The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1915-07-16

Ho Was Looking Up Into RanJab's
Shadowy, unsmlllno Face.
ness for the two figures that he knew
were somewhere In the big, tense
throng.
The lights went up and the house
was bright. Men began scurrying up
the aisles. He moved up to the railing
again and resumed his eager scrutiny
Of the throng. He could not find them.
At first he was conscious of disap
pointment, then he gave way to an
absurd rage. Yvonne had misled him,
she had deceived him-ay, she had
lied to him. They were not In the
audience, they had not even contem-
plated coming to this theater. He had
been tricked, deliberately tricked. No
doubt they were seated in some other
place of amusement, serenely enjoying
themselves. The thought Of 1t mad
dened him. And then, just as he was
on the point Of tearing out of the
house, he saw them, and the blood
rushed to his head so violently that
he was almost blinded.
He caught sight of his father far
down in front, and then the dark, half
obscured head OF Yvonne. He could
not see their faces, but there was no
mistaking them for anyone else. He
only marvelled that he had not seen
them before, even in the semidarkness.
They now appeared to be- the only
people in the theater; he could see no
one else.
James Brood's fine, aristocratic head
was turned slightly toward his wife,
who, as Frederic observed after chang
ing his position to one of better ad-
vantage, apparently was relating some
thing amusing to him. They undoubt.
eddy were enjoying themselves. Once
more the great, almost suffocating
wave Of tenderness for his father
swept over him, mysteriously as be-
fore and as convincing. He expert
enced a sudden, ine1plicable feeling
Of pity for the strong, Virile man who
had never revealed the slightest symp-
tom of pity for him. The same curl
Gus desire to put his hands on his
fathers shoulders and tell him that
all was well with them came over him
again.
Involuntarily he glanced over his
shoulder, and the fear was in his heart
that somewhere in the shifting throng
his gaze would light upon the face
of Ranjab!
Long and intently his searching
gaze went through the crowd, seeking
the remote corners and shadows Of the
foyer, and a deep breath of relief
escaped him when 1t became evident
that the Hindu was not there. He had,
in a measure, proved his own cause;
his emotions were genuinely his own
and not the outgrowth of an influence
for good exercised over him by the
Brahmin.
He began what he was pleased to
term a systematic analysis Of his enc
lions covering the entire evening, all
the while regarding the couple in the
|
ing in its fidelity to the sensation that
now controlled him-a sensation of
impending peril.
All at once he skunk farther bacl;
into the shadow, guilty flush mount
ing to his cheek. Yvonne had turned
and was staring rather flxedly in his
direction. Despite the knowledge that
he was quite completely concealed by
the intervening group Of loungers, he
sustained a distinct shock. He had
the uncanny feeling that she was look
ing directly into his eyes. She had
turned abruptly, as If some one had
called out to attract her attention and
she had obeyed the sudden impulse.
A moment later her calmly impersonal
gaze swept on, taking in the sections
to her right and the balcony, and then
went back to her husbands face.
Frederic was many minutes in re-
covering from the effects Of the queer
shock he had received. He could not
get it out OF his head that she knew
, he was there. that she actually turned
In answer TO the call Of his mind. She
had not searched for him; on the con.
! trary, she directed her gaze instantly
! to the spot where he stood concealed
Actuated by q certain sense Of guilt
| bO decided to issTs Inc theatar ~