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Show "Is tllHt B prolulBC?" "Hurry, how you do dislike him!" "Well, suppose 1 do?" he shrugged "You've used up twice your 20 minutes," min-utes," she mild, "and tiara will bo HCHtlllllllZI'll. "Now, really, you must go homo," she urged, trying to rise. "Hut look here." he protested, still ; on tho arm of her chair, "there's an- j other tiling I want to ask you about." And by the tip of one finger he lifted her left hand shining with rings. "Von will have to have another one of tin-no, you know. It'll been Oil Iliy mind for a week. I there any sort ! you haven't already?" She held up her hand to the light and fluttered Its glitter. "Any one that you gave nio would b different from the other, wouldn't It?" hIio nHked prettily. "Oh, that's very nice of you, Flora, but I want to find you something new. When shall we look for It? Tomorrow, To-morrow, In the morning?" "Ten, I should love It," she answered, an-swered, but with no particular enthusiasm, en-thusiasm, for the lilea of shopping with Harry, and shopping nf Shrove's.' did not present a wide field of portability. porta-bility. "Hut I have a luncheon tomorrow," tomor-row," she ndded, "so we must make It us early as ten." "Oh, you two!" At Clara's mildly reproving voice so close beside them both started like conspirators. They had not heard her come In, yet there she was, JukI In-sldo In-sldo the doorway, still wrapped In her cloak. Hut there was none of the Impetus of arrested motion In her nt-tltude. nt-tltude. She stood at repose as If she might have waited not to Interrupt them. "Don't scold Flora." said Harry, rising. "It's my fault. She sent me away half an hour ago. Hut It is so comfortable here!" Flora couldn't tell whether ho was simply natural, or whether he was Riving Riv-ing this domestic color to their Interview Inter-view on purpose. She rather thought It was the latter. "To-morrow at ten. then!" he said cheerfully to Flora. The stiff curtains rustled behind him nnd the two women wom-en were left together. CHAPTER VI. Black Magic. The memory of Clara's Incredulous glance remained with her us something some-thing curious, and she was not unprepared unpre-pared to be challenged when, the next morning, she hurried down tho hall, drawing on her gloves. Clara's door did open, but the lady herself, yawning yawn-ing lightly on the threshold, had this time no questions for her. "Ileinem-her "Ileinem-her the luncheon," she advised, "and by tho way, Klla wnnts us to sit In their box to-night. I)on't forget to tell Harry." Flora threw back a gay "All right." but she was In danger of forgetting even the object of their errand, once she and Hurry were out In the bright glare of the street. The wind, keen and resinous from the wet Presidio woods, blew at their back down the short block of pavement, and buffeted them broadside as they waited on the corner for the slow-crawling little car. It was a continuous progress backward back-ward toward the old, the original town. There was no stately nucleus. This town was a succession of widening widen-ing ripples of progress, each newer, more polished than the last, Jyut not different in uulity from the old center cen-ter that still teemed a region of frail wooden rookeries full of foreign contending con-tending Interests, haunted with tin adventures of Its feverish past. It had built Itself on the hopes of a moment, mo-ment, and what spread from It still was the spell of the new, the changing, chang-ing, and the reckless. And now, as they slipped down the long decline Into the foreign quarter the pungent oriental breath of Chinatown China-town whs blown up to them. She breathed it In readily. It was pleasant pleas-ant because It wus strange, outlandish, outland-ish, suggesting a wide web of life beyond be-yond her own knowledge. She wondered won-dered what Harry wan thinking of It, as he sat with his passive proflln turned from her to the heathen street ahead. She guessed, by the cull of his nostril, that It was only present to him as an unpleasant odor to !x got through as quickly as possible; but she was wrong. He had another thought. Tills time, oddly enough, a thought for her. lie gave it to her presently, abrupt, matter of Tact, material. "That Chinese Chi-nese goldsmith down there has good stuff now and then, How'd you like to look In there before we go on to w hat you call 'eui's the regular place?" "You mean for a ring?" She