The Southern herald., 1910-10-28

saw them now in the back of the shop,
close by the grinning brazier.
The light of it showed what would
have been otherwise dark. 1t showed
her Harry, straddling, hands in pock-
cts, hat thrust back, a silhouette as
hard as if cast in cold metal. The as
pect of him, thus, was strange, not
quite unlike himself, but giving her
the feeling that she had never known
how much Harry smoothed over.
Whatever they were arguing about,
she found it hard to go on standing
thus with her back to it, and for so
long, while her expectancy tightened,
and her unreasonable idea that she
did not want the ring, more and more
took hold of her. If he did not want
to sell it, why not let it go-the beau
tiful thing
She thought she would call Harry
and suggest it-but no. She hesitated.
She would give them a chance to
finish it themselves. She would count
ten pigtails past the window first.
She turned, and there they were
yet. They had not moved. The shad
ow of the gesticulating little China.
man danced like bird on the wall
and before him Harry glowed, immov
able, but ruddy, as if the hard metal
whereof he was cast was slowly heat
ing through. The thought came tC
her then. Harry was iron! The hard
shade of his profile on the wall, the
stiff movement of his lips, the for
ward thrust of his head on his shoul
ders gave her another thought. Was
Harry also brutal?
What she expected Of Harry, vic
lent act or a quick relaxation of his
iron mood, she had not time to consid
er, for the shopkeeper had moved
He was jerking his head, his thumb
J and finally his arm in the direction o.
the long, dim passage-such a pointed
direction. such singular gesture, al
to startle her with its incongruity
What had that to do with the price o
| the ring? And if it had nothing t
do with the price of the ring, wha
had they been talking about? He
small scruple against knowing wha
was going on behind her was forgot
} ten. Indeed, now she was oblivious o
everything else. She was taking 1t II
with all her eyes, when Harry turnet
/ and looked at her. And, oddl!
enough she thought he looked al
. If he wondered how she cam,
there. She saw him return to |
l slowly. Then, in fash, he met he
[ brilliantly. He came toward her GU
t Of the gloom, holding the ring befor
> him, as if with the light of that, an,
3 the flash of his smile, he was anxiou
3 Immediately to cover his deficit.
: 'I had the very devil of a time gel
ting it," he said. "The little begga
/, didn't want to let me have It" Bu
a there was a subsiding excitement Il
q his face, and a something in his mar
+ ner, both triumphant and troubled
!. which his explanation did not reason
: ably account for.
"Harry"-she hesitated-"are 20
" quite sure it's all right?"
"All right?" The sudden edge in hi
d voice made her look at him. "Why
r it's genuine, If that's what you mean.
1t hadn't been, quite; but her meal
:, ing was too vague to put into words
Q a mere sensation of uneasiness. Sh
: watched Harry turn the ring over, a
d If he were reluctant to let it go OF
4 Of his hands. And then, looking 9
}. her, she thought his glance was Ii
g tie uncertain. She thought he hes
v tated, and when he finally slid th
d ring over her finger, 4 wouldn't wea