Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-11-10

ing, saw both men, also uprisen, hang
hesitatingly, as if unready to be de-
serted; yet with wellflled glasses,
and newly smoking tocbaco, both were
caught.
Then Kerr, with a quick dash of his
hand, picked up his glass. Let us be
continental" he begged, and followed
close at Flora's side. Without moving
his lips Kerr was speaking, What
does this mean?"
She sensed the anger in his smoth-
cred voice, but she dared not look at
him.
81 have no idea; but l will see you"
"When?"
Her answer leaped to her mind and
her lips at the same moment.
"In the rotunda when the house is
quiet"
Harry had followed leisurely in
their wake. The flush Of haste had
subsidized in his face, and when the
four regrouped themselves in the
high, darkly-paneled room, among the
low lights, Flora remarked his ex-
traordinary composure. Bitter he
might be; but all the nervousness, sus-
picion, uneasiness, tina. he had shown
of late had vanished. There was a
tremendous confidence about him, the
confidence of the player who holds
cards that must win the game, and
sits back waiting for his moment.
But she was ready to laugh at him
in his security. He had underesti'
mated his opponent. In spite of him
she was to have her meeting with
Kerr! Harry had waited too long tc
prevent that, whatever he might dc
afterward. In this inspired moment
she felt herself touching %conquerine
heights which before she had only
touched in imagination. She fell
enough power in herself to move ever
such a mountain of obstinacy as Kerr
She stole a look at him-a look O.
glad intelligence. He understood as i
she had spoken. They were to meet
while all the house slept fast, to NEE
for his great Remuneration. Then, il
the morning, when Harry was read!
with whatever move he was holding
back, Kerr would be gone. Their
would be no Kerr-but she must no
think of that! She glanced at hin
again in the thick of the talk, an,
caught his eye upon her, puzzled, and
she thought, with a glimmer of doubt
. In the room where, some eigh
hours before, she and Mrs. Herric,
e had talked, Flora waited, fully dressed
It had been early when they had seps
rated. The strain of the four togetf
er had been terrific; and she was sti,
feeling it, though an hour had passed
t. She was feeling that, now her situt
ton was upon her, she was alone
n Mrs. Herrick could only be near he,
not with her, and Kerr was still an III
known quantity-except that he wa
e fire.
n And there was Harry, with his te
rible certainty, and no apparent thin
e to account for it. 1t could not b
IS there we're men in the house withol
u the servants remarking it; but in tn
Is garden? She peered out upon it. Onl
tree shadows moved upon the law
Ill Nothing glimmered in the walks
le drives. The solitude held her like
enchantment. She listened for tt
lie small sounds in the house to ceas
y. for the lights in the lower story to
lie out, proclaiming all the servants wei
'e in bed. Even after the stiffness 81
lie waited-waited to be sure it was tt
or long stiffness.
Finally she crept to the door al
:" opened it boldly wide.
cd She stood where she was upon tt
Id threshold trembling in a cruel fr1gf
A gas-jet burning far up at the Ell
I'd of the hall, threw a dim light dow
the pale, pinkish, naked vista, void
ke furniture, window or curtain; an
leaning against the blank wall almo
opposite her door, and directly facil
ir, her, was Harry.
IS Without speaking they looked
ed each other. He was fully dressed, b
d. lacking his shoes, as she noted in t
as a~cuteness of her startled enses T.
as furtive suggestion ofsthose shoele
ly, feet struck her with horror-formle'
ho unreasoning. 1t was like an e.
dream to find him there, stolen to b
l." door in the night, waiting outside
,e, without a sound, looking her stead
In hardly in the eye without a word.
She tried to speak, but, with teri
i'd, sobbing in her throat, the wor
err failed. She made a step forward wi
a crazy impulse to rush past him.
,h- He Strengthened, with a quick mo-
ment toward her. She recoiled befc
air him, precipitately retreated, clos
,er the door, shot the bolt, and leaned,
in faintness, against the wall. She
er- pected each moment to hear him tt
lot She neither heard a knock nor t
Or sound of soft, departing feet. He "
a still there! He was on guard! He b
he had good reason for his terrible C
ok tainty! He had foreseen what
a plan might be, and she knew he wo1
an no more let her get past him do
m the hall than the turnkey will let
wretched prisoner escape.
ut,
led CHAR lEH ALI