
hard as if cast in cold metal. The as
pect of him, thus, was strange, not
quite unlike himself, but giving her
the feeling that she had never known
how much Harry smoothed over.
Whatever they were arguing about,
she found it hard to go on standing
thus with her back to it, and for so
long, while her expectancy frightened,
and her unreasonable idea that she
did not want the ring, more and more
took hold of her. If he did not want
to sell it, why not let it go-the beau
tiful thing!
She thought she would call Harry
and suggest it-but no. She hesitated
She would give them a chance to
finish it themselves. She would count
ten pigtails past the window first.
She turned, and there they were
yet. They had not moved. The shad-
ow of the gesticulating little China
man danced like a bird on the. wall,
and before him Harry glowedy immov-
able, but ruddy, as if the hard metal
whereof he was cast was slowly heat.
ing through. The thought came to
her then Harry was iron! The hard
shade of his profile on the wall, the
stiff movement of his lips, the for
ward thrust of his head on his Shout
ders gave her another thought Was
Harry also brutal?
What she expected of Harry, vio-
lent act or a quick relaxation of his
iron mood, she had not time to consid-
err, for the shopkeeper had moved.
He was jerking his head, his thumb,
! and finally his arm in the direction Of
the long, dim passage-such a pointed
direction. such a singular gesture, as
| to startle her with it's incongruity.
What had that to do with the price of
the ring? And if it had nothing to
do with the price of the ring, what
had they been talking about? Her
small scruple against knowing what
was going on behind her was forgot
ten. Indeed, now she was oblivious Of
everything else. She was taking it in
with all her eyes, when Harry turned
and looked at her. And, oddly
enough she thought he looked as
if he wondered how she came
there. She saw him return to it
slowly. Then, in a flash, he met her
brilliantly. He came toward her out
of the gloom, holding the ring before
him, as if with the light Of that, and
the flash of his smile, he was anxious
Immediately to cover his deficit.
Il had the very devil of time get
ting il" he said. The little beggar
didn't want to let me have it." But
there was a subsiding excitement in
his face, and something in his man
ner, both triumphant and troubled,
which his explanation did not reason.
ably account for.
Harry" she hesitated-"a you
quite sure it's all right?"
All right?" The sudden edge in his
voice made her look at him. "Why,
it's genuine, if that's what you mean .
It hadn't been, quite; but her mean
Ing was too vague to put into words
a mere sensation of uneasiness. She
watched Harry turn the ring over, as
il he were reluctant to let it go out
OF his hands. And then, looking at
her, she thought his glance was a lit
tie uncertain. She thought he hest
tated, and when he finally slid the
] ring over her finger, Il wouldn't wear