TW
C1AMFE
8YNOPSI8.
At a private view of the Chatwnrth per
sonal estnte, to be no 1.1 at auction, the
Chatworth rlnR mysteriously llsappears.
Harry Oressv, who was present, describes
the linx to his fiancee, Flora Ollsey, and
her chaperon, Mrs. Clara Hrltton. as be
ing like a hoatlit-n Rod, with a beautiful
sapphire net In the henrt. Flora discov
ers an unfamiliar tnnoil In Harry, espe
cially wh-n the rlnif la discussed. Bhe
attends "hullea' nlnht" at the club and
meets Mr. Kerr, an Knifllshman. It conies
out that the mlxstnK rin has been known
as the Crew Idol, lis disappearance, re
calls the exploits of Farrell Wnnd, an
KnKllsh thief. Flora has a fancy that
Harry and Kerr are concerned In the
mystery.
CHAPTER IV.
Flower by the Way.
Flora, liked this funny llttlo dining
room with walls as frail as box-boards,
low-celled and flooded with sun. It
recalled surroundings she had known
later than the mining camp, but long
before the great red house. It seemed
to her that she fitted here better than
the Purdies. She looked across at
Kerr, sitting opposite, to see If per
haps ho fitted too. nut he was for
eign, decidedly. He kept ahout hlra
still 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 had been
absolutely oft his guard.
She rose from the table with the
feeling that In an hour all three of
them had become quite old friends of
his, though without knowing anything
further about him.
."We must do this again," Mrs. Pur
die said, as they parted from her In
the garden.
"Surely we will," Kerr answered
her.
But Flora had the feeling that they
never, never would. For him It had
been a chance touching on a strange
shore.
But at least they were going away
together. They would walk together
as far as the little car, whose terminal
was the edge of the parade-ground.
But Just outside of the gate he
stopped.
"Do you especially like board
walks?" he ncked.
It was nn instant before she took
his meaning. Then she laughed. "No.
I like green paths."
He waved with his cane. "There Is
a path yonder, that goes over abridge,
and beyond that a hill."
"And at the top of that . another
car'.FIora reminded him.
"Ah, well," he said, "there arc flow
ers on the way, at least." He looked
at her whimsically. "There are three
purple irises under the bridge. I no
ticed, them as I camo down."
She was pleased that he had no
ticed, that 'for himself pleased, too,
that he had suggested the longer way.
Th narrow path that they had
chosen branched out upon the main
path, broad and yellow, which dipped
downward into the hollow. From there
came the murmur of water. Green
showed through the white grass of
last 1 summer. Sauntering between
plantations of young eucalyptus, they
came to the arched stone bridge. They
He Drew Them Cleverly Toward
leaned on the parapet, looking down
at the marshy stream beneath and at
the three irises Kerr had remarked,
knee-deep In Bwamp ground.,
"Now that I see them I suppose I
want them," Flora remarked..
"Of course," he assented. "Then
hold all these."
He put Into her hands the loose
bunch of syrlnga and rose plucked for
her In the Purdies' garden, laid hit
hat 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 and issuing into the broad
shallow basin of the stream's way.
The sun was still high enough to All
the hollows with warm light and mel
low the doubles of trees and grass In
the stream. In this landscape of
green and pale gold he looked black
and tall and angular. The wind blew
longlsh locks of hair across his fore
head, and she had a moment's pleased
and timorous reflection that he looked
like Satan coming Into the Garden.
He advanced from tussock to tus
sock. He came to the brink of the
marsh. The lilies waved what seemed
but a hand's breadth from him. But
he stooped, he reached Oh, could
anything so foolish happen as that he
could not get them! Or, more fool
luh still, plunge in to the knees ! He
straightened from his fruitless effort,
drew back, but before she could think
what he was about he had leaned for
ward again, flashed out his cane, and
with threo quick, cutting slashes the
lilies were mown. It was deftly, del
icately, astonishingly done, but It gave
her a singular shock, as If she had
seen a hawk strike IU prey. He drew
them cleverly toward him In the
crook of his cane, took them up
daintily In his Angers, and returned to
her across the shallow valley. She
waited him with mixed emotions.
"Oh, how could you!" she mur
mured, as he put them Into her hand.
He looked at her in amused as
tonishment. "Why, aren't they right?"
They were as clean clipped off and
as perfect as If the daintiest band bid
plucked them.
"Oh, yes," she admitted, "they're
lovely, but I don't like the way you
got them."
"I took the means I had." he ob
jected. "I don't think I like It."
