The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-08-08

moved slowly over the noble prospect,
noted the deep sapphire tint of the
bay, the horizon, violet dark against
pale sky, and the gem-like blues and
amethysts OF the distant hills. He
turned his glance in the other direc-
ton and looked down the gray ex-
panse Of the street, the wide, clear,
stately street, with its air Of clean
spaciousness, sun-bathed, silent, al
most empty, in the calm quietude of
the Sabbath afternoon. The busting
thoroughfares of greater cities, with
their dark, sordid crowds, their un-
lovely, vulgar hurry, their distracting
noise, were offensive to him. The
wonder crossed his mind, as it had
done before, how men who could es-
cape from such surroundings chose to
remain in them.
He walked forward slowly, a thick
set, powerful figure, his frock-coat
buttoned tight about the barrellike
roundness of his torso, a soft, black
felt hat pulled we'll down on his head.
His feet were broad and blunt like his
he planted them firmly on the pave
ment with tread of solid, deliberate
authority. His forward progress had
something in it of an invincible, resist
less march. He was thinking deeply
as he walked, arranging and planning,
and there was nothing in his figure, or
movements, or the expression of his
face, which suggested the sauntering
aimlessness of an afternoon stroll.
When he turned into Van Ness ave-
nue. the Ryan house was one block
beyond him, a conglomerate white
mass, like crumbling wedding cake
slowly settling on a green lawn. He
surveyed ii as he approached, noting
its ugliness with a musing satisfac-
ton. Its size and the bright summary
perfection of surrounding grass and
flower beds lent it impressiveness and
redeemed it from the position of a
colossal blight on the prospect to
which architect and builder had done
their best to relegate ii. Prosperity,
complacent, overwhelming prosperi-
ty, was suggested not only by its bulk
but by the state Of studied finish and
neatness that marked mansion and
grounds. There did not seem to be a
whiting flower bed or withered leaf left
on a single stalk in the garden bor-
ders. Every window-pane cleaned
like mirror innocent of dust or
blemishing spot. The marble steps up
which Cannon mounted were as snow
lily unsullied as though no foot had
passed over them since their last abb
luton.
The door was opened by a China
man, who, taking the visitors card,
left him standing in the hall, and, deaf
to his queries as to where he should
go, serenely mounted the stairs. Can
non hesitated a moment, then hearing
a sound Of voices to his right, entered
the anteroom that gave on that suite
of apartments into which Dominick
had walked on the night of the ball
They were softly lit by the afternoon
sun filtering through thin draperies,
and extended in pale, gilt-touched
vista to the shining emptiness of the
ballroom. The old man was advanc-
ing toward the voices when he sud-
denly saw whence they proceeded, and
stopped. In the room just beyond him
Cornelia Ryan and young man were
sitting on a small, empire sofa, their
figures thrown out in high relief
against the background Of silk-covered
wall. Cornelia's red head was in
close proximity to that of her COM
panion, which the intruder saw to be
clothed with thatch of sleek black
hair, and which he recognized as ap-
pertaining TO a young man whose IA
Their had once been shift boss on the
Rey del Monte, and who bore the pat
ronymic of Duffy.
Cornelia and Jack Duffy had the
appearance of being completely en-.
crossed in each others society. In
his moment of unobserved survey,
Cannon had time to note the young
woman's air of bashful, pleased en-
barrassment and the gentleman's ex.
preston Of that tense, unsmiling
earnestness which attends the deliv-
cry Of sentimental passages. Cornelia
was looking down, and her flaming
hair and the rosy tones of her face,
shading from the faintest Of pearly
pinks to deepening degrees of coral,
were LUMINOSITY vivid against the fat
surface of cream-colored wall behind
her, and beside the black poll and
thin, dark cheek of her companion.
That something very tender was afoot
was quickly seen by the visitor, who
softly withdrew, stepping gingerly
over the fur rugs, and gaining the en-.
trance to the hall with a sensation of
flurried alarm.
Continued Tomorrow