was doubt fill only of his being In earnest. "You have so many of the Shrove kind," he explained. "I thought you knight like It. Flora; you're so romantic!" ro-mantic!" fie laughed. "Like It!" she cried, too touched at his thought for her to resent the im- ' putatlon. "I should love It! Hut I didn't know they had such things." "Now nnd then though it is a lare chance." "Hut that will be just the fun of it." she hastened, half afraid lest Harry should change his rnltid. "to see If we can possibly find one that will be different dif-ferent from all these others." She kept this little feeling of exploration explo-ration dose about her, us they left tint car, a block above the green trees of the plaza, und entered, one of the narrow nar-row streets, that was not even a cross-street, cross-street, but an alley, running, to a bag's end, w ith balconies, green railings and narcissi taking the sun. A slant-eyed baby In a mauve blouse, stared after them; nnd a white faeu so poisoned In Its badness that It gave Flora a start, peered at them from across the street It made her shrink a little behind Harry's broad shoulder and take hold of bis arm. The mere touch of that arm was security. Ilia big presence, moving agilely beside her, seemed to fill the street with Its strength, as if, by merely flinging out his arms, Samson-like, he could burst the dark walls asunder. (TO UK CONTINCKI).) The Reason Why. "Can you tell me why singers id actresses make farewell tours?" ' "That's the reason that they may fare well." JZtfCSA rorrroar akv y 4 8YNOP8I8. At a private vlrw of lhi flmlworth per- Hnlull entitle, lit Im audi "It I Hell. the hiilwoilh ring myHtci loimly tliia'i.iira. II irrv C'r.-SNV, who wum mem-lit. iles.rUi.a flu- rlntf to lila lliiiiiTw, Klurii lills.y, it ml lo-r liiitiM-rnii, Mia. Clara Hrltton. its Loins Lo-ins lik it lifiillit-n awl. with a limjtlfil .iil.ln a.-l In tin- lii'itil. I'lorn illseuv-! illseuv-! an unfamiliar mood In Hurry, fs.'--1 it ! I v l, . ii Hie rliut la discussed. Sim iitt.ii.l "Indies' lilKlit" ill the Hull itnd in. . is Mr. Kirr. 1111 KmkIihIhiihii. It cornea out that the iiiIkxIiik runt hits I""" known as Hi.- Crew l.lol. Im .llsn...ni nil' m r'-.ilt r'-.ilt lli exploit "f I'ltir.ll Wiiinl, an KiikIInIi thl. f l loiit Iiiih it fan.v Unit I lurry and Kerr urn cunt rn.d III the m stui y. CHAPTER IV. t Flowers by the Way. Flora liked this funny little dining room with walls us frail as box boards, low .(!. mI and flooded with sun. It retailed surroundings she had known later than the mining camp, but long liefore the great red house. It seemed to her that she fitted here better than tlie I'utdles. She looked across at Kerr, sitting opposite, to see If per-Laps per-Laps he fitted too. Hut he was for-lgn, for-lgn, decidedly. He kept about him ullll the hint of delicate masquerade, that she had noticed the night before. Out of doors, alone with her, he had lost it. For a moment he hud been absolutely off his guard. She rose from the table with the feeling that In an hour nil three of fhem had become quite old 'friends of tils, though without knowing anything f urther about Mm. "We must do this again." Mrs. Pur-tU' Pur-tU' said, ns they parted from her In I he garden, "Sort ly we will," Kerr answered , tier. I'ul Flora had the feeling that they never, never would. For It I in It had liien ii chalice touching on a strange t hol e. Hut nt least they were going away together. They would walk together is far as the 1 1 1 1 1 . car, whose terminal vat the edge of the parad" ground, i Hut Just oiitsidu of the gate he J Ctoppeil. "l)o you especially like board ' walks?" he asked. It was an Instant before she took lis meaning. Then slut laughed. "No. 1 like green paths." lie waved with his cane. "There Is n path yonder, that goes over abridge, and beyund that a hill.'' "And at the top of that another car." Flora reminded him. "Ah. well," ho said, "there are flowers flow-ers on tho way, at least." Ho looked at her whimsically. "There are three imiplo Irises under the bridge. I no ticed them as I came down." She was phased that he had no-t no-t tited that for himself pleased, too, that he hail suggested the longer way. The tun row path that they had chosen branched out upon the main f i.itli, broad and yellow, which dipped downward Into tho hollow. From there mine the murmur of water, (ireen showed through the white grass of last summer. Sauntering between plantations of