The San Francisco call. [volume], July 18, 1909, Page 11, Image 11

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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;^ The San Francisco Sunday; Call
THE COAST OF CHANCE
LUCIA CHAMBERLAIN
CHAPTER I I—Continued
. « \u25a0'-.
CARA. turned to the ri£at fol
lowing a beckoning fan and
Flora, dallying with her antici
pation, reasoned that now they
nest circle the room before they
should faca him — the . Interesting;
apparition. It tv a. pllsrimage of
which he oa the other side was per
fonnlag his half. Perfunctorily talk
lebT from group to group, conscious
now and again of the lagging Clara or
Harry, she could nevertheless keep a
six «y« on the stranger's equal prog
ress. The Cash of jet and the voluble,
substantial shoulders of the lady so
profusely introducing him were an as
•Tiraxice of how that pilgrimage would
tormlnate. since It was Ella Buller who
"waji parading him. She even wondered
before which of the florid pictures at
th« far. other end of the room, as be
fore a shrine, the ceremony would take
PfeUNh
£he kept her eyes fixed on the paint-
Islsts before her, and .as - she moved
Aotrn from one to another and the
voices of the. approaching group drew
attaxer, one separated Itself from the
Snaeral ' murmur, so 'clear, so resonant
ly carried, so clean clipped off the
tongue, that it stood, out In syllables
oa the blur of sound which was Ella
Boiler's conversation. It had color,
that voice; it had a quality so sharp,
•o individual, that it touched her with
a. mischievous wonder that he dared
epeak so differently from all the world
about him. Then, cix pictures away.
she heard her own came.
•"Why, Flora Gilsey!" It was Ella's
irusky. boyish note. "I've been looking
for you .all the evening! How d'y"do,
Harry?" she waved her hand at him.
TTfav, how d'y'do, Mrs. Britton. I
wouldn't let papa go to supper, until
Td found you. 'Papa.' I said, "wait;
Flora and Harry will- be here.'. Be
sides." ehe had quite reached Flora's
side by this time and communicated it
In an impressive whisper, "I want* you
to tneet my Englishman." She looked
over her shoulder, and largely beck
«ned to where the blunt and florid
Buller nnd his companion, with their
backs to what they were supposed to
be looking at, were exchanging an
anecdote of infinite amusement.
Buller*s expression came around
slowly to his daughter's beckoning
hand, but the Englishman's face seemed
to Cash at the instant from what he
was enjoying to what was expected of
him. In the flourish of Introductions,
sveross and across. Flora found herself
thinking the reality less extraordinary
than Ehe had at first supposed. Now
that Mr. Kerr was fairly before her,
presented to her, and taking her In
"with the same lively. Impersonal inter
est with which he took In the whole
room, "as if," she put it vexedly to
herself. "'I were a specimen poked at
him on the end of a pin," it stirred
in her a vague resentment, and invol
untarily she held him up to Harry.The
comparison showed him a little worn,
a little battered, a little too perfunc
tory in manner; but his genial eyes,
deep under threatening brows, made
Harry's eyes seem to stare rather cold
ly; and the fine form of his long, plain
face, and the sensitive line of his
long thin lips madfe Harry's beauty
100k — well, how did it look? Hardly
callous.
This mixed expression the two men
g-ax'e her was disconcerting. She was
all the more ready to be wary of the
•tranger. She had begun With him in
i'ie way she did with every one — In
stinctively throwing out a breastwork
of conversation from behind which she
could observe the enemy. But though
he had blinked at it. he had not taken
her up. nor helped her out; but had
merely stood with his liead a little
canted forward, as If he watched her
through her defenses.
"But San Francisco must seem so
limited after London." she had wound
up; and the way he r»ad considered It,
a little humorously, cown his long
cose, made her doubt the Interest of
cities to be reckoned In round numbers.
"It's all extraordinary," he said.
**You're quite as extraordinary in your
way as we in ours.**
"Oh," Bhe wondered, still vexed with
his inventory. "I had always supposed
us awfully commonplace. What Is our
way, please?"
"Ah," he said, measuring his long
\u25a0tcp to hers as they sauntered a lit
tle, "for one thing, you're so awfully
Kood to a fellow. In London"— and he
codded back, as if London were mere
ly across the room — "they're awfully
good to the somebodies. It's the way.
you take in the nobodies over
here that is so astonishing— the stray
leaves that blow In with your 'trade.'
and can't fhow any credentials but a
letter or two, and their faces; and
those"-— his diablerie danced out again
•—"sometimes such deucedly damaged
ones."
It was almost Indecent, this parade
of his nonentityt She wanted to say,
"Oh. hush! Those are the things one
only enjoys — never talks about." But
instead, somewhere up at the, top of
her voice, she said: "Oh, we always
lock up our silver:"
"But even then," he quizzed her, "I
wonder how you dare to do It?"
"Perhaps we have to, because we
ourselves are all — " ("without any cre
dentials but those you mention,") she
bad been about to. say — but there she
caught herself on the very edge of
giving herself v and all the rest of them
away to him; " — all so awfully bored,"
she mischievously endedwith the dain
tiest," faintest possible yawn behind her
spread fan.
He looked as if she had taken him
by surprise; then laughed out: "Oh.
that is the way they don'^do here," he
provoked h<». "You mustn't, when I'm
not expecting it."
•Then what are you expecting?" she
inquired a little coolly. >
"Well," he deliberated, "not expecting .
you to get me ready for a sweet, and
then pop In a pickle; and presently ex
pecting, hoping, anxiously anticipat
ing, what you really* care to say."
