The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-11-10

| the WnOle. Inc uJIl0 restaurant
seemed left behind in the onward
march of the city, and its faded, kindly
face was but a shadow of what hat
been Of the vigor and flourish of bour
geols Spain 80 years before. There
was no one eating at the little tables
no one sitting behind the high cash
desk In the anteroom. Not stir Of
human life in all the place.
Hello" said Kerr among the tables
looking around him, we've caught
them asleep" He raped on the wall
with his cane. Flora peered at him
between the curtains, all her fascinat
ed apprehension of what was to fol,
low plain upon her face. Shall it be
a giant or dwarf?" he asked her.
There's nothing I won't do for you,
you know"
The door opened and a little girl
with long black braid and purple
apron came in.
"A dwarf" cried Flora. She
laughed with a quick relaxing of her
strained nerves. 1t might almost have
been the truth from that old little
swarthy face and sedate demeanor that
hardly noticed them. The child walked
graVely up to the desk and mounting
to the high stool struck faint-voiced
bell
There" said Kerr, lends formality.
Now let the real magic begin!"
"Not black magic," Flora took up
his fancy.
He had drawn out q chair for her
"That depends on you. I'm not the
magic maker. have no talisman."
She felt the conscious jewel burn in
her possession. She looked UP be
! seechingly at him, but he only
laughed, and, with a swing, lifted the
chair little off the ground as he sal
her up to the table, as if to show how
easily he could put forth strength
There was nothing defiant in him. He
was taking her with him-taking her
upon the wings of his high spirits;
but mischievously, obstinately, he
would not show her where the flight
was leading, nor let her listen to any
thing but the rustling of those wings
He was determined to make holiday
whatever was to follow. For the
glimpse of blue through the dim win
dow might be the Bay of Naples; and
ah! Chianti. Perhaps the sort one
gets down Monte Video way, where
France fades into Italy-perhaps, al
least if her fancy could get the bet
ter of the reality.
"She wouldn't care if you jumped
up and threw me out Of the window
he affirmed. That's why this hole is
so harmless. Oh, isn't that harmless!
What's more harmless than to let one
alone? There's only one dangerous
thing here" he grinned and let heI
take her choice of which.
She came straight at 1t.
"You know l can't let you alone"
He laughed. We'll, isn't that why
we're here at last-that you may die
tate your terms?"
II have. Didn't you get my letter.
"Oh indeed did. Haven't obeyed
it? Haven't l kept away from your
house? Have I tried to approach
you?"
Haven't you, thought" she threw
at him accusingly.
"Ah," he deprecated, you came tc
me. I was down in the garden"
! She looked at him through his
persifage wistfully, searchingly. "But
there were other things in that let
| ter"
There were?" He regarded hel
with grave surprise. Oh, how she
mistrusted his gravity! "Why, to be
sure there were things-things that
] you didn't mean-one thing above all
others you couldn't mean, that you
want me to drop out when the game
Is half done, to stink away and leave
it all like this-abandon you and my
Idol to each other! My dear, fol-
what do you take me?"
She burst out. But can't you see
the danger?"
He met it quietly.
Certainly. l have been seeing
nothing else but the danger-to you
Do you think I've been idle all these
days? Every line 1 have followed
has ended in that. It's brought me
finally to this" The gesture Of his
hand included their predicament and
the dingy little room. You'll really
have to help me, after ALL"
ooh, haven't I tried to? That Ii
why I wrote. Don't you see your OWL
danger at all?"
mo, but I'd like to-" He leaned to
J ward her, brows lifted to a quizzica
peak.
"Oh, 1 can't tell you," she despaired
"But somehow I shall have to make
! you CO."
THAT will be easy" he said. Lean
ing back, nursing his chin in his hand
he watched her with gloomy sort oi
brooding. "You know what 1t is I'm
waiting for You know 1 won't e
without it." His words came sadly
but doggedly, with a grim finality, al
If he gave himself up to the course HI
was following as something he knew
was inevitable. The faintness of de
spair came over her. Only the mar
row table was between them, yet al
at once, with the mention Of the ring
he seemed a long way off.
do you care for it so very murh?'
she asked him, trembling but valiant
Il care so very much" he repeated
slowly, and after moment of won
der: why, dou't your"
"Oh, not for that" she cried sharp
ly. mot for the sapphire!"
He stared. She had startled hin
clean out of his brooding. I'm heavens
name, for what, then?"
Oh, she could never tell him it wal