young eucalyptus, they t ame to the arched stone bridge They leaned on the parapet, looking down at the marshy stream beneath and wt ( the three IrlseB Kerr had remarked, kneedeep In swamp ground. "Now that I see them I suppose I want them," Flora remarked . "Of course," he assented. "Then hold all these." Ho put Into her hands the loose bunch of syrlnga and rose plucked for her In the Purities' garden, laid tils lint and gloves on the parapet; then, with an eye for the better bank, walked to the end of the bridge. She watched him descending the steep bank und Issuing Into the broad shallow basin of the stream's way. The sun was still high enough to fill the hollows with warm light and mellow mel-low the doubles of trees and grass In the stream. In this landscapo of green and pule gold he looked black and tail and angular. The wind blew longlsh locks of hair across his forehead, fore-head, and stie tiad a moment's ph-ased and timorous reflection that he looked like Satan coming Into tin. ( iarden. He advanced from tussock to tussock, tus-sock, lie mini! to the brink of tho marsh. The lilies waved what seemed hut a hand's breadth from him. Hut he Stooped, he reached (ih. could anything so foolish happen as that tie could not get them! Or, more foolish fool-ish still, plunge In to the knees! He straightened from tils fruitless effort, drew back, but liefore she could think what he was about he hud leaned forward for-ward again, flashed out tils cane, and with ttiree quick, cutting slashes the lilies were mown. It was deftly, delicately, del-icately, ustonlshlngly done, but It gave her a singular shock, us If she had seen a hawk strike Its prey. He drew them cleverly toward him In the crook of his cane, took them up daintily In tils fingers, und returned to tier ucrosH the shallow valley. She waited him with mixed emotions. "Oh, how could you!" she murmured, mur-mured, us tie put them Into her hand. He looked at her in amused astonishment. as-tonishment. "Why. ui flit tiny right?" They were as clean clipped off and as perfect as If the daintiest hand had plucked them. "Oh, yes," she admitted, "they're lovely, but I don't like the way you got them." "1 took the means I had," he objected. ob-jected. I don't think 1 like it." Ills wnole face was sparkling will) Interest and amusement. "Is that so? Why not?" "You're too loo" she cast about for the word "too terribly resourceful!" resource-ful!" "I see." lie said. If she hail feared he would laugh. It showed how little she had giuged the limits of his laughter. He only looked at her rather rath-er more Intently than he had before. "Hut, my good child, resourcefulness resourceful-ness Is a very natural Instinct. I am afraid you read more Into It than Is there. You wanted the flowers, I had a stick, and in my youth I was taught to strike clean and straight. I am really a very simple fellow." Ixioklng him In the ryes, which were of a clear, candid gruy, she was ready to believe It. It seemed as If he had let tier look for a moment through his manner, bis ironies, his armor of Indifference, to the frank foundations of his nature. "Hut. you see, the trouble Is you don't In the least look It," she argot ar-got d. "So you think because I have a long face und wild hair that I am a sinister person? My dear Miss Gllsey, the moat desperato character I ever knew wus five feet high and wore mutton-chop mutton-chop whiskers. It Is an uncertain business Judging; men by their appearance." ap-pearance." As soon as silence feel between tin in she saw that wave of preoccupation preoccupa-tion which had submerged him during their walk from the parade ground to the Hurdles' rising over him aguln und floating him away from her. He no longer even looked at her. His eyes were on ttie ground, and It was Hot until they had crossed the open expanse of the shallow valley and were climbing toward the avenue of cypress that she found courage to put her question. "Have you and Mr. Cressy met before?" be-fore?" He raised his head with a Jerk and looked at her a moment in astonish unlit. "I)o you mind If I answer your question ques-tion American fashion by asking another?" an-other?" lie said presently. "Whut put It Into your head thut we muy have met before?" "The way you looked nt each other at the club, und again tills morning." Kerr shook his head. "You are an observant young person! The fact is, I've never met lilni of that I'm certain, cer-tain, but I believe