He wa£ expecting, .she looked mali
ciously, more than he was likely to get.
but the fact that he did see through her
to that extent was at once delightful
end alarming. She swayed back into
the 'shadow beyond " the dazzling * line ;
of lig-bt. She wanted to -escape ; h_ls
scrutiny, to be able to"; look i him over,:
from a safe vantage ground. But ' he
wouldn't have It.. An instant he stood;
tinder the torrent of white radiance,
challenging her to see what she could-^r
then followed her Into; her retreat.
"Shall we sit here?*' he said, and" she;
found herself hopelessly cut off and iso
lated with the enemy.:: \u25a0;,:: ;
She couldn't withhold ,- a .little
grudging pleasure in -J. the sharpness '
\u25a0with which he had turned her'maneu-,
ver and the way. it had, detached, them
from. the surrounding crowd." For.- there,*:
in the dusky center of the, room,' lt' was',
as if they watched from safe .covert
~ the rest of their, party exposed in the
glare of light; though not, as Flora
presently noted, quite escaping obser
vation themselves. For an instant
Harry turned and peered j toward them
With a look in his intentness that
struck Flora as something new: in him
and made her wonder If he could be
jealous. She turned tentatively to see
If Kerr had noticed it and surprised
his glance In a quick transition back
to hers. > — .
"By your leave," he said, and took
away her fan, which in his hand pres
ently assumed such .rhythmic motion
that It ceased to be any more - present
to her than a delicate current of air
upon her face. Her face, which In the
first place he had so well looked overT
he now looked* Into with something
more personal in his quest, as if. under
the low brows and crowding lashes
"there was a puzzle to solve in the timid,
unassured glances of such "splendid
eyes. .
He was not, she felt sure, in spite
\u25a0of his light manipulation of her fan.
a person who .cared to please women,
but one of that devastating sort who
care above everything to please them
selves and who are skillful without
practice; too skillful, she feared, for
her defenses to hold out against if he
intended to find out what she really
thought. "Aren't we supposed to be
looking at the pictures?" she wanted
to » know.
He turned his back on the wall and
its attendant glare. "Why pictures,"
he Inquired, "when there arer live peo
ple to look at? Pictures for places
where they're all half dead. But here,
where even the damnable dust In the
street is alive, why should they paint,
or write, or sculpt, or do anything but
liver* His irascible brows shot the
query at her. . —
Again the proposition of life—what
ever that was — was held up before her,
and as ever she faltered in the face of
It. "I suppose they do ; It here," she
murmured, with a vague glance at the
painting around her, "because people
do it everywhere else."
His disparagement was almost a
snarl. "That's the rotten part of It- —
because they do it everywhere else!
As If there wasn't enough . monotony
In the world already without every
chap trying to be like the next instead
of being himself!"
"Ah!" Her small, uncertain smile in
the midst of her outward splendor was
pathetic. "But it Is different to you.
You're a man. You're not one of us."
"One of what? Tm a man. j I'm my
self. Which, pardon me, dear, lady, is
just what you won't . be— yourself."
"But if you have to be what people
expect T She slung v to her first prin
ciple of safety, in the midst of this
onslaught. . .
"People^don't want what they expect
— if you care for that." He waved it
away with his quick, white hand.
"But you have to care, unless you
want to be queer." Her poor little
secret was out before she knew, and
he looked at it, laughing immoderately,
yet somehow delightfully.
"Ah, If you think the social game Is
the game that counts! I had expected
braver things of you. The game that
counts, my; girl," he preached it at her
with his long white hand, "the game
that is going on out here Is the big,
red game of life. That's the only one
that's worth, a guinea; and ; there's no
winning or losing, there's no right or
wrong to It. and it doesn't matter what
a man is In it as long as he's a good
one."
"Even if he Is a thief?" The ques
tion was out of Flora's lips before she
could catch it. It was a challenge.
She had meant to confound him; but
he caught it as if It delighted him.
"Well, what would you think?"
He threw it back at her.
What hadn't she thought! How per
sistently her t fancy had played with the
question of what sort of /man . that one
might be who had so wonderfully put
his hand under a glass case and. drawn
out the Chatworth ring. Why. out
wardly, he must have been like all the
crowd around him. to have escaped un
noticed;' but. Inwardly, how much su
perior in power and skill to have so
completely overreached them!
"Oh," she. laughed dubiously. "I sup
pose he is a good one as long as he
isn't caught."
"What!" His face disowned her.
"You think he's a renegade, do you?
A chap, in perpetual flight, taking
things because he has to, more or less
pursued by the law? Bah! It's a guild
as old, and a deal more honorable, than
the beggar's. Your good thief Is born
to It. It's his caste. It's In his blood.
It Isn't money that he wants. If he had
a million he'd be the same.- And it isn't"
a mania either. It's a profession."
The: Englishman leaned back- and
smiled, at. her over the elegance of his
long, joined fingertips.
She looked at him with a delighted
alarm, with an Increasing elation; but
whether, these arose from his lawless
declarations and the singular, way they*
kept setting before her more ~ vividly
moment by moment the possible char-"
acter of the present keeper of the Chat
worth ring,, or whether; it was just
the sight of Kerr himself as he sat
there that stirred her, she didn't try
to distinguish, r ; . .
"But suppose he was your own thief,"
she urged; "took your own things, . I
mean," shehastily amended, "and sup
pose he • turned out to be — some one
.you knew.' and :. liked— r " She hesitated.
