The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-06-11

VI
He Was Looking UP into Ranjab's
Shadowy, UnsmiIng Face.
ness for the two figures that he knew
were somewhere in the big, tensa
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 it 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, halt
obscured head OF Yvonne. He could
not see their faces, but there was nc
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 nc
one else.
James Broods 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, ineyplicable 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 tina,
all was we'll with them came over him
again.
Involuntary he glanced over his
shoulder, and the fear was in his heart
that somewhere in the shifting throne
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 relie1
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 OWL
! and not the outgrowth of an influence
for good exercised over him by the
Brahmin.
He began what he was pleased tt
term systematic analysis of his emo
lions covering the entire evening, all
the while regarding the couple in the
orchestra chairs with a gaze unswery
ing in it's fidelity to the sensation thai
now controlled him--a sensation Of
impending peril.
All at once he skunk farther back
into the shadow, guilty flush mount
Ing to his cheek. Yvonne had turned
and was staring rather fixedly in his
direction. Despite the knowledge that
he was quite completely concealed by
the intervening group Of loungers, he
sustained a distinct shock. He haf
the uncanny feeling that she was look
ing directly into his eyes. She hat
turned abruptly. as If some one hat
called out to attract her attention ant
| she had obeyed the sudden impulse
A moment later her calmly impersona
gaze swept on, taking in the sections
| to her right and the balcony. and thez
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 moi
get 1t 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 a certain sense OF guilt
he decided to leave the theater ~