cvyfwtr 7W9 Ay
WKW-.SfJtJlL CO.
t
8YN0PSIS.
At ik prlvnte view of the Chatworth
personal estate, tn he Bold nt auction, the
Chatworth ring, known as tlio Crew Idol,
mysteriously disappears. Hurry Creasy,
who was present, describes the ring to
his fiancee, I-'lora (lllsey, and her chap
eron, Mrs. Clura IJrltlon, as being like a
heathen god, with a beautiful sapphire
set In the head. Flora meets Mr. Kerr,
an Knglishman, at the club. In dis
cussing the disappearance of the ring, the
exploits of an ICngllsh thief, t'arrell
Wand, nro recalled. Flora has a fancy
that Harry nnd Kerr know something
about the mystery. Kerr tells Flora that
he has met Harry somewhere, but eannot
place him. I'.'O.KIO reward Is offered for
the return of the rlntr. Hurry admits to
Flora that he dislikes Kerr. Harry takes
Flora to a Chinese goldsmith's to buy an
enajremont rinij. An exquisite sapphire
set In a hoop of brass. Is selected. Harry
urges her not to vc:ir It until It Is reset.
The possession of the ring seems to cast
a spell over Flora. She becomes uneasy
and apprehensive. Flora meets Kerr nt a
box pursy. Sho Is startled by the effect
on 1 1 1 tn when be Rets a glimpse of the
sapphire. The possibility that the stone
Is part of the Crew Idol cnuses Flora
much anxiety. Unseen, Flora discovers
Clara ransacking her dressing room.
Flora refuses to give or sell the stone to
Kerr, and suspects him of being the thief.
Flora's Interest In Korr Increases. She
decides to return the ring to Harry, but
he tells her to keep it for a day or two.
Ella Bnller tells Flora that Clara Is set
ting her cap for her father, Judge. Huller.
CHAPTER XIV. (Continued.)
"Well, I'll let you know If it makes
any difference," said Ella hopefully.
Flora knew that nothing either of
them could say would make any dif
ference to Clara, or turn her from the
thing, she was pursuing; but by speak
ing she might at least find out if
Judge Buller himself were really her
object.
The bells and whistles of one
o'clock were making clangor as she
ran up the steps of her house again.
In the hall Shlma presented her with
a card. She looked at It with a quick
ening pulse. "Is he waiting?"
"No, madam. Mr. Kerr baa gone.
He waited half an hour."
Down went her spirits again. Yet
surely after their last Interview she
ought "not to be eager, to meet him
again. "In the morning," she thought,
"and waited half an hour. How he
must have wanted to see me!" She
didn't know whether she liked that or
not. "When did he come?"
"At 11 o'clock."
At this she was frightened; he had
missed Harry by less than half an
hour.
"He waited all that time alone?"
"No. Mr. Cressy came."
Flora felt a cold thrill in her nerves.
Then Harry had come back! What
bad he come for?
"Ho also would wait," the Japanese
explained.
Flora gasped. "They waited to
gether!" The Japanese shook his head. "They
went away together."
She didn't believe her ears. "Mr.
Kerr went away with Mr. Cressy?"
The Japanese seemed to revolve the
problem of mastery. "No, Mr. Cressy
accompanied Mr. Kerr. He had made
a delicate oriental distinction. It put
the whole thing before her in a mo
ment. Harry had been the resistant,
and the other with his brilliant initi
ative attacking, always attacking
when he should have been hiding, had
carried him off. What had he done,
and how had he managed, when Har
ry must have had such pressing rea
sons for wanting to stay? Ah, she
knew only too well Kerr's exquisite
knowledge of managing; but why must
he mako such a reckless exposure of
himself? Did ho supposo Harry was
to bo managed? Had he no Idea where
Harry stood in this affair? In pity's
name, didn't he know that Harry had
seen him before had seen him un
der circumstances of which Harry
wouldn't talk?
CHAPTER XV.
A Lady In Distress,
She had returned, ready for pitched
battle with Clara, and on the threshold
there had met her the very turn In
the affair that she had dreaded all
along the setting of Kerr and Harry
upon each other.
These were two whom she had kept
apart even in her mind the man to
whom sho was pledged, with whom
she had supposed herself In love, and
the man for whom she was flying In
the face of all her traditions. She
had not scrutinized the reason of her
extraordinary behavior; not since
that-dreadful day when the vanishing
mystery had taken positive form in
him had she dared to think how she
felt about Kerr. She had only acted,
acted; only asked herself .what to do
next, and never why; only taken his
cause upon herself and made It her
own, as if that was her natural right.
She could hardly believe that it was
she who had let herself go to this ex
tent. All her life she had been do
cile to public opinion, bowing to con
ventions, respectful of those legal and
moral rules laid down by some rigid
material spirit lurking in mankind.
But now when the moment had come,
when the responsibility had de
scended upon her, she found that
these things bad in no way persuaded
her.
Then this wai herself, a creature
too much concerned with the primal
harmonies of life to be impressed by
the modulations her decade set upos
them. This was that self which she
had obscurely cherished as no more
real than a fairy; but at Kerr's accla
mation It had proclaimed itself more
real than flesh and blood, and Kerr
himself the most real thing In all her
life.