She bad come at last to what she really
wanted to . say.' 'She had brought out
a question 'that had been teasing her
fancy at intervals all the while he had
been talking, and he hadn't* even, heard
it. He wasn't even looking at her. She
had caught him off. his guard. He. was
looking across: her shoulder straight
down the dim vista of tho room to tho _
little blaze of bordering light. ; He was
looking at Harry." No, Harry was look-,
ing \at him. \u25a0 Harry was looking with
a steady, an Intent gaze, and Kerr
meeting it— it might have" been- merely :
the • blank • glare of "his : monocle—"
seemed, * to , Flora, to meet : it a I little
Insolently. 'She fancied In, Uie instant
something to pass between. .the two"
men,; something /which, this "time,": she
did not)mistake for jealousy— a 'shade
too dim : for defiance or suspicion, a
deep r scrutiny, that struggled to place .
something, some one. * ..*. •
Flora feH a; sudden wish to break
that curious scrutiny. It had 'broken
her., little, moment.-. It had f . shattered ;.
the "personal, almost; intimate note, '
that had been - sounded . between "^them.
The look Kerr • turned back - to ", her was
vague, and stirred t In .*. her/ a. : dim . re
sentment tljat he could drop.itall so
ea's 1 1 v.l߻fflgnmsWM
, "Shall we" Join the others?" It was
the voice with" which she had begun
with 'him, -but her ; ! eyes « .were* • hot
through, their light mist;of, lashes,, and :
he, threw her a : comprehending glance
of amusement. •\u25a0;.; •' "-\u25a0'-.V-.p: v * : -'
'."Oh,, no,".. he assured u her,-; "we -can't
help • ourselves. , ..They are going to Join'
us." \ . /. ; ; ' * f ! *^B^Bß)fc'?g||gpMß|Afl«Mg
o _ Ella Buller, ' in ; the van 'of -her pro
cession, 7 was already i upon ;
them. Her- approach 'dissipated the;
last remnant v.of . ttheirr r personal mo
"ment. I Her presence 'always v Insisted '•
that there was nothing, worth' while but;!
instant ; participation ./in:* 1 her," geniality,
arid 'whatever,, subject, It mlghtvat .the '
moment ;beJ taken up- with." This con
viction :of ** Ella's .:\u25a0 had .; been wont 'to
overawe Flora; and it still overwhelmed
her: •so ' that " now. 'as she followed in
the tall of Ella's marshaled force, she
had a guilty feeling that there should
be nothing in her mind but a normal
desire for supper.
Yet all the way down the great
stair, '.'The Corridors of Time," where
the white owl glared his glassy "wis
dom on the passings and counter pass
ings, she was haunted with the thought
that Harry had seen the extraordinary
Kerr before; not shaken hands with
him, perhaps— perhaps not even heard
his name; but somewhere, across some
distance, once glimpsed him, and. had
never quite shaken the memory from
his mind. For there was something
marked, notable, unforgettable .in that
lean dlstinctiveness. Against the sleek
form of the men they met and shook
hands with, he flashed out — seemed in
contrast fairly electric She saw him,
just ahead of her where the crowd, was
thickening in: the door of the
supper, room, making way for
Clara through the press with
that exasperating solicitude of his
deep that was ; half Ironic. .And the
larga broadside offered jby her elegant
Harry, matter-of-factly towing Ella
by i the elbow, herself conscious of a
curl or two awry, and Judge Buller
trapping heavily at her side, all took
on to her the aspect of a well chosen
peep show with the satanic Kerr of
ficiating as showman. Even the
smooth and pallid Clara, • who usually
coerced by her sheer correctness, failed
to dominate this fantastic image;
rather, she took on, as she was handed
into the supper room, the aspect of his
chief exhibit.
.The room, hot, polished, flaring re
flections of electric lights from its
glistening floor,' announced .itself the
heart of high festivity, through tha
midst of which their entrance 'made
an added ripple. The flushed faces of
the women under their flowers, under
their pale tinted hats, with their smil
ing recognitions to Clara,, to Flora, to
Ella, smiled with a sharpened Interest.
It proclaimed that* Kerr v was a
stranger, > and, ,in a circle \u25a0', which
found, itself a little stale for lack
of innovations, a desirable one.
Exclamatory greetings, running into
skirmishes of talk, here and there
halted their progress, and even after
they had settled about their table in
the center of "the room the attention of
one and another was drawn over the
shoulder to s?me special, transtable
recognition. i s.
Apparently the dominant note, of
their party was Ella's clamorous se
lection for the supper; but to Flora'
the more real "thing, was the-atmos
phere of excitement and. r mystery she :
had, been moving in- all' the evening.
. She was pursued by. the obsession of
something more- about .to.' happen—;
something imminent— though, of
course, - nothing would; : at least, how
could anything happen, here, to them?
And by ."them,"^ she meant herself and
these .people around -her,- so stupidly,
talcing— the eternal repetition -of the
story she had read out; that evening to
Clara, and- not. one glimmer of light!
She wondered if- her obsession was all
her own— or^dld it reach to one: of
them?'.Certainly, not, Ella; Tnot j Judge
Buller, settled'; into his collar, choos
ing champagnes. > > Clara? She had-to
skip f Clara. One ne^er - knew, whether ;
Clara, had not more. behind; her smooth
prettlness than \ ever ; she brought to
light. Kerr? .Perhaps. • /With him ' she
felt potentialities ""enormous. - Harry?
Never. .; Harry . was i being appealed ; to
by; all ; the women . who \u25a0 cduld get at him
as . to. his .part the affair— what ' had
been his sensations 'and emotions?" But
Flora knew perfectly." well? he had had ;
'\u25a0\u25a0 none. ... He was only "oppressed by'- the
attention his fame, In -the; matter, and
the ; central. " position ;.:' of 'their. , table,:
brough t upon I him/! Protest] i rig^ he made
his part 'as small 3 as possible, y.
