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

1t was plain to Flora from the mo-
ment she set foot W. 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 it's PERSONAL
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 Flora's
talking and looking out upon the
lawn!
And her silence, with her express
sive self as we'll as with her words,
Mrs. Herrick was terminating it 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 a 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 a detach'
ment in the present, till what she sc
anticipated lay quiescent at the back
of her brain.
But 1t was there. And now and
then, when in a gust Of wind the
lights and shadows danced on the
dim, polished floors, it stirred; ant
at the sound OF wheels on the drive
below 1t leaped, and all her fears
again were in her face. At such mo
ments the two women did look deep
iy at each other, and the suspense
the premonition, lowered in Mrs. Her
~rick's-eyes. 1t was as unconscious
as involuntary, as F1ora's start at thu
swinging Of a door; but no question
crossed her lips. She let the matte
as, severely alone as If it had been
jewel not her own. Yet, it came t.
Flora all at once that here, for tn
first time, she was with mi to WHOM
she could have revealed the sapphir
on her neck and yet remain unchal
iaRged.
"Ah, you're too lovely!" she burs
out at last. 1T is more than ! deserv
that you should take 1t all like this
as II there really wasn't anything.
The elder lady's eyes wavered a littl
at the plain words.
'I'm too deeply doubtful of it t
take it any other way" she said.
'That is why / feel most guilty,
Flora explained. For dragging 20
into It and then-bringing it into you
house" She glanced around at tn
high, quiet, damasked room. "Suc
a thing to happen here!"
"Ah. my dear"-Mrs. Herrick
laugh was uncertain-"the things ths
have happened here-the things ths
have happened and been endured an
been forgotten! and see" she sail
laying her hand on one Of the wall
'the peace of it now!"
In spite Of the consciousness of
friendly presence in the house hi
fears increased as the afternoo
waned, and her thoughts went bac
to what she had left behind her, an
forward to what might be coming
the one person whom she SO longe
!. for, and SO dreaded to see. He migl
be on his way now. He might at tn
moment be hurrying down the hedge
lane from the station; and when |
should come, and when they two wei
face to face, there would be no 9TH
next time" for them Everythir
was c~rystalizing, getting hard. Ever
thing was getting too near the Ell
to be malleable any nor It was b
last chance to make him relinqui'
his unworthy purpose: perhaps b