His wnole face was sparkling with
Interest and amusement. "Is that so?
Why not?"
"You're too too" she cait about
for the word "too terribly resource
ful!" "I see," he said. If she had feared
he would laugh, It showed how little
she had gauged the limits of his
laughter. Ho only looked at her rath
er more Intently than he had before.
"But, my good child, 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."
Looking him In the eyes, which
were of a clear, candid gray, she was
ready to believe it It seemed as If
he had let her look for a moment
through his manner," his Ironies, his
armor of Indifference, to the frank
foundations of his nature. " ,
"But, you see, the trouble lb you
don't in the least look it," she ar
gued. "So you think because I have a long
Him In the Crook of His Can.
-
face and wild hair that I am a sinister
person? My dear Miss Gilsey, the
most desperate character I ever knew
was five feet high and wore mutton
chop whiskers. It . Is an uncertain
business Judging men by their ap
pearance." As soon as . silence feel between
them she saw that wave of preoccupa
tion which had submerged htm during
their walk from the parade-ground to
the Purdies' rising over him again
and floa'tlng him away from her. He
no longer even looked at her. His
eyes were on the grtwd, and it was
not 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 be
fore?" He raised his head with a Jerk and
looked at her a moment in astonish
ment. "Do you mind if I answer your ques
tion American fashion by asking an
other?" he said presently. "What
put it Into yotir head that we may
have met before?"
"The way you looked at each other
at the club, and again this morning."
Kerr shook his head. "You are an
observant young person! The fact is,
I've never met him of that I'm cer
tain, but I believe I've seen him be
fore, and for the life of me, I can't
think where. At the moment you
spoke I was trying to remember."
"Was it In this country?" Flora
prompted, hopeful of fishing some
thing definite out of this vagueness.
"No, it was years ago. It must
have been In England." -He looked at
her Inquiringly, as If he expected her
to help him.
"Oh, Harry's been in England," she
said quickly; and then, with a flash
ing thought, came to her the one
scene Harry had mentioned in bis
English experience. Was it at a ball?
The question came to her Hps, but
she checked it there. She remembered
how Harry had stopped her the night
before with a nod, with a look, from
mentioning that very thing.
"So you're not going to tell me?"
Kerr remarked, and she came back
to a sudden consciousness of how her
face must have reflected her thought
"No not this time!" she said, smil
ing, though somewhat flushed.
He knitted his brows at her. They
had reached the arched gate, and the
car that would carry her home was
approaching.
"Ah, then, I am afraid It will be
never," he said.
Was It possible this was their last
meeting? Did he mean he was going
away? The question formed In her
mind, but there wag no time for words.
He bad stopped the car with a flick
of his agile cane, and handed her in
as if he had handed her Into a car
riage; and not a word. as to whether
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 pres
ence had so obliterated other pres
ences and annihilated time, that It took
an encounter with Clara to remind her
at 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 dreadful!
Flora had forgotten it completely.
Nothing to bo done but go, and leave
a message for Harry apology, and
assurance that she would be home
early. She wondered If she were los
ing her memory. .
She appeared to be changing alto
gether, for the dinner a merry one
bored her. What she wanted was
to get away from It as soon as pos
sible for that , Interesting evening.
When she had made the appointment
with Harry she had been excited by
the thought that be might tell her
wether he had learned anything from
the major that morning In the matter
of the ring. But now she was more
engrossed with the idea of asking
about Kerr whether Harry had real
ly met him If so, where; and, final
ly, why did not Harry want her to
mention that embassy ball?
Primed with these questions, she
left immediately after coffee, arriving
at her own red stone portal at ten.
But coming in, all a-flutter with the
idea of having kept him waiting when
she had so much to ask, she found her
note as she had left it She question
ed Shima. There had been no mes
sage from Mr. Cressy. Her first an
noyance was lost in wonder. What
could be the matter? - '
She went into the drawing room
a dull-pink, stupendous chamber
knelt a moment before the flashing
wood fire, then rose, and crossing to
the window, looked anxiously out She
had a flight of fancy towards acci
dents, but in that case she would cer
tainly have heard. The French clock
on the mantel rang half-past ten. The
sound had hardly died in the great
spaces before she heard the fine snarl
of the electric bell.
She restrained an Impulse to dart
Into the hall, and stood Impatient In
the middle of the room. .
He came In hastily, his lips all
ready with words which hesitated at
sight of her.
"Why, you're going out!" he said.
She had forgotten the cloak that
till hung from her shoulders.