T- "Oh, "confound "it,' f I : can't , get at .my
oysters I" ; hef compjal ned, ,; leani ng - back
Into. his! group again; with; a'Sigh.,
v't* "You d lvlde the'honors with the mys
terious,;unknown; ; eh ?'.': ; Kerr inquired
across"' the table/ ' 'fV- ;
''.'flla.Tie.it/ there's no^ division- I'd offer
you "a- share'". .Harry laughed, andf'lt"
occurred^to Flora how' much Kerr. could
havV-made'of .'it..- .\u25a0'\u25a0' \u25a0\u25a0?':. S' " : .' ;;
\u25a0"• VPurdie'd -like to share something,"
"Buller; vouchsafed., J;'He's been -pawing;
the air ever since ! Crew, cabled, v and
this. has ; blown" him i up: completely." '- \u0084
:.~'CrewT'2 Flora^ w6nde*re'd."r; Here 'was =
something more ..happening. f " .'Crew?-
She had -not* heard •that; name before!"
\Jt" made -a * stir, among", them all ; ' but
if. -Kerr ; looked / sharp, f Clara ~ looked '
'sharper, r She looked at i Harry -arid
Harry/was\vexed;/'- '\u25a0"\u25a0•.;'- •'\u25a0-\u25a0"/.;;>\u25a0"—.'• :: ; * "--7
1 "' \u25a0 "Who's l Crew?" ' said ?/ Ella; ', and : : the
Judge lookedfaround'onutheiHllence. 5
*; L';Why,'ibless 'my.' soul,- Isn't , It— ~ 6hY
anyway, Jit V will r : all :be ••>" out -tomorrow*
But! I* thought' Harry" d"i toldl you. The
Chatworth^ring^wasn'tißessle's." ':,
. - r . It^ had ! the leffectrbf startling jthem ; all.
apart,' :" and > then ; drawiri g i them '; closer i
together.'? again' around; the\ table over
the* uncorked bottles; , * . : , -
v/'Why ,V /Judge '{ Buller lw'en't on, "this
Tins' is~ a -celebrated thine-. ,, It's the
'Crew Idol'!" He threw the name out
as if that In Itself explained everything,
but the three women, at least, were
•blank. j|J; ?.-. \--.: [ : ' "'\u25a0j.-.V- . ' '\u25a0\u25a0.^.•-* ! < -
"Why -celebrated?" Clara objeoted.
VThe stones j were i only ; sapphires." \u0084
E .Kerr smiled at"tlils"mea.sure of, famey
"Quite : so." he nodded' to her,, "but
there are several ' sorts |of value \u25a0 about
that ring. Its age, for; one."
He had the 1 attention of the table,
as if they sensed behind his words
more even than Judge -Buller could
have told them.
\u25a0 "And then the - superstition * about
it. It's rather a pretty "tale," said
Kerr, looking at Flora. "You've seen
the ring— a figure . of Vishnu bent
backward into a circle, with a head
of sapphire; two yellow stones for the
cheeks and the brain, of: him of the
one blue. Just as a piece of carving
it is so 'fine that Cellini, couldn't have
equaled it, but • no i one '.knows when
or where it was' made. ' The...flrst that
is known* the, Shah Jehan had' it in his
treasure house! The story is he stole
it, but, however that: may s be, he gave
it as a betrothal gift to: his .wife—
possibly the most beautiful"—his'eye
brows signaled; to Flora his- . uncer-.
tainty of that fact-^-"withoutf - doubt
the best loved woman in the. world.
When she died , it was buried with her
— -not. in: the tomb itself, .but •in the
Taj Mahal; and for : "a century" os so It
lay there arid gathered legends about it
as thick as dust. .It" was believed to
be a talisman of good fortune-—espe
cially in love. . , ; ..... -
"It had age; it had Intrinsic value; ,
it had beauty.and that one other qual
ity.' no man can resist— it was , the . only
thing of its kind in the world. :l ; At: all;
events, it wastoo much for ; old"- Neville :
Crew, when he saw- \u25a0' it • there 'some
couple of hundred years : ago. , When he
left India' he got it, but-.lucky mar : ;
riages came with .it,, and Crews
would^ not* take the' house of* lords for
it. Their women have worn'; it ever
since." ' r : ;
For a moment the wonder -of the
tale, arid . <he '.curious . spark ; of , excite
ment- it ; ihad produced ; in*. the! teller kept
the listeners silent. Clara was' the first :
to; return ;to] facts." "Then Bessie— '.' she .
