Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-11-16

palely pink in the warm reflections OF
the red velvet curtains.
And what could Clara have seen. II
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 a 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. Its evidence was before her.
He had been silent. Now he was talk
ing. He had been absent. Now she
thought she had never seen him more
wildly concerned with the moment.
Yet for all his cool looks ard diffuse
talk around the box, she felt uneasily
that his concern was pointed 1T her,
ana that he would never let her go.
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,
delieately 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 fiuttered impulse came a GER
tain reinsurance in such a frank and
trivial action. For all its 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 treasured or troubled be-
cause he had not spoken word. Yet
the next moment he looked around at
her
I'VE shan't meet every evening in
such 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 a reflec-
ton of her trouble in her face.
Are you surprised that l thought of
that?" he inquired It's not so odd
as you seem to think that l should
want to see you again. I don't want
to We it to chance; do your" He
She, che 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 it's meaning.
Then when are you at homer" he
asked her; and by his tone. he con-
veyed the impression that he was only
making courteous response to some
invitation she had offered him; though,
when she thought. she had not offered
1t, he had got it out of her.
She answered somewhat stiffly:
Fridays. second and fourth"
He looked at her with a humorous
twist of mouth. What? So seldom?"
She was impotent IL he wouldn't
be snubbed; but at the worst she
wouldn't be cornered. "Oh, dear, no
but people who come at other times
take a chance"
Does that mean that l may take
mine tomorrow"
He was pressing her too hard. Why
was he so anxious to see her, as he
had not been the first night or yester-
day, or even ten minutes ago? She,
who, ten minutes ago. would have
been glad, now was doing her best to
put him off. She was silent a mo-
ment, considering the conventions, and
then, like him, she abandoned them.
Without a word she turned away from
him Her only desire now was to
evade him, lest he should force her
out of her non-committal attitude She
wanted to shield herself from further
pursuit.
She drew her glove over the ring.
The lights were imminent 1t would