"No, I've Just com in, and aU my
line apologies lor being out are
wasted. How long do you think
Clara'll let you stop at this hour?"
"Clara Isn't here." he said.
'Well, then your time is all the
shorter." She was nettled that he
Bhould be oblivious of his lapse.
"I'm sorry," he said, arriving at last
at his apology. "I couldn't help be
lng late. I've had a day of It." He
drew his hand across his forehead,
and she noticed that he was In his
morning clothes and looked as rum
pled and flurried as a man Just from
the office.
She relented. "Poor dear! You do
look tired! Don't take that cnalr. It's
more Louis Qulnze than comfortable.
Come Into the library, And remem.
ber," she added, when Shlma had set
the decanter and glasses beside him,
you are to stay Just 20 minutes."
He took a sip of his drink and
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? All the evening I've heard
nothing but the wildest rumors. Some
say MaJ. Purdle couldn't speak be
cause some one 'jvay up knows more
than she should ahout It. And some
body else said It wasn't the real ring
at all that was taken, only a paste
copy, and that is why they're not do
ing more about getting it back."
"Not doing more about getting It
back?" Harl-y. laughed. "Is that the
Idea that generally prevallB? Why,
Flora He stopped, waited a mo
ment while she leaned forward ex
pectant. "Flora," he began again,
"are you mum?"
She nodded, breathless.
"Not a word to Clara?
"Oh, of course not."
"Well" He twisted around In his
chair the better to faco her. "To-morrow
there will bo published a reward
of $20,000 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 Bee why you and the major
should have been so mysterious about
that."
"You don't, eh? Suppose you had
taken the ring wouldn't it malto a dif
ference to you If you knew 24 hours
ahead that a reward of $20,000 would
be published? Wouldn't you expect
every man's hand to be against you
at that price? If you had a pal,
wouldn't you be afraid he'd sell you
up?"
Flora leaned forward with knitted
brows. "Yes, I can see that, but still,
Just among ourselves, this morning"
Harry smiled. "You've lost sight of
the fact that It Is Jnst among our
selves the thing has happened."
"Oh, oh! Now you're ridiculous!"
"I might be, if the thing had hap
pened any where but in this town;
but think a moment. How much do
we know of the people we meet,
where they were, who they were, be
fore they came here? There's a caBe
In point. It was not quite 'among our
selves' this morning."
"Harry, how horrid of you!" She
was on the point of declaring that she
knew Kerr very well Indeed; but she
remembered this Jnlght not be the
thing to say to Harry.
"My dear girl, I'm not saying any
thing against him. I only remarked
that we did not know him."
"Don't you, Harry?"
He gave her a quick look. . "Why,
what put that Into your head?"
"I I don't know. I thought you
looked at htm very hard last night in
the picture gallery. And afterward,
at supper, don't you remember, you
did not want me to mention your con
nection with something or other he
was talking about?"
"Something or other he was talking
about?" Harry inquired with a frown
ing smile.
"I think it was about that embassy
ball"
"I didn't want you to mention the
embassy Jiall?" he repeated, and now
he was only smiling. "My dear child,
surely you are dreaming."
She looked at him with the bewild
ered feeling that he was flatly con
tradicting himself. And yet she could
remember he bad not shaken his head
at her. He had only nodded. Could
it be that her cherished Imagination
had played her a trick at last? But
the next moment it occurred to her
that somehow she had been led away
from her first question.
"Then have you seen him, Harry?"
she Insisted.
"No!" He jerked It out so sharply
that it startled her, but she stuck to
her subject.
"And you wouldn't have minded my
telling him you had been at that
ball?"
There was a pause while Harry
looked at the fire. Then "Look
here," he burst out, "did he ask you
about it?" '
"Oh, no," she protested. "I only Just
happened to wonder."
He stared at her as if he would
have liked to shake, her. But then
he rose from his frowning attitude be
fore the Are, 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 eyes. She heard only his voice,
very low, with a caressing note that
she hardly knew as Harry's.
"Tf lan't that f rnr what v, n
him. The fact is, Flora, I suppose
I was a little jealous, but I naturally
don't like the suggestion that you
would discuss me with a stranger."
She raised her eyes. . "Certainly I
ball not discuss you with him.'
"Is that a promise?"
"Harry, how you do dislike him!"
"Well, suppose I do?" he shrugged.
"You've used up twice your 20 min
utes," she said, "and Clara will be
scandalized.
"Now, really, you must go home,"
Bhe urged, trying to rise.
"Hut look here," he protested, still
on the arm of her chair, "there's on
other thing I want to ask you about."
