Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1910-10-11

tawny head at her; 81 give you my
word; for | was there"
1t seemed to Flora fairly preposter-
Gus that Harry could sit there looking
so matter-of-fact with such expert
ences behind him. Even Clara looked
a little taken aback, but the effect
was only to set her more sharply on
"Then such man could easily
have taken the ring in the Maple room
this afternoon? You think it might
have been the man himself?"
His broad smile of appreciation en-
veloped her ooh, you have a scent
like bloodhound. You haven't let go
of that once since you started. He
could have done it-oh, easy-but he
went out eight, ten years ago.
"Died?" Flora's rising infection was
a lament.
Went over the horizon-over the
r-nge. Believe he died in the col
onies"
"Oh," Flora sighed, "then 1 shall
have to fancy he has come back again,
just for the sake of the Chatworth
ring. That wouldn't be too strange.
1t s all so strange l keep forgetting it
is real. At least" she went on ex-
planning herself to Harry's smile. cit
seems as if this must be going on A
long way off, as if it couldn't be so
close to us, as if the ring l wanted so
much couldn't really be the one that
has disappeared" All the while she
felt Harrys smile enveloping her with
an odd, half-protecting watchfulness,
but at the close of her sentence he
frowned a little.
We'll, perhaps we can find another
ring to take the place of it."
She felt that she had been stupid
where she should have been most deli
cate. But you don't understand" she
protested, leaning far toward him as
if to coerce him with her generous
warmth. "The Chatworth ring was
nothing but fancy l had l never
thought of it for a moment as an en-
gagement ring!"
By the light stir of silk she was
aware that Clara had risen. She look
ed up quickly to encounter that odd
look. Clara's face was so smooth, so
polished, so unruffied, as to appear al
most blank, but none the less Flora
saw it all in Claras eye-a look that
was not new to her. 1t was the same
with which Clara had met the an
nouncement of her. engagement; the
same look with which she had con-
fronted every allusion to the ap-
preaching marriage; the same with
which she now surveyed the mention
of the engagement ring-a look Meth
er approving nor dissenting, whose
calm, considerate speculation seemed
to repudiate all interest positive or
negative in the approaching event ex-
cept the one large question, What
is to become of me?" Many times
Clara had held it up before her, not as
question, certainly not as an ac-
cusatfon; as a fiat assertion of fact;
but tonight Flora felt it so directly
and imperatively aimed at her that it
seemed this time to demand an audi
BILE response. And Clara's way of get
ting up, and standing there, with her
gloves on, poised and expectant, as if
she were only waiting on opportunity
to take farewell, took on, in the light
of her look, the fantastic appearance
of final departure. I'm afraid"
she mildly reminded them, that
Shima announced the carriage ten
minutes ago."
"Oh, dear. I'm so sorry!" Flora's
eyes wavered alphabetically in the d.
rection of the waiting Japanese.
Clara's flicker of amusement made
her hate herself the moment it was
out She could always depend on her
self when she knew she was on exbi-
bition. She could be sure of the right
thing if 1t were only large enough,
but she was still caught at odd mo-
ments by the trifles, the web Of GER
tain social habit into which she had
slipped, full-grown on the smooth sur
face of her fathers millions. Clara's
fieeting smile lit up these trifies to
her now as enormous. II took adyan-
tage Of her small deficit to point out
to her more plainly than ever to whas
large plumbers she might be liable