The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-12-30
>()Ak'SI o.

! have been more shocked. The Who'll
box must be transfixed by him, an
the whole house be looking at nothin
but their little circle of horror! Sh
was ready for it. She was brace
for anything but the fact which az
tually confronted her-that no on
had noticed them at all. It was mon
strous that such thing could hav'
been without their knowing! Blu
there was no face in all the orchestra
the crowded galleries, or the tier:
Of boxes to affirm that ANYTHING hat
happened; no face in their own boz
had even stirred, but Claia's, anc
that had merely turned from profile te
the full, family inquiring, mild, and
palely pink in the warm reflections OF
the red velvet curtains.
And what could Clara have seen, if
she had seen at all, but Flora a. little
paler than usual with a hand that
trembled; and what worse could Clara
conjecture than that she was being
silly about Kerr? She turned slowly
toward him, and looked at him with a
courage that was part of her tear.
But wasn't she, in a way, being lily
about Kerr? What had become of bis
expression that had threatened h\r?
There was nothing left of it but Yer
own violent impression.
And yet the thing had, actually h Up
pened. Its evidence was before Rr.
He had been silent. Now he was tak-
ing. He had been absent Now she
thought she had never seen hin mfe
wildly concerned with the nomelt.
Yet for all his cool looks ami diffuse
talk around the box, she fell uneaaly
that his concern was pintd at her,
and that he would never 1t her go.
He only waited for the |cder of the
last act to come back to Ter single
handed.
She would have DETECTED is attack,
but it was too quick, too expected
for her to do more than sihelpless.
and let him lift up her It hand
delicately between thumb al finger,
as if in itself it was some re, fine
curio, and, bending close, conmplate
the sapphire unwinkingly. he had
an instant when she thought b must
cry out, but how impossible ii be aw.
full publicity of her place-a nnacle
in the face of thousands! A, after
the first fluttered impulse cana GER
tain reinsurance in such fix and
trivial action. For all its iensity,
how could it be construed osrwise
than a lively if unconvention| inter-
est? It must have been her fancwhich
had discerned anything more than
that in his first look. And yeNhen
he had laid her hand lightly bat and
readjusted his monocle, and ,ked
out, away from her, across theack
house, she didn't. know whetheshe
was more treasured or troublebe.
cause he had not spoken a Wordret
the next moment he looked arouIat J
her.
"We shan't meet every eveninn $
such a way as this" he said, andft
the statement dangling unanswere
between them. 1t sounded portens 9
final She couldn't answer. I
could only look at him with a ret
ton of her trouble in her face. c
Are you surprised that l thought a
that?" he inquired. TITS not so & a
as you seem to think that / shot Il
want to see you again. don't wa G
to leave it to chance; do your" r.
shot the question at her so suddenl
with such a casual eye, and such dr.
gravity Of mouth, that he had he
admission out of her before she re
allied the extent of it's meaning.
Then when are you at homer" hi