Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-05-28
CHAPTER XVI.
Tho Doctor Speaks.

. - . 1-HL NO. TE-. NmAUf = ENZ.HkEaM .
While the vibrant strings hummed
and sang through the roses, and the
couples drlfted on ~tireless and con-
tent, or b~lissfully sat out dances on
the stairway, Katharine Fargo held
her stately court NO less gaily for the
stealthy doubt that was creeping over
her spirit. She had been so certain
Of what would happen that evening
that when her father (between cigars
on the porch with Judge Chalmers
and Doctor Southall) had searched her
out under q flag-of-truce, she had sent
him to the r~ight-about, laughingly de-
Ginning to depart before royalty. But
number followed number, and the
knight in purple and gold had not
paused again before her. Now the
scarlet cloak no longer Haunted
among the dancers, and the white
satin gown and sparkling coronal had
disappeared. The end of the next
"round-dance" found her subsiding
into the flower-banked alcove sudden
ly distract amid her escorts sallies. 1t
was at this moment that she saw, en-
tering the corridor from the garden,
the missing couple.
1t was not the faint flush on Shir-
ley's cheek-that was not deep-nor
was it his nearness to her, though they
stood closely, as lovers might. But
there was in both their faces a some.
thing that resurgent conventionality
had not had time to cover a trem-
bling reflection Of that Tight that
never was, on sea or land"-whicn was
like a death-stab to what lay far deep
err than Katharine's heart, her pride.
She drew swiftly back, dismayed at
the sudden ~verification, and for an in
slant her whole body chilled.
A craving for a glass of water has
served its purpose a thousand times;
as her cavalier s~olicitously departed to
fetch the cooling draught, she rose,
and carelessly humming the refrain
the music had just left of, sauntered
lightly out by another door to the open,
air. A swift glance about her showed
her she was unobserved and she step
ped down to the grass and along the
winding path to a bench at some dis
lance in the shrubbery. Here the
smiling mask slipped from her face
and with a SILVER she dropped her hot
face in her hands.
There were no tears. The wave.
that was yelling over her was n Of
bitter humiliation. She had shot her
bolt and missed-she, Katharine Far
go! For three years she had held
John Valiant, Economically speaking in
the hollow Of her shapely hand. Now
she had all but thrown herself at his
feet-and he had turned away to this
lame-haiYed, vivid girl whom he had
not known as many months!
Heavy footballs all at ice APPROACH
ed her-two men were coming from
the house. There was the splitting
crackle of a match, and as she peered
out, It's red flare lighted the massive
face and floating hair Of Major Bris-
tow. His companions face was in the
shadow. She waited, thinking they
would pass; but to her annoyance,
when she looked again, they had seat
ed themselves on a bench a few PAGES
away.
To be found incoming in the shrub
berry like a schoolgirl did not please
her, but it seemed there was no e
course, and she had half arisen, when
the majors g~ruff-voiced companion
spoke a name that caused her to sit
down abruptly. 4