Then what was Harry? The bland
Implacable pronouncement of Shlma
had summoned him up to stand beside
Kerr more clearly than her own eyes
could have shown him
Kerr, with his brilliant Initiative,
might carry him off, but Kerr was
still the quarry. For had not Harry,
from the very beginning, known
something about him? Hadn't he at
first denied having seen him before,
and then admitted it? Hadn't he
dropped hints and Innuendoes without
ever an explanation? 8he remember
ed the singular fact of the embassy
ball, twice mentioned, each time with
that singular name of Farrell Wand.
And to know If that was what Harry
knew that a man of such fame was
In a community where a ring of such
fame had disappeared what further
proof was wanted?
Then why didn't Harry speak? And
what was going on on his side of the
affair? Harry's side would have been
her side a few dayB before. Now, un
accountably, it was not. Nor was
Kerr's side hers either. She was
standing between the two standing
hesitating between her love of one
and her loyalty to the other and what
he represented. The power might be
hers to tip the scales Harry held,
either to Kerr's undoing, or to his
protection. At least she thought she
might protect him, If she could dis
cover Harry's secret. Her special,
authorized relation to him her right
to see him often, question him freely
even cajole should make that easy.
Dut she shrank from what seemed like
betrayal, even though she did not be
tray him to Kerr by name.
Then, on the other hand, she doubt
ed how much she could do with Har
ry. She wasn't sure how far she was
prepared to try him after that scene
of theirs. She had no desire to pique
him further by seeing too much of
Kerr. On her own account she wanted
for the present to avoid Kerr. He
roused a feeling In her that she fear
ed a feeling intoxicating to the
senses, dazzling to the mind, unknit
tlng to the will. How could she tell,
If they were loft alone, that she might
not take the jewel from her neck, at
his request, and hand it to him and
damn them both? If only she could
escape seeing him altogether until
she could find out what Harry was do
ing and what she must do!
Meanwhile, there was her promise
to Klla. She recalled It with difficul
ty. It seemed a vague thing in the
light of her latest discovery, though
she could never meet Clara In disa
greement without a qualm. But she
made the pHnge that evening, before
Clara left l'or the Hullers', while she
was at ner dressing-table In the half
disarray which brings out all the soft
ness and the disarming physical
charm of women. From her low chair
Flora spoke laughingly of Ella's per
turbation. Clara paused, with the
powder puff in her hand, while she
listened to Flora's explanation of how
Ella feared thnt some one might, aft
er all these years, be going to marry
Judge Duller. Who this might be she
did not even hint at. She left It ever
so sketchy. But the little stare with
which Clara met it, the amusement,
the surprise, and the shortest possible
little laugh, were guarantee that Clara
had seen it all. She had filled out
Flora's sketch to the full outline, and
pronounced it, as Flora had, an ab
surdity. But though Clara had
laughed, she had gone away with her
delicate brows a little drawn together,
as if she'd really found more than a
laugh, something worth considering,
In Ella's state of mind.
She heard tho wheels of Clara's de
parting conveyance. Now was her
chance for an' interview with Harry.
She spent SO minutes putting together
three sentences that would not arouse
his suspicions. She made two copies,
a:4 sent them by separate messen
gers, one to his rooms, one to the
club, with orders they be brought
back if he was not there to receive
them. Then the business of wait
ing in the large house full of echoes
and the round ghostly globes of elec
tric lights, with that thing around
her neck for which did they but
know of It half the town would break
In her windows and doors.
The wind traveled the streets with
out, and shook the window-casings.
She cowered over the library fire,
listening. The leaping flames set her
shadow dancing like a goblin. A bell
rang, and the shadow and the flame
gave a higher leap as it In welcome of
what had arrived. She went to the
library door. In the glooms and lights
outside Shlma was standing, and two
messengers. It was odd that both
should arrive at once. She stepped
back and stood waiting with a quicker
pulse. Shlma entered with two let
ters upon his tray. She had a mo
ment's anxiety lest both her notes had
been brought back to her, but no the
envelope which lay on top showed
Harry's writing. She tore it open
hastily. Harry wrote that he would
be delighted, and might he bring a
friend with him; a bully fellow whom
he wanted her to meet? He added
she might send over for some girl and
they could have a Jolly little party.
Flora looked at this communication
blankly. Was Harry, who had always
jumped at the chance of a tete-a-tete,
dodging her? In ter astonishment
be let the other envelope fall. She
stooped, and then for a moment re
mained thus, bent above it The
superscription was not hers. The note
was not addressed to Harry, but to
her, and in a handwriting she bad
never seen before!
Again the peal of the electric bell.
Shlma appeared with a third envel
ope. This time it was her own note
returned to her. With the feeling she
was bewitched she took up the mys
terious letter from the floor and open
ed it. She read the Btrange handwrit
ing: May I see you, anywhere, nt any time,
to-nisht? ROBERT KERR.,
It was. as if Kerr himself had en
tered the room, masked and muffled
beyong recognition, and then, face to
face with her, let fall his disguise.
She gazed at the words, at the signa
ture, thrilled and frightened. She
looked at Harry's note, hesitated;
caught a glimpse of the two messen
gers waiting stolidly in the hall.
Waiting for answers! Answers to
such communications! She made a
dash for the table where were pens
and Ink and on one sheet scrawled:
"Certainly. Bring him," appending
her Initials; on the other the word
"Impossible," and her full name. Then
she hurried the letters into Shlma's
hands, lest her courage should fall
her lest she should regret her choice.
"Anywhere, at any time, to-night,"
she repeated softly. Why, the man
must be mad! Yet sho permitted her
self a moment of imