Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-09-15


have been more shocked. HI whole
box must be transhxed by him, n
the whole house be looking at nothing
but their little circle of horror! she
was ready for it. She was praceo
for anything but the fact which ac-
tually confronted her-that no one
had noticed them at all. It was mon
strous that such a thing could nave
been without their knowing! But
there was no face in all the orchestra,
the crowded galleries, or the TIERS
of boxes to affirm that anything had
happened; no face in their W box
had even stirred, but Clara's, and
that had merely turned from profile to
the full, family inquiring, milo, ana
palely pink in the warm refiectiohs Oh
the red velvet curtains.
And what could Clara have seen, IL
she had seen at all, but Flora a 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 MS
expression that had threatened ner!
There was nothing left OF 1t but her
own violent impression
And yet the thing had actually nap
nened. It's 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 n dllfuse
talk around the box, she felt uneaslly
that his concern was pointed at her
/ and 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
7 and let him lift up her left hand
= ~delicately between thumb and finger
!, as If in itself it was some rare m
S curio. and, bending close, contemplate
the sapphire unwinkingly. She nat
an instant when she thought she mus
l. cry out, but how impossible IN the aW
full publicity Of her place-a p1nnacl
n in the face Of thousands! And atte
t the first futtered impulse came a Gel
It tain reinsurance in such a frank an
trivial action. For all its 1ntenslt!
g how could it be- construed otnerWls
than a lively If unconventional int.
est? It must have been her fancy Whlc
had discerned anything more tina
Il that in his first look. And yet, VINE
IS he had laid her hand lightly back, an
r%eadiusted his monocle, and locke
out. away from her, across h plac
house, she didn't know whether ST
10 was more treasured or roubled D
20 cause he had not spoken q wore. "
r. the next moment he looked around
IN her.
,e 1--WE shan't meet every evening
Iy such a way as this" he said, and le
Ie the statement dangling unanswerab
IN between them. It sounded p%ortento'
ed final. She couldn't answer. u
TO- could only look at him with a rehe
Oh ton Of her trouble in her face.
be "Are you surprised that ! thought
al that?" he inquired. TITS not so o.
W. as you seem to think that ! shou
Oh want to see you again. I don't wa
lis to leave it to chance; do you?" /
lie shot the question at her so sudden
ad with such a casual eye, and such d
gravity of mouth, that he had b
ad admission out of her before she
ed allied the extent Of it's meaning.
Mt "Then when are you at homer"