prompted eagerly. -\ ~ V
Kerr "turned !his ; glass in- meditative
fingers. • "She .wore - it * as ', young
Chatworth's wife."- He held them all In;
an Y increasing i tension, y as if he drew
them toward"; him. • . -'-; ",
V "The, elder;C,hatworth; Lord. Crew, is
a^bachiilor.'but, ; of course \u25a0' the;ringsre
verted to him on Chatworths' death: _;
"And ' Lord | only knows," ; the judge -
broke I in, "how , it ? . got /"shipped ; , with <
Bessie's ? property. : Crew -was ~* out : of
England; at the time. C He; kept
wires i hot j about: it, , and' they, managed \ r
to keep -the 1 fact' of what , the; ring wu 'f
quiet-^but ? lt; got out*today;when.Pur-^
die;; found *it was : gone." :' : Yt>u Vsee v he^
was "showing - it— and without, special ;
permission." • \u25a0 * .- \u25a0
, Flora; had a bewildered. feeling-that
this ; Judicial . • summing;- vp • . of :--,; facts ;
wasn't Tthe's sort ; ; of 'thing.: the
had "led up to. .She icouldn'ttsee," . if
this"; was ".what it', amountedr to, i why ;
Harry i had changed ?.his 't mind '?\u25a0;:. :' about :
telling-themTatt the; dinner stable, tj She
could not even; understand?where this,
belorigedt" In; the"; march j,of "events in
story, but \u25a0 Clara' took .it ! up,
clipped"- It „ out; and; fitted it .into its:
place.V;'v;;';'. v , ••';:.'\u25a0 - • \u25a0\u25a0 ", ... . : -'. : \- .'\u25a0'\u25a0"\u25a0. ;':\
V '-"Then '.-; thero .wi 11 '- : be -.; pressure—
t norinous : pressure, J brought \u25a0\u25a0 to t bear <to :\u25a0\u25a0
recoverjit?" \u25a0 ;'-'\u25a0>- v --\u25a0/ \u25a0'"... V, :- / r*";. : /- ... \
": r."Oh-brohi"i."i ßuller :.-. : drew, : \u25a0'•"\u25a0out the •
syllable; wlth^unctuous .relish: 5 ."They'll '
ripJiheftownhriside^'cutfrVTheyfll^do^
wofse.v, : ; There'il f be^a^string,:6f ?detect- v
lyes-*across?^the^country-i_yes, : - and/at I
Iritervals7,to «'- Ch*na-^-so " tight '" you
couldn't:'step>from ; Kalamazoo'to2.osh-«
kosh '.without^ running r into Jf one. vAThe '
thingl^is • too v big" to; berrcovered^^The^
chap j\who i took { it:; will ,; play* a ;^- lone ;~
game ; and- to do "V. that-^-Lord f
there many * who /could— to Tdo }
that he'd • have .t o be .• a^-a—^! h ,:-:w. /•
as ' a challenge|among % thesej>; f prosaicß
people ; | butj the \ effect lof a 1 1 = >• was ; even \u25a0
sh'arper^thVnl shVs had < expected. ';--•.< She i,
fancied ishej; sawi them fall % start; -tjthat 5
Harrys squared : bimself.l that^ Kerr- met %>
itsas;if;heiswallowedtit|wlth»almostra|
facial 'grimace;; Jthatj - Judge V' Buller
blinked i it * hard^ in ?.th« if ace~thi i moat -
mM&& GOPYBIGHT ISO B "^
r <BY THE BOBBS^HERRto GOMRANY"
... • • \u25a0 .. -\u25a0 • • >
bothered of the lot .He came, at, it
first in words. !
"Farrell Wandr \u25a0* He felt it over, as
; If, like a doubtful; coin, it might have
rung .false. ;• _ "Now, what ' did I know
of Farrell Wand?", . :
r * "Farrell "Wand?" ,-Kerr.- took it up
rapidly. ! "Why, 'he » was - the great
Johnnie v"who":went» through .the Scot
land yard men at Perth in '94, and got
off. 1 Don't';' you remember? . He took a
great assortment of things j under the
' most peculiar /circumstances— took '; the
Tllton; emeralds "off Lady Tilton's neck
at St. James."
"Why, \u25a0 Harry, you—" Flora began.
"You, told usi that," was -what she had
meant? to < say, but „ Harry f stopped: her.
Stopped I her Just .with a look, with a
nod; but It was as if he had shaken his
head' at her. '.His: tawny, lashes, half
drooped^ over; watching eyes, gave .him
more than ever the . look of -a great.
'still cat;-; a domestic,'*- good humored
c cat, :but- in sight tof -legitimate prey.
Her eyes' went back '\u25a0 to Kerr,*wlth:a
sense "of 'bewilderment. -•; His voice was
I still .:\u25a0 going on, expansively, . brilliantly,
juggling his subject.
"He ; knew them "alJ,^ the big-wigs up
In parliament, ithe big-wigs on 'change,
the \u25a0 duchesses -In , Mayfair,'. and
they/ all liked him. asked? him, .dined
him;- and— great Scott, they paid ! '.. Paid
in hereditary Jewels, or" the; shock to
:.their decency *«.when the thing came
out-7--but'popr:devll, so-dld he!" V
'• ; And " through ;it all % Buller -gloomed
unsmiling^ with outthrust underlip.
' "No. no," -; he said; slowly." "that's not
my 1 connection . with . - Farrell Wand.
Wiiat: happened-afterward?c What -did
they do with him r* . ;
'\u25a0 JKerr; was : silent, and. -Flora thought
his face ' seemed ; suddenly at its sharp
; est. ...'^ : ;\u25a0-\u25a0. ; '-;.' \u25a0 • '\u25a0'\u25a0'-: 'c, ' \u25a0
• It was Clara who with an
other question. "Didn't he getto the
colonies? ; Dldn't he dleTthere?" '
Judge Buller caught it with a snap of
his fingers:. '"Got .It!"- he^trlumphed,
and^ the two : - men , turned rsqua,re upon
him." "They- ran Jhim'toTearth in : Aus
; tra.Ha.. That was .the year.' l 'was there
. -— '96. ,1 got a snapshot of ! him at the
. time." \u25a0 * C V ;\u25a0:\u25a0\u25a0. -\u25a0'..:i .:;.;>
\u25a0It .was . : now 'the whole" table that
turned on .him. and ; Flora :felt,V with
that unanimous movement, something
crucial, 1 the! somethingMthat'ehe had
been waiting : for;* and yet she'cduld : ln
no. way connect; lt withjwhat had hap
pened,^ nor iunderstahd why Clara^ why
Harry, why ; Kerr above ; all < should be
so alert fForrmofe than all: he. looked
expectant, poised,- and* ready.' for what
ever was * coming : next. ;/ V ' . .'
\u25a0:' "Whatvsortrof aVchapH he mused
and : fixed" the Judge a. moment with the
same stare; that! Flor a to
have first confronted ' her. r ' > =? v
?'. "What /sort? Sort of -a : crlmlnai," r the
judge smiled.*. "They i all < alike.?