And by the tip of one Anger he lifted
her left hand shining with rings.
"You will have to have another one
of these, you know. It's been on my
mind for a week. Is there any sort
you haven't already?"
She held up her hand to the light
and fluttered Its glitter.
"Any one that you gave me would
b3 different from the others, wouldn't
It?" she asked prettily.
"Oh, that's very nice of you, Flora,
but I want to find you something
new. When shall we look for it? To
morrow, in the morning?"
"Yes, I should love It,"- she an
swered, but with no particular en
thusiasm, for the Idea .pf shopping
with Harry, and shopping at Shrove's,
did not present a wide fleld of possi
bility. "But I have a luncheon to-morrow,"
she added, "so we must make It
as early as ten."
"Oh, you two!"
" At Clara's mildly reproving voice so
close beside them both started like
conspirators. They hnd not heard her
come In, yet there she was. Just in
side the doorway, still wrapped in
her cloak. But there was none of the
Impetus of arrpBted motion In her at
titude. She stood at repose as if she
might have waited not to Interrupt
them.
"Don't scold Flora," said Harry,
rlalng. "It's my fault. She sent me
away half nn hour ago. But it Is so
comfortable here!"
Flora couldn't toll whether he was
simply natural, or whether he was giv
ing this domestic color to their Inter
view on purpose. She rather thought
It was the latter.
"To-morrow nt ten, then!" he said
cheerfully to Flora. The stiff curtains
rustled behind him and the two wom
en were left together.
CHAPTER VI.
Clack Magic.
Tlio memory of Clara's Incredulous
g'.nnco remained with her as some
thing curious, and she was not unpre
pared to be challenged when, the next
morning, she hurried down the hall,
drawing on her gloves. Clara's door
did open, but the lady herself, yawn
ing lightly on the threshold,, had this
tlrao no questions for her. "Remem
ber the luncheon," she advised, "and
by the way, Ella wants us to sit in
their box to-night. Don't forget to tell
Harry."
Flora threw back a gay "All right,"
but Bhe -was In danger of forgetting
even the object of their errand, once
she and Harry 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 Blow-crawling little car.
It was a continuous progress back
ward toward the old, the original
town. There was no stately nucleus.
This town was a succession of widen
ing ripples of progress, each newer,
more polished than the last, but not
"Harry, How You
!
different In quality from the old cen
ter that still teemed a region of frail
wooden rookeries full of foreign con-,
tending interests, haunted with the
adventures of its feverish past It
had built itself on the hopes of a mo
ment, and what spread from it still
was the spell of the new, the chang
ing, and the reckless.
And now, as they slipped down the
long decline Into the foreign quarter
the pungent oriental breath of China
town was blown up to them. She
breathed it in readily. It was pleas
ant because it was strange, outland
ish, suggesting a wide web of life be
yond her own knowledge. She won
dered what llrirry was thinking of it
as he sat with his passive profile
turned from her to the heathen street
ahead. She guessed, by the curl of
his nostril, that it was only present
to him as an unpleasant odor to be
got through as quickly as possible;
but she was wrong. He had another
thought. This time, oddly enough, a
thought for her.
He gave it to her presently, abrupt,
matter-of-fact, material. "That Chi
nese goldsmith down there has good
stuff now and then. How'd you like
to look in there before we go on to
what-you-call-'cm's the regular
place?"
"You mean for a ring?" She was
doubtful only of his being In earnest
"You have so many of the Shrove
kind," he explained. "I thought you
might like It. Flora; you're so ro
mantic!" he laughed.
"Like It!" she cried, too touched nt
his thought for her to resent the Im
putation. "I should love it! But I
dliin't know they had such things."
"Now and then though it Is a rare
chance."
"But that will bo Just the fun of It,"
she hastened, half afraid lest Harry
should change his mind, "to see if we
can possibly find one that will be dif
ferent from all these others."
She kept this llttlo feeling of explo
ration close about her, as they left the
car, a block above the green trees of
the plaza, and entered one of the nar
row streets, that was not even a cross
street, but an nlley, running to a bag's
end, with balconies, green railings and
narcissi taking the sun.
A slant-eyed baby In a mauve blouse
stared after them; and a white face
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. His
big presence, moving agilely beside
her, seemed to All the street with its
strength, as If, by merely flinging out
his arms, Samson-llke, he could burst
the dark walls asunder.
(TO BE CONTINUED.)
The Reason Why.
"Can you tell me why singers and
actresses make farewell tours?"
"That's the reason that they may
fare well."
Do Dislike Hlml"