The Southern herald., 1910-12-09

cNcig lhlAk IS sue lOSScu II AAs lucA
as If all at once he felt the full weight
OF the burden, Lord" be said, and
let himself down heavily into a chair.
It was plain in his helpless stare that
he knew exactly what 1t all meant
Laying her hands on the high chair
arms. leaning down so that she could
look into his face, Flora made her
thrust
What do you think he wantsr she
gently asked. It was as If she would
coax it out of him. His answer was
correspondingly low and soft.
''It's that damned ring"
She heard her secret fear spoken
aloud with such assurance that she
waited, certain at the next moment
Harrys voice would people the ST.
lenee with all the facts that had SO
far escaped her But when. after a
moment of looking before him he did
speak, he went back to the beginning,
which they both knew.
you know he didn't want to part
with it in the first place."
"Yes, yes; but he did" Flora in.
sisted.
Well" he answered quickly, but
that was before" He caught him
self and went on with a scarcely per-
ceptlble break HE may have had
better offer for it since"
He couldn't have put it more mildly.
and yet that temperate phrase brought
back to her in flash a windy night
full Of raueous voices and the great
figures in the paper that had covered
half page-the reward for the Crew
Idol. Could it be that-that sum so
overwhelming to human caution and
human decency which Harry had
cloaked by his grudging phrase some
better offer?" What else could he
mean? And what else could the blue.
eyed Chinaman mean by his strange
pursuit of her?
Some one must have wanted Il
awfully," Flora tried again, keeping
step with his mild admission.
Harry covered her with an impressive
stare. There's something queer about
that ring" he nodded to her. He was
going to tell her at last! She gazed
at him In expectation, but presently
she realized that nothing more was
coming. He had stopped at the be.
ginning. She tried to urge him on.
Queer, what do you mean?" She
was feigning surprise.
He looked at her cautiously. why,
you must have noticed 1t yourself
when we were at the shop. And now,
tonight, his having followed you"
She could see MIN hesitate, choos.
ing his words. She knew we'll enough
her own fear of saying too much-but,
what was Harry afraid Of? Did he
suspect her feeling for Kerr? Was
that why he was holding back, leav.
ing out, giving her the small, expur.
gated version Of what he knew. She
tried again. making It palmer.
You think the ring is something he
ought not to. have had; something
that belongs somewhere else?"
He looked away from her, around
the room, as If to pick up his answer
from some of the corners well, any.
way, it's lucky we waited about that
setting" he said with quick irrele.
vance. "If you're going to be annoyed
in this way you'd better let me have
It,"
Why hadn't she thought OF that It
was what any man might say, after
hearing such a story as hers, yet II
was the last thing she had thought Of.
and the last thing she wanted.
"Oh, leave it with me-" she quaver,
ed, "at least till you're sure!"
"Oh, moi" He gave his head quick,
decided shake. IF something should
come out, you wouldn't want to be
mixed up In it."
Then why not give 1t back to the
Chinaman?" she tried him.
"Oh, that's ridiculous" He was in
a passion. His darkening eyes, his
swelling nostrils, his aspect so out Of
proportion to her mild and almost
playful suggestion, frightened her. He
saw it and instantly his mood dropped
to mere Irritation. "Oh, Flora, don't
make scene about it. This thing has
been on my mind for days-the
thought that you had the ring. was
afraid l had no business to let YOU
have 1t in the first place, and what
you've told me tonight has clean
knocked me out. l don't know what
I'm saying. Come, let me have It;
and If there's anything queer about
the business, at least we'll gct Il
cleared up"
But, smiling, she retreated before
| him.
why, Flora," he argued, half laugh.
ing, but still with that dry end Of in
ritation in his voice, what on earth
do you want to keep the thing for?"N
By this time she backed against ths
window and faced him why. Nf
my engagement ring"
He looked at her. She couldn't tell
whether he was readiest to laugh q,
rage.
You gave it to me for that" sbe
j pleaded, why shouldn't keen n
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