./, "Still,", Clara; suggested, i"such : a man
'could:' hardly.* have /been V ordinary;—" ~
"In "the 'i" chain-gang— -oh,' Tyes."' said
Buller 'withVcorivictlon. '•.': r^ 1--? \ : ' '
•;L"Oh!iThenT the } picture wasn't worth,
; ::'- :^V. n : . : ;. ,- ." ;
. \u25a0 >'iWhy, .; no," ' Buller - admitted slowly,
"though, come Ito think of it,; it wasn't '
the I chairi;'gang: either.;- . They, were j tak- ;
ing /: him '; aboard " the ; ship/ -.The crowd
.was ; so " thick = I '•hardly . ; saw ; him, and— .
only £ ; got .\u25a0 one J-shot. v it thim.Y'But^th«
name'wasa 'queer one. , It'stuck'lnimy.
mlnd."^l..^V» : : y i'-' '\u25a0 ' "' \u25a0\u25a0\u25a0 \u25a0 " : '"- \u25a0'•\u25a0"-'. ; '-> ' v.
." J'But then.'V Clara : insisted^ "what.be
camefof'him?".' , '\u25a0'; .\u25a0' • UV
f.- "Oh,.fgave*them the slip,", the^ judge
chuckled.- : ","Me , always , did. Reported
to haverchanged shlps;r <in mldocean.
Hal,lls;that ; another?bottle?" ; : 7
t-; Harry i stretched v his* hand 1 for j It, , but .
It "^stayed V suspended^-and,"i fpr.< ant in-"
stahtititf seemed as UfUhe whole s table
waited r expectant.' V Had Biiller's ; camera"
caught' the". clear,; face of yFarreir-.Wand,
or,i only ,; a fdimr flgure?i Flora", wondered
if .that was the fquestion^Harryl wanted '
to "; ask: ;T He I wanted-^ind I yet ; hef hesl-V
tated/lasJfiheMid'not^qulte^dareftouch^
It.* IHe I laughed : arid - filled '\u25a0<, the ' glasses. '
He \u25a0hadfdroppedfhis^questlon;: and, there
was FnoTone \u25a0: at;; the } tableXwho A seemed *
readyfto lputf another.-^': ', ? -
'i TAnd yet i there^were 1 qjuestions '.there, V
in all s th«^eyes; •- but ; some , Impassable
barrier;; seemed «. to : - have >'come between {
theseYeaiger^ people.^ and iywhat;! tori iix- \
"calculable .^reasons,; : Tthey>>* bo - . much
\u25a0waunted'-to kno-w. ;l .Tt.waji;not.the'a«nlaJ 1
indifference ; with which Buller had
dropped the subject for the • approach
ing bottle. ; It seemed rather their own
timidity .; that .withheld them' from
touching ithis subject which at; every
turn produced upon some one: of ; the
eager \u25a0 three some fresh startling ' effect
the I others could not understand. They
were restless;? Clara notably.T even un
der her calm. ;-
Flora knew . she was not giving .' up
.the" quest of Farrell Wand, but only
setting it aside with her unfailing
thrift, which saved everything. But
why.- In this case? -And Harry, who"
had been, so; merry with the mystery
at dinner— why had he suddenly .tried
to; suppress her, to want to ignore the
whole business; why had •he hesitated
over his question, and finally let It fall?
And why,. above a.U. was. Kerr so bril-.
Ilantly" talking at Ella, In the- same
way -he had begun at" Flora herself?
Talking at Ella as. if he hardly saw
her,' ; buf like some magician flinging
out, a, brilliant train of - pyrotechnics to
hypnotize; the senses, before he pro
ceeds with his trick.. -And the way Ella
was ;; looking at him-^-her bewildered
alacrity,' the -way- she was struggling
with what was being so rapidly shot
at? her— -appeared-:. to.- Flora the proto
type 'of her: own* struggle to understand
what- reality these : appearances around
her could possibly shadow. Never be
fore, had her sense of ; standing on the
outside edge of | life been jso strong. It
seemed as ' though 'there were some
large, impalpable thing growing In the
midst of 'them, around the edges of
which they were tiptoeing, daringly,
fearfully, each 'one for himself. But
.though it loomed so large thiatshe felt
herself In the very shadow of It, rub
her ; eyes -as \u25a0 she : would, .she couldn't
see It.. '. . . ~:V \u25a0 \u25a0:'-\u25a0 \u25a0 \u25a0
:.'VOften enough In : the crowds she
moved among she:had felt herself lone
ly and; not wondered at" it. But -now
and -here, [sitting among her close, in
timate circle, her friends and her lover.
It \u25a0 seemed . like a ".; horrible obsession
yet it was true. * As clear as If It had
been shown\her in a revelation she
saw herself absolutely alone.
CHAPTER 111
Encounters on Parade
FLORA, before the mirror, gayly
stabbing "in her' long hat pins,
: confessed 1 to. herself that last
night had been queer, as queer
: as could be; but this morning, luckily,
was real . agalnl Her fancy last night
had— yes, sheCwas afraid it really had—
run : away with her. And she turned
and held the hand mirror high, to be
sure of the line of her tilted hat, gave
a, touch to the turn of her wide, close
belt, a - flirt -to the frills of her bodice,
The wind ; was lightly ruffiing and
-puffing* out the 'muslin curtains of the
. windows, and from -the garden below
came .the ; long silvery clash of euca
. lyptus Waves. She leaned on the high
window .ledge .to look : downward over
red roofs, .over terraced green, over
steep streets running abruptly .to the
broken blue of the bay. She tried to
.fancy how • Kerr -would look In this
: morning ? : : sun.: He. seemed •to belong,
only beneath the \ high artificial lights,
in the" thicker, atmosphere of evening.
Would he return again, I with renewed
potency, with- the", same: singular, al
, most 'sinister charm, as a wizard who
works his will, only 'by moonlight?
When she, should see him again, what,
she wondered, -would -. be^ his extraordi
nary: mood? On what: new- breathless
flights might he not take her— or would
he see her at all? It was too fantastic
The sunlight thinned him to an im
, palpable ghost.