I've seen him before, be-fore, nnd for the life of me, I cun't think where. At the moment you spoke I wus trying to remember." "Was It in this country?" Flora prompted, hopeful of fishing something some-thing definite out of this vagueness. "No, it was years ago. It must have been In Fnglahd." Ho looked at her Inquiringly, as if ho expected her to help him. "Oh. Harry's been in ICngland." she said quickly; and then, with a flash-lug flash-lug thought, came to her tho one scene Harry had mentioned In his Fngllsh experience. Was It at a ball? The question came to tier lips, but she checked it there. She remembered how Harry had stopped her the night In lore with a nod, with a look, from mentioning that very thing. "So you're not going to tell me?" Kerr remarked, and she camo back to a sudden consciousness of tiow her face must have reflected Iter thought. "No not this time!" she said, smiling, smil-ing, though somewhat flushed. He knitted Ids brows at her. They hud reached the arched gate, and the car that would carry her home was upproaching. "Ah. then, 1 am afraid It will be never." he said. Was It possible thl wns their last meeting? Hid ho mean he was going away? The question formed in her mind, but there w as no time for words. Ho had slopped the car with a flick of his uglle cane, and handed tier In us If be had banded her Into a carriage; car-riage; and not a word as to whetlier they would see each other again, though she hoped and hesitated to the last moment. CHAPTER V. On Guard. He had so disturbed her, his presence pres-ence had so obliterated other presences pres-ences and annihilated time, that It took an encounter with Clara to remind her of her arrangement for the evening. The dance? No, she had given that up. She had promised Harry to be at home. Clara wanted to know rather austerely what she Intended to do about the dinner. This was dreudf.il! Flora had forgotten It completely. Nothing to be done but go, und leave a message fur Harry apology, nnd assurance that she would be ho..,e eaiiy. She wondered If she were losing los-ing her memory. She appeared to be changing altogether, alto-gether, for the dinner a merry one bored her. What she wanted was to get away from it us soon as possible pos-sible for that interesting evening. When she had made the appointment wlili Harry she had been excited by the thought that he might tell her 1 wcihi r he had learned anything from the major that morning In the matter of the ring Hut now she was mnro engrossed with the Idea of asking about Kerr whether Harry had really real-ly met him if so. where; and, finally, final-ly, why did not Harry want tier to mention that embassy ball? Plimeil with these questions, she left immediately after coffee, arriving at her own red stone portal at ten. Hut coming In, all a flutter with the Idea of having kept him waiting when she had mo much to ask. she found her note as she had left It She questional question-al Shlma There had been no message mes-sage from Mr Creasy. Her first annoyance an-noyance was lost In wonder. What could be the matter? She went Into the drawing room a dull pink. stuiH-mlous chamber knelt a moment before the flashing wood lire, then rose, and crossing to the window, looked anxiously out. She had a flight f fancy towards accidents, acci-dents, but In that case she would certainly cer-tainly have heard. The French clock on the m.mt.i rang half past ten. The sound had hardly died In the great spaces before she heard the floe snarl of the electric boll. She restrained an Impulse to dtt Into the hall, and stood Impatient la the middle of the room, lie came la haatily. his llpa all ready with words which hesitated at alght of her. "Why. you're going out!" he id. She had forgotten the cloak that still bung from her shouldert. "No, 1 ve Just come to, ai.d ail my fine apologies for being out are wasted. How long do you think Clarnil let you stop at this hour?" "Clara Isn't here," lie said. "Well, then your time is all the shorter." She was nettled thut he should be oblivious of tils lapse. "I'm sorry," he said, arriving at last at his apology. "I couldn't help being be-ing lute. I've had a day of It." lie drew his hand across his forehead, and she noticed that tie was In his morning clothes nnd looked us rumpled rum-pled und flurried as a man Just from the office. Stie relented. "Poor dear! You do look tired! Don't take that chair. It's more Ixuils Quln.e than comfortable. Come