The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1910-11-09
COAST Of

have been more shocked. The whole
box must be transfxed by him, and
the whole house be looking at nothing
but their little circle of horror! She
was ready for it. She was braced
for anything but the fact which ac-
tually confronted her-that no one
had noticed them at all. 1t was mon
strous that such thing could have
been without their knowing! But
there was no face in all the orchestra,
the crowded galleries, or the tiers
Of boxes to affirm that anything had
happened; no face in their own box
had even stirred, but Claras, and
that had merely turned from profile to
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 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 fear.
But wasn't she, in way, being silly
about Kerr? What had become Of his
expression that had threatened her?
There was nothing left of it but her
own violent impression.
And yet the thing had actually hap
pened. It's evidence was before her
hn1 hAan oil Nnu a taIk.
ing. He had been absent. Now she
thought she had never seen him more
vividly concerned with the moment
Yet for all his cool looks and diffuse
talk around the box, she felt uneasily
that his concern was pointed at her,
and that he would never let her 60
He only waited for the cover of the
last act to come back to her single
handed.
She would have detected his attack,
but it was too quick, too unexpected
for her to do more than sit helpless.
and let him lift up her left hand,
delicately between thumb and finger,
as if in itself it was some rare, fine
curio, and, bending close, contemplate
the sapphire unwinkingly. She had
an instant when she thought she must
cry out, but how impossible in the aw-
full publicity of her place-a pinnacle
in the face of thousands! And after
the first fluttered impulse came GER
tain reinsurance in such frank and
trivial action. For all it's intensity,
how could it be construed otherwise
than a lively If unconventional inter
est? 1t must have been her fancy which
had discerned anything more than
that in his first look. And yet, when
he had laid her hand lightly back, and
readjusted his monocle, and looked
out, away from her, across the black
house, she didn't know whether she
was more reassured or troubled be-
cause he had not spoken a word. Yet
the next moment he looked around at
her.
1--WE shan't meet every evening in
such a way as this" he said, and left
the statement dangling unanswerable
between them. 1t sounded portentous
final She couldn't answer. She
could only look at him with reflec-
tion of her trouble in her face.
Are you surprised that / thought of
that?" he inquired. "It's not so odd
as you seem to think that l should
want TO see you again. l don't want
to leave it to chance; do you?" He
shot the question at her so suddenly,
with such a casual eye, and such dry
gravity of mouth, that he had her
admission out of her before she re-
allied the extent of its meaning.
Then when are you at home?" he