It was Clara," standing at -the foot of
the stairs, who belonged to the morn
ing, so brisk, so fresh, so practical she
appeared. She held a book In her hand.
The door, open for her .immediate de
parture, showed, beyond the descent of
marble steps, the' landau / glistening'
black against white pavements. It
was 1 unusual " for } this . formal vehicle to
put in an appearance so early.
"I a*m .1 going/ to drive over to the
Purdies',"; Clara explained. 'I have an
errand there."
" Flora smiled at the thought of how
\u25a0'njany persons would be having errands
to the Purdies now. It was refreshing
to : catch Clara in^ this' weakness. She
felt a throb! of it herself when she re
called the breathless moment at the
supper table last evening. "Oh, that
';will be ai heavenly drive," she said.
"Please ask me to go with, you."
.•-^Why, certainly. I should Ilka to"
have', you," said Clara. But if. she had
/returned a flat "no" Flora would not
have had a dryer sense 1 of unwelcome.
'. Still, she had gone, too far -to 'retreat.
After. all, -\u25a0this was only. Clara's manner,
and her buoyant "Interest In the expe
dition, wai'stronger than her diffidence.
Mischievous reflections of the doctrine
the J Englishman had startted -her with,
'the night before flickered In her mind
as - they drove f rom > the door." Was - this
partiof "the big red game," not being
accommodating, nor so very, polite? .The',
streets were ; still ;wet; with 1 early fog,
and turnlng"ln; at the Presidio gate the .,
. cypresses dripped dankly^on t thelr heads
" and' hung out' cobwebs -pearled with
dew." She was* sure, even- under .their
dripping,' that the "damnable dust? was
'alive.';' "..-;-' • / '. . " '" • -
' Down" the "*• broad \ si opes" .that '\u25a0 were
swept. by the drive all was green to the
water's : edgel ; -The ' long ;, line of . bar
racks,- the officers'" quarters, the great
parade ground/ set *In j the flat land ' be
tween > hills" "'..and'- bay,- looked, like ,. a
child's rtoy. pretty, and -little. : They
heard the note .of jk] bugle, thin and sll
,ver|clear,, and they/could see the3tlny
figures * mustering; but in ! her: preoccu
pation it; did not occur :to Flora -'that .
they were arriving; Just In; L tlme; for^pa
-rade.But when .the cafrlagehad crossed
viaduct . and ; swung . them : past : the
.acacias and around the last white curve,
into " the * white dust.V of V;the%< parade -
ground,, Clara turned, as if with a fresh
:'idea;.- \u25a0 ";\u25a0;'.. ' : V- V .:."-.-. : - ;•\u25a0".. ;'\u25a0 \u25a0.; . " - : ".
'\u25a0' "Wouldn't yoiilike to stop and watch
:lt?"-":/:^;>: lt?"-":/:^;> ;.':-• ' •:\u25a0 .--•'\u25a0" ;
;.* "Why,- yes,'*; Flora-- assented., ;. The"
.brilliance* of .{light and. color,;, the^ pre
vcislon of -movement, ; the ; sound ) of the i
brasses;' under "the -l open - sky,' were : an;.
; Intermezzo in ;. harmony- with - her., spir
. lted'mood/^^^B9SBS^S&I : '-''\u25a0/
The -carriage", stopped under, the scan- -
'ty 'shadow \ of 'trees thatj bordered v the >
walk Ito :\u25a0 the '.officers',^ quarters. > '. Clara," *
book In hand, alertly^rose. "
r v .v.*TH just * run up ,' to j the . Purdies' and
leave \u25a0 thls.'V she ,' gn M
: ..VThen'r she -really "did. want to- be .rid
of jme," Flora' mused,' as she ".watched.;
: the*^. brisk {'back 1 moving _ away?-- "and
. beautifully., she has done It!' V Her: eyes
• followed 'Clara's 1 little; fig^ureTretreatlng' '
. up the . neat and narrow, boardiwalk^; to '\
where - ltVdisappeared^ln ; "overarching;
depths i-;.of £ eucalyptus-, trees.'. Farther *
on, .beyond the ;;" tree's,".-. two ',> figures, '
smaller v than {Clara's ' in '1 their * great er - :
; distance, ; * were ,i coming down..,' Flor a"'
.almost •' grinned Vas t ahie ;;recognlxed ?the *
; large » linen;, urabrella>thatf Mrs. ; Purdie
, invariably^carried^when; abroad - In I the) '
; res'ervationVland presently tUe|trim and '
•bouridlngji figures of »-. Mrs. . Purdie
self under It. i.The. Purdies were coming
down , to parade— at least? Mrs.^Purdie- " :
was. But the i tall. fleure beside her—^
that .was not the major. She look op
her lorgnon. It was — no It coujd not
be— yet • surely it was Harry! Lazy
Harry, up and out. and squiring Mrs.
Purdie to the" review . at half past 10
In .the. morning! "Are we all madr
Flora thought. .
The three little figures, the one goln*
up, the . two coming down, touched op
posite fringes o£ the grove—disap
peared within It On which side would
they come out together? Flora won
dered. They on her side with
. Harry ;a little in advance. He cams
swinglngly down the walk, straight
. toward, her. and across the road to the
carriage, his hat lifted. % hi^ hand out.
"V/ell, Flora." he said, "this 13 luck!"
"What in the world has got you* out
' so^ early *' she rallied him.
._.;, fCame out. to see Purdia on busi
ness, and here : you are all. ready to
drive me back."
"That's your reward."
He brushed hl3 handkerchief over his
damp forehead. "Well, there's ona
coming to me, for I haven't found Pur
die.
1 "h 161 " eyes wer « dancing with -mischief.
"*k *£*' bell « v ® you're out here about
.the Crew Idol, too!"