Into the library. And remember," remem-ber," she added, when Shlma hud set the decanter nnd glasses In side him, "you are to stay Just 20 minutes." He took' a sip of his drink nnd looked at her over the top of his glass. "I may have to stay longer If you want to hear about It." "Oh, Harry, you really know some-thing? some-thing? All the evening I've heard nothing hut the wildest rumors. Some say MaJ. Purdle couldn't speak because be-cause some one 'way up knows more than she should about it And somebody some-body else said It wasn't the real ring at nil that was taken, only a paste copy, and that Is why they're not doing do-ing more about getting It back." "Not doing more about getting It back?" Harry laughed. "Is that the ld a that generally prevails? Why, Flora" lb- stopped, wultcd a moment mo-ment while she lenned forward ex-pedant. ex-pedant. "Flora," lie began again, "are you mum?" She nodded, breathless. "Not a word to Clara?" "Oh, of course not." "Well" Me twisted around In his chair the better to face tier. "To-morrow there will lie published a reward of fjo.nuO for the return of the Crew Idol, and no questions asked." "Oh!" she said. And again, "Oh, Is that all!" She was disappointed. "I don't see why you and the major should have been so mysterious about I hat." "You don't, eh? Suppose you had taken the ring wouldn't it make n difference dif-ference to you If you knew 21 hours nliend that a reward of $20,000 would be published? Wouldn't you expect every man's hand to be against you I at that price? if you had a pal, j wouldn't you be afruld he'd sell you up?" Flora leaned forward with knitted brows. "Yes. I can see t lint, but still, just among ourselves, this morning " Harry smiled. "You've lost sight of the fact that It Is Just among ourselves our-selves the thing has happened." "Oh, oil! Now you're ridiculous!" "I might be, If the thing had happened hap-pened any where but In tills town; but think a moment. How much do we know of the people we meet, where they were, who they were, tie-fore tie-fore they came here? There's a rase In point. It was not quite 'among ourselves' our-selves' this morning." "Harry, how horrid of you!" F.he was on the point of declaring that she knew Kerr very well Indeed: but she remembered this might not be the thing to say to Harry. "My dear girl, I'm not saying anything any-thing against him. I only remarked that we did not know him." "Don't you, Harry?" Me gnve her a quick look. "Why, what put that Into your head?" "1 I don't know. I thought you looked nt him very hard last night In the picture gallery. And afterward, at supper, don't you remember, you did not want me to mention your connection con-nection with something or other he was talking about?" "Something or other he was talking about?" Harry Inquired with a frowning frown-ing smile. "I think It was about that embassy bull" "I didn't wnnt you to mention the embassy ball?" he repeated, and now he was only smiling. "My dear child, surely you are dreaming." She looked nt him with the bewildered bewild-ered feeling that lie was flatly con tradictlug himself. And yet she could remember he hud not shaken his head at her. He had only nodded. Could It bo that her cherished Imagination had played her a trick at last? Hut the next moment It occurred to her that somehow she had been led away from her first question. "Then have you seen him, Marry?" she Insisted. "No!" lie Jerked It out so sharply that it startled her, but she stuck to her subject. "And you wouldn't have minded my telling Mm you had been at that ball?" There was a pause while Harry looked at the Are. Then "Uxik here." he burst out, "did he ask you about ur "Oh, no." she protested. "I only Just happened to wonder." lie stared at tier as If he would have liked to shake her. Put then he rose from his frowning attitude before be-fore the fire, came over to her. sat on the arm of her chair, and. with the tip of one finger under her chin, lifted her face; but she did not lift her eye. She heard only h's voice, rery low-, with a caressing note that she bardly knew as Harry's. "It Isn't that 1 care what you say to him. The fact Is. Flora. I suppose I was a little jealous, but I naturally don't like the auggestlon that you would discuaa me with a strsncr." She raised her eyes. "Certainly I ball uot discuss you with hi in." -Harry, Hew You Do D'Slike Him." , fWV "WS S y i i He Drear Them Clearly Toward Him in the Crek of Hie Cane. |
