The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-09-02

him and stood In the doorway. leaning
against the woodwork Of the door
frame
you won't tell her till tomorrow
tomorrow, say, after three?"
He found the letters and drew them
out of their pigeonhole.
"All right" he almost shouted. 81
won't tell her. But, for Gods sake,
leave me alone and let me go. II you
keep on following me round this way
| / won't answer for what I'll do"
You promise then" she said. ig-
noring his heat You promise you'll
not tell her till after threer
He turned from the desk. gave her
a look Of restrained passion. and said,
Il promise" then passed by her as
she stood in the doorway and walked
to the stair-head Here his valise
stood, and snatching it up he ran
down the stairs and out OF the house.
Bernice, hearing the door shut, re-
turned to her room and went on with
the work OF sorting her wardrobe and
packing her trunks. She did 1t de-
liberately and carefully, looking over
each garment, and folding the choicer
articles between sheets Of tissue pa
per. At midnight she had not yet
finished, and under the blaze of the
gases. looking very tired, she went on
smoothing skirts and pinching up the
lace on bodices as she laid them ten
derby on the trays that stood on the
bed, the table. and the sofa. The
night was far spent before everything
was arranged to her satisfaction and
she went to bed.
She was up betimes in the morn
ing. Eight o'clock had not struck
when she was making a last tour of
the parlor picking up small articles
OF silver and glass that she crowded
down into cracks In the tightly packed
trunks. At breakfast the Chinaman,
an oblique, observant eye on her,
asked her what he should prepare for
lunch. Conscious that II she told
him she would not be back he might
become alarmed at the general de.
sertion and demand his wages, she
ordered an even more elaborate menu
than usual, telling him she would
bring home friend.
She breakfasted in her wrapper and
after the meal finished her toilet with
the EXTREMIST solicitude. Never had
she taken more pains with herself
Though anxiety and strain had
thinned and sharpened her, the fever
Of excitement which burnt in her tenn
porarily repaired these ravages. Hell
1{on xrrf$ r$fA 1t
aid; her cheeks a hot dry crimson
that needed no rouge. The innate
practically of her character asserted
itself even in this harassed hour
Last night she had put the purple
orchid in a glass of water on the bu
reau. Now. as she pinned 1t on hel
, breast, she congratulated herself fol
her foresight. the pale lavender petals
Of the rare blossom toning altogether
harmoniously with her dress of darl
purple cloth.
: Before she left the room she locked
the trunks and left beside them 4
dress suitcase packed for journey
Standing In the doorway she took ,
hurried look about the apartment,
last, farewell survey, not Of sentimen
but Of investigation. to see II she hat
!, forgotten anything. A silver pho
tograph frame set In rhinestone
{ caught her eye and she went bacl
= and took 1t up, weighing it uncertain
s ly in her hand. Some of the rhine
y stones had fallen out, and finally de
= cided 1t was not worth while openini
the trunks to put in such a damage,
article.
It was only a quarter past min
when she emerged from the fiat. Sh
took the downtown car and twent
minutes later was mounting the step
to Bill Cannon's Office. She had bee
motionless and rigidly preoccupied Of
the car, but, as she approached tn
office, a change was visible in he
gait and mien. She moved with
light, perky assurance. a motion a
of a delicate, triumphant buoyanc
seeming to impart itself to her Who'll
body from her shoulders to her feel
A slight, mild smile settled on he
lips, suggesting gaiety tempered wit
good humor Her eye was charge
with the same expression rendere
e more piquant by a gleam-the meres
suggestion-of coQuettish challenge.
The Bonanza King was already !
his Office. The same obseQuious cler
who had shown her In on a former o.
casion took her card In to the inne
sanctum where the great man. eve
at this early hour, was shut ava
with the business which occupied hi
crowded days. In a moment th
n young man returned smiling and quit
as murmurously polite as he had bee
:. on her former visit, and Berry wa
I, once again ushered into the presenc
Of the enemy.
- The old man had read the name o
the card with a lowering glance. HI
;. command to admit the visitor ha
been hardly more than an inartculat
growl which the well-trained cher
B. understood, as those about deaf mute
can read their half-made signs. Cal
non was not entirely surprised at ht
temperance, and mingled feeling
stirred in him as he turned his swtv
chair away from the table. and 8,
hunched In 1t, his elbows on its arm
his hands clasped over his stomach.
She came In with an effect OF das
n confidence. and brilliancy that asto
$. ished him. He had expected her 9
most to side In in obvious, gull
fear Of him, her resistance broke
humbly coming to sue for the none
Instead, a rustling. scented apparitic
appeared In the doorway. more or
han