The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-12-02

Drawer things of you. The game that
counts. my GIRL he preached it at her
with his long white hand, the game
that is going on out here is the big,
red game of life. That's the only one
that's worth a guinea; and there's no
winning or losing, there's no right or
wrong to it, and it doesn't matter
what man is in it as long as he's a
good one"
Even if he is a thief?' The ques-
ton was out of Flora's lips before she
could catch it. 1t was a challenge.
She had meant to confound him; but
he caught it as If it delighted him.
well, what would you think?"
He threw it back at her.
What hadn't she thought! How per-
sistently her fancy had played with
the question of what sort of man that
one might be who had so wonderful
ly put his hand under glass case and
drawn out the Chatworth ring.
''Oh," she laughed obviously, Il sup.
pose he is a good one as long as he
isn't caught
What" His face disowned her.
you think he's renegade, do you?
A chap in perpetual flight, taking
things because he has to, more or less
pursued by the law? Bah! It's a
guild as old, and deal more honor
able, than the beggars Your good
thief is born to it. It's his caste. It's
in his blood. 1t isn't money that he
wants If he had a million he'd be
the same. And it isn't a mania eth
er. It's profession The English
man leaned back and smiled at her
over the elegance of his long, Joined
tingertips
She looked at him with a delighted
alarm, with an increasing citation; but
whether these arose from his laWless
declarations and the singular way
they kept setting before her more
wildly moment by moment the pos
> sible character of the present keeper
of the Chatworth ring, or whether it
was just the sight Of Kerr himself as
he sat there that stirred her, she
didn't try to distinguish.
But suppose he was your own
{ thief" she urged; *took your own
t. things, mean," she hastily amended
T. "and suppose he turned out to be-
!. some one you knew and liked She
hesitated. She had come at last to what
l. she really wanted to say. She hac
o brought out a question that had beer
'e teasing her fancy at intervals all the
At while he had been talking, and he hac
lie not even heard it. He wasn't even look
Id ing at her. She had caught him OF
I'd his guard. He was looking across he
to shoulder straight down the dim visit;
e. of the room to the little blaze of boz
IN dering light. He was looking at Ha1
OF ry. No. Harry was looking at him
ee Harry was looking with a steady, a.
n intent gaze, and Kerr meeting it
be might have been merely the blan
ly glare of his monocle-seemed, t
~. Flora, to meet it little insolentl!
lg- She fancied in the instant somethln
tn to pass between the two men, SOM
,er thing which, this time, she did NJ
I'm mistake for jealousy-a shade too oil
or for defiance or suspicion, dee
m, scrutiny that struggled to place som
afe thing, some one.
led Flora felt sudden wish to brea
as that curious scrutiny It had broke
ing her little moment. It had shatterf
in the personal, almost intimate no
ard that had been sounded between thel
ess The look Kerr turned back to her w
in vague and stirred in her dim
uld sentiment that he could drop it all
to easily.
sur "Shall we join the others? ?" It "
nsi- the voice with which she had beg
with him, but her eyes were 3
ook through their light mist of lashes, a
res he threw her comprehending CLAN
lion of amusement.
sent "Oh, no." he assured her, I'VE ca
air help ourselves. They are going
join us.
pite Ella Butler, in the van OF her p
fan, cession, was already descending VI
nen, them. Her approach dissipated
who last remnant Of their personal !
lem ment. Her presence always lnsls
bout that there was nothing worth WI
for but instant participation in her 6
IT, if iality. and whatever subject 1t mi
real at the moment be taken up "
to This conviction of Elias had D.
,ant- wont to overawe Flora, and it
s. overwhelmed her; so that now,
and she followed in the trail OF ~
res" marshaled force, she had guilty I
peo- ing that there should be nothing
here her mind but normal desire for
here per-
treet Yet all the way down the g
!, or stair, "the Corridors of Time WI
but the white owl glared his CLASSY
the dom on the passings and coun
passings, she was haunted with
what. thought that Harry had seen the
efore traordinary Kerr before; not sha
the hands with him, perhaps-perhaps
!, s.as7s51 4, -, ~, non1o. hut c0nnWh