The Southern herald., 1910-11-25

caught a glimmeF Of irony In his
voice.
We'll, can you see one Of the chaps I
trusting the other with more than half /
Of it," The Judge was soornful. And 4
fellow needs whole ring if he is /
after a reward" He rolled his head 4
waggishly. "Oh. could have been a /
crook myself" he ehuckled. but his .
was the only smiling face in the I.
party.
For kerr's was pale, sehooled to a
rigid s4lf-eontrol.
And Harry's was crimson and swol- Z
len. as If with a sudden rush of blood
His twitching hands, his sullen eyes.
responded to Judge Buffers last word
as If 1t had been an accusation.
1T makes me damned sick, the way
you fellows talk-as if it was the east
est thing in the world to" He broke
OF. II was such tone, loose, harsh
and uncontrolled. as made Flora
shrink
As If he sensed that movement In
her, he turned upon her furiously.
well, are we going to stand here
all night?" He took her by the arm.
She felt as II he had struck her.
Butler was staring at him, but Kerr
had opened the door through which
she had entered, and now, turning his
back upon Harry, silently motioned
her out
She had a moments fear that Har-
ry's grasp. even then, wouldn't let
go. Indeed, for a moment he stood
elutching her, as If, now that his rage
had spent itself, she was the one
thing he could hold to. Then she felt
his fingers loosen. He stood there
alone, looking, with his great bulk,
and his great strength, and his
abashed bewilderment, rather pa,
thetic.
But that aspect reached her dimly,
for the fear of him was uppermost.
Her arm still burned where he had
grasped It. She moved away from
him toward the door Kerr had opened
for her. She passed from the light
of the crimson room into the dark of
the passage. Some one followed her
and closed the door, Some one caught
step with her. 1t was Kerr He bent
his dark head to speak low.
81 don't know why you did it. you
quixotic child, but you must not ex-
pose yourself in this way. for any rea-
son whatsoever"
The light of the crowded rooms
burst upon them again.
"Oh," she turned to him beseech-
ingly, cant you get me away?"
Surely" His manner was as II
nothing had happened. His smile was
reassuring. "Ill call your carriage,
and find Mrs. Britton."
When Flora came down from the
dressing-room she found Clara al
ready in the carriage, and Kerr mount
ing guard in the hall. AS he hand
ed her in, Clara leaned forward.
Where is Mr.. Cressy?" she in
quired.
He sent his apologies" Kerr ex-
planned HE is not able to get away
just now"
Flora lay back in the carriage. She
was dimly aware of Clara's presence
| beside her, but for the moment Clara
had ceased to be factor The shape
that filled all the foreground of her
thought was Harry He loomed alarm
ing to her imagination-all the more
so since, for the moment, he had
seemed to lose his grip. That was
| another thing she could not quite un
r derstand. That burst of violent irri
tation following, as it had, Judge Bul
ler's words! If Kerr had been the
|, speaker it would have been natura
. enough, since all through this inter
: view Harrys evident antagonism haC
= seemed strained to the snappins
point
But poor Judge Butler had beef
\ harmless enough. He had been mere
y ly theorizlng. But-wait! She mad,
SO sharp a movement that Clari
Il looked at her. The judges theor,
q might be close to facts that Harr,
was cognizant of.
a For herself she had had no way o
e finding out how the sapphire had go
If adrift. But hadn't Harry? Hadn't h
\. followed up that singular scene wit
o. the blue-eyed Chinaman by othe
visits to the goldsmith's shop? WIZ
IN yesterday, when he was supposed t
=. be in Burlingame, Clara had seen hir
20 in Chinatown. The idea burst upo
ar then. Harry was after the whol
or ring. He counted the part she hel
20 already his, and for the rest he wa
cropping in Chinatown; he was tryir
=. to reach 1t through the imperturbab
~ ~ little goldsmith. But he had n,
- reached it yet-and she could read h
90 o. irritation at his failure in his violei
outburst when Judge Butler so inn
~ Gently flung the difficulties in his fac
- She knew as much now as she cou
" bear. II Harry did not suspect Kel
-. it would be strange. But-Harry wa
~ ing to make sure of reward befo
% he unmasked thief! II was an ug
lor thought!
to And would he wait for the rest nj
he now that the situation was so ga