Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-11-18
CHAPTER xxI.-continued.

IL was plain to Flora from the mo-
ment she set foot over the threshold
that the house was to be no mean al
ly of theirs, but Mrs. Herrick was
making it help them doubly in their
hard interval Of waiting. Alone to-
gether with unspoken, unspeakable
things between them-things that for
mere deceny of honor could not be
uttered-with nothing but these to
think of, nothing but each other to
talk at, they must yet, in sheer
desperation and suspense, have inev-
itably burst out with question and
confession, had not the great house
been there to interpose its perconali-
ty. And the way Mrs. Herrick was
making the most of that! The way
Immediately, even before she had
shown anything, she began to revivi-
fly the spirit of the place, as the two
women stood with their hats not yet
off in the room that was to be Floras
talking and looking out upon the
lawn!
And her silence, with her express
siye self as well as with her words,
Mrs Herrick was terminating 1t all
the while they lunched and rested,
still in the upper rooms overlooking
the garden. And later, when they
made the tour of the house, she be-
gan unwinding from her memory in
cidents of its early beginnings, pieces
of it's intimate, personal history, as
one would make friend familiar to
another friend. And these past his
tories and the rooms themselves were
leading Flora away out of her anxious
self, were soothing her prying appre-
tensions, were giving her detach-
ment in the present, till what she so
anticipated lay quiescent at the back
of her brain.
But it was there. And now and
then, when in gust of wind the
lights and shadows danced on the
dim, polished floors, it stirred; and
at the sound of wheels on the drive
below it leaped, and all her fears
again were in her face. At such mo-
ments the two women did look deep
ly at each other, and the suspense,
the premonition, lowered in Mrs. Her
rick's eyes. 1t was as unconscious,
as involuntary, as Floras start at the
swinging of door: but no question
crossed her lips. She let the matter
as severely alone as If it had been a
Jewel not her own. Yet, 1t came to
Flora all at once that here, for the
first time, she was with one to whom
she could have revealed the sapphire
on her neck and yet remain unchal-
ienged.
"Ah, you're too lovely!" she burst
out at last. 1T Is more than deserve
that you should take it all like this.
as If there really wasn't anything"
The elder lady's eyes wavered little
at the plain words.
I'm too deeply doubtful Of 1t to
take 1t any other way" she said.
"That is why / feel most guilty"
Flora explained. For dragging you
into it and then-bringing 1t into your
house." She glanced around at the
high, quiet, damasked room. Such
thing to happen here!"
"Ah, my dear"-Mrs. Herrick's
laugh was uncertain-"the things that
have happened here-the things that
have happened and been endured and
been forgotten! and see," she said,
laying her hand on one of the walls,
''the peace of it now!"
In spite Of the consciousness Of
friendly presence in the house her
fears increased as the afternoon
waned, and her thoughts went back
to what she had left behind her, and
forward to what might be coming
the one person whom she so longed
for, and so dreaded to see. He might
be on his way now. He might at this
moment be hurrying down the hedged
lane from the station; and when he
should come, and when they two were
face to face, there would be no other
next time" for them. Everything
was crystalizing, getting hard. Every
thing was getting too near the end
to be malleable any more. 1t was her
last chance to make him relinquish
his unworthy purpose; perhaps his