Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-04-11

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bination and slid over it the conceal
ing oak paneling, a device Of his ar
chitect.
A moment the proprietor of Comscot
thoughts seemed pleasant. His sigh
was not dolorous one; the affair had
been a great success. He thrust his
hands into his trousers pockets: start
ed to whistle Caro- NOme-he had an
ear for Italian opera-but stopped.
| These exuberances of a latent artistic
soul would sometimes sweep over him.
He suppressed them now, and was
about to leave the anteroom, but
paused.
Beneath the door of the chamber be-
yond shone a light. This apartment,
private sitting-room of the superbly
decorated Goldberg suite, was occu-
pied for the time being, because Of
the press of visitors, by one of them.
Not to bed yet. Miss Flossie?" the
host buoyantly called out.
She answered, he couldn't quite hear
| what, for the door was heavy mahog-
any; then, stepping in an opposite di-
rection. he passed through bath
! room, closing the door behind him,
into his own sleeping apartment. 1t
was big, lonesome looking: he COM
menced to feel sleepy. Until now the
wine had stimulated him, famed his
capacity for pleasure and made him
more keenly Observant. This agree
able effect, however. seemed slowly
| wearing away: a desire to sink un-
reservedly into the arms of Morpheus
began to succeed it. He went to bed
and slumbered heavily.
In her room Miss Flossie still sat
up; her hair unbound, hung around
her. She was seated at table, her
chin resting on her barred arm; before
her. one or two papers and a photo
graph. Her brows were drawn: she
stared ahead of her; then down.
The paper engrossing her attention
at the instant, was the anonymous
note Mr. Goldberg had received. She
had laughingly asked the hosts daugh-
ter to get ii for her, to look at; she.
Flossie, confessed lightly to all the
curiosity of her sex. The other had
complied: placed the paper in her
guests's rosy palm, and the latter had
forgotten as yet to return it.
She held the paper now to the light;
compared it with another on the table
containing one or two crude draw
mgs-that might have been construed
as a camel and needles eye. Then
she put down the hosts message and
looked long at the other white sheet
in her hand. AS she did so her eye
kindled: something on it seemed to
fascinate her gaze-an indentation or
circle, with tiny keen points set
about it, above a straight line, faint
to the unaided vision, but plainly dis
cernible through the strong glass she
now regarded it with. That circle and
| the straight line had been made mad
vertently by some one leaning slightly
on the paper. The impress was that
of ring she knew; and it belonged to
| Chatfield Bruce. She had often seen
| it on his finger-indeed, had asked
what the symbol meant and he had
told her, where he had got it and all
it portended.
A slight clue, perhaps, very slight;
but men had been convicted on less
evidence. She felt certain the sharp
edges of the odd. most unusual design
of the ring would fit absolutely that
indentation, and the knowledge thrill
ed her with malicious JOY and tri-
umph She allowed her gaze to linger
AS if she had not studied the paper
so often before! And few perfume
tory little letters that lay in front of
her in Chatfield Bruce's hand; pho
tograph of him.
Her face flushed as she thought how
she had procured the last A snap
shot by a newspaper man, showing Mr.
| Bruce. in an amateur athletic contest,
she had begged, on some preteXt or
other. from the editor to whom she
surreptitiously furnished occasional
spicy society items. All, she had been
mad, mad. Was she so still?
This photograph now alone held her
to the exclusion. even, of the more in
significant detail her eye, like cats
had, a moment before, sharpened upon
A certain dreaminess replaced the
hard light; there were times when she
did not know herself, moments such
as these, She looked at the casual
likeness of 1.-THE, splendid figure
straight as an Indians. masculine
profile Phidias might have longed to
copy, lips, fine, expressive OF deter
mination, eyes alight with one pur-
pose-to win. And he had won
though he had seemed to care so little
afterward. His gaze, then, wore that
Elusive, Indifferent light she had be-
come so accustomed to, even wher
she had turned in her most engaging
manner to him--a light, as clear but
rrnstily distant as that of star.
4 star, She could laugh to herself
mockingly. Her eyes sought tercel!
once more, the paper she had taken
l from the desk where Mr.. Page. hel
uncle. had secreted II. She brongh'
down her hand: her red lips presseo
closely: one of her white shoulders
partly seen, cleaned like hard marple
She regarded the definite evidence OF
the paper-for her to make use OF some
day as she saw fit or not. The alter
native always came: she wondered
WHY. Was she a little afraid OF him
What nonsense, Yet she had read o
women who served, docilely enough
|. those harsh to. them: she was not o
that kind. however. oh, no! She bu
held her hand and waited. For what
Rising suddenly, she stepped to the
|. window. She wanted To breathe more
freely. She tore back the curtain ant
looked out into the night.