He shook his head at her. smiling. -I
wom dnt talk too much about that.
I * Jora - . It flicks poor Purdie on the raw
every time that—" Hl* sentence trailed
: V*a £ some thlng else, for Mrs. Purdie
: and Clara had come up.
, The book had changed^ hands, to
, aether, evidently, with several explana
! Uons^and Mrs. Purdie. with her foot
, on the carriage step, was ready to
; m t.!l? One of thes e over again.
; m The major'll be so sorry. He's gone
' «Jf T^ t>a so unus aal for him 'to get
off at tKls hour, but he said he had to
catch a man. As Mrs. Britton and I
were saying, he's likely to be very busy
until thi;> dreadful affair is stralght
'ened out. Ifyou can 'only wait a little
longer. Mr. Cressy." she went on, "I am
expecting him every moment."
. r' "Oh. it's of no Importance." said
Harry, but he looked at his watch with
a^fold between his brows, and then at
the car that was coming in.
"Well, at least, you'll have time ta*e«
the parade." said Mrs. Purdie. "I al
ways think it's a pretty sight, though
most of the women get tired of it."
. Clara's face showed that she be
longed to the latter class; but Flora.
too keenly attuned to sounds and sights
not to be swayed by outward circum
stances, was content for tae time to
watch. In the cloud of dust, the wheel-
Ing piatoons and rhythmic columns.
• Yet through all — even jvhen she was
not looking at him — she was aware of
Harry's restlessness, of his impatience;
and as the last company swung bar
rackward and the cloud began to settle
over the empty field, he snapped his
1 watch case smartly and remarked.
, "Still no major."
"Why. there he Is now!" Mrs. Purdie
screamed, pointing across the parade
1 ground.
Flora looked. Half way down on the
adjoining side of the parallelogram,
back toward her. the redoubta«le Kerr
was standing. She recognized him on the
Instant, as If he were the most familiar
figure in her life. [ Yet she was more
, surprised to see him here than she had
been to see Harry. She felt inclined
to rub her eyes." It took a moment
for her to realize that his companion
' was Indeed Major Purdie.
The major had recognized his wife's
signaling umbrella. rJpw he turned
toward it. but Kerr, wtth a quick
motion of hand toward hat. turned in
the opposite direction. In her mind
Flora was with the major who ran
after him. The two men stood for a
little. expostulating. Then both
walked ... toward the landau and the
linen umbrella.
The carriage group watted, watch
ing with flagging conversation, which
finally fell into silence. But the two
approaching strolled easily and talked.
Even in cold daylight Kerr still gava
Flora the impression that the open
was not big enough to hold him, but
she saw a "difference in his mood, a
\u25a0 graver eye, a colder mouth, and when
he* finally greeted them, a manner
that was, brusque. It showed uncivil
beside the major's urbanity.
. The major was glad, very glad, to
see them all. He was evidently also
a little flurried. He seemed to know
that they had all met Kerr before.
Had it been at the moment of his at
tempted departure that Kerr had tolrl /
him. Flora wondered? And had he
given them as his excuse for • golns
away? It hurt her; though why should
she be hurt because a stranger ha.l
not wanted to cross the parade ground
to shake hands with her? He was less
Interested in her than he was in
Harry, at whom he had looked keenly.
.But Harry's nervousness had left
htm. now that Purdie was within b!«i
reach. ; He returned the glance In
differently. He stood close to ths *
major — his hand on his shoulder. The
major, with his bland t>lue eyes twink
ling from Clara to Flora." seemed, the
only man ready to devote himself to
the service of the ladies.
'"And what's the aews. from the
front?" said Clara gayly. Kerr gave
her a rapid glance, but the major
blinked -as If the allusion had got
by him. v -
"I mean th© mystery — the Chatwortb!
Ting," she ) explained. However lightly
and sweetly Clara said It. It was a little
brazen. to fling such a question at poor
-Purdie, whose- responsibility the ring
had, been. .
: - He received it amicably enough, but
conclusively. "No news whatever, mv
dear Mrs. Britton."
She smiled. "We're all rather inter
ested In the mystery. Flora has made
a dozen romances about it."
"Oh, yea, yes." said the major indul
gently. - "It /will do for young ladies to
make romances about. It'll be a two
days' and then you'll ' suddenly
find out. it's something very tame tn
"deed.~4B^BßßPlttPQpßi
;^Why, have they fixed the suspicion T
said Clara. •
" There was a restless movement from
, Kerr.
"Xo,; no: nothing of that sort," said
-the major; quickly. , \u25a0-. . -^
Harry passed his, hand through his
arm. "May I see «you for five minutes,
major?'.' \
Ji ie l ex selleni major looked harassed,
w Sup P° se w « all step up to tho house"
he suggested. "Why. you're not going,
man r; he: objected, for Kerr had fallen
back a step^and with lifted hat and bal
anced cane was signaling his farewells.
V -'P°, let^us-go:un to the house." said
cc f a^. r ."And. - Mrs.' Purdie. won't you
drive up with me? Flora wants to
\u25a0walk."\v ". \u25a0 ; ..-..*
\u25a0-Flora stood up. She had a confused
impression that she had expressed no
such desire ', and that there was room
for three in the landau, but the mental
shove that, Clara bad administered gave
her ; an • impetus that carried her out of
> the'; carriage before;she realized what
she was* about. Some one had ottered a
' hand to '. help her, and when she was
on the ground she saw It was Kerr. who
had come back and was standing besida
her. ,"He was smiling quizzically. "
. ."I feel "rather like walking . myself."
he said. •* "Do you want a companion?"
."-'. She* turned to hlm'witby gratitude. "I
should be glad of one." she said quickly.
She was touched. She had not thought
:h'«^cbuld be so gentle.
. (To Be Continued . Next Week*