Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-10-13

before she dared uncover the jewel.
But he wouldn't move. In spite of all
she had done, he wouldn't.
Across the room that very after
noon she caught the twinkle of his re-
sisting smile. He had had her letter
then for two days, and still he had
come here, though he'd been hidden
to stay away; though he had been
warned to keep away from all places
where she, or these people around
her, might find him; though he had
been implored to go, finally, as far
away as the round surface Of the
world would let him.
BY what he had heard and seen in
the red room that night, he must
know her warning had not been ridic-
ulous. And there was another threat
less apparent on the surface of things,
but evident enough to her. 1t was the
| change in Clara after she had begun
her attack on the Buffers, her appear
ance of being busy with something,
f, absorbed with, intent upon, something,
| which, If she had not secured 1T yet,
at least she had well in reach. And
that thing-suppose it had to do with
the Grew Idol; and suppose Clara
should play into Harry's hands!
For Kerr's escape Flora had been
holding the ring, fighting off events,
and yet all the while she had not
wanted to lose the sight of him. Well,
now, when she had made up her mind
finally to resign herself to the dreari-
ness of that, might he not at least
have done his part of it and decently
disappeared? So much he might have
done for her.
He was playing her own trick on
her. but her chances for getting at
him again were fewer than his had
been with her. She could not besiege
him in his abode; and in the places
where they met, large houses crowded
with people, the eye Of the world was
upon her. For how long had she for
gotten it-she who had been all her
life so ~deferential toward It! Ever
now she remembered it only because
1t interfered with what she wanted
to do.
For the eye of her small society
was very keenly upon Kerr. She re
allied, all at once, that he had be
come a parsonage; and then, by
smiles, by lifted eyebrows, by chances
she gathered that her name was be
ing linked with his. She was aston
ished. How could their luncheon to
gether at the Purdies', their words
that night in the opera box, their few
minutes talk in the shop, have crys
tallized into this gossip? 1t vexed hel
alarmed her, how it had got abou
when she had seen him so seldom
had known him scarcely more thai
q week. 1t was simply in the air. |
was in her attitude and in his, bu
how far it had gone she did no
dream, until in the dense crowd of SOM
, ones at-home she caught the word
Of a young girl. The voice was 81
J sweet and so prettily modulated tina
at it's first notes Flora turned invol
unfairly to glimpse the speaker,
slender creature in a delicate mist Q
: muslin, with an indeterminate chi
and the cheek of a pale peach.
/ Gust think" Flora heard her say
} ing, "he went to see her three time
in two days, but to-day, did you nc
tice, he wouldn't look at her until sh
went up and spoke to him. I don
see how a girl can! Harry Cressy-
She moved away and the word
were lost. Flora looked after her. Flo
I the moment she felt only 70
t the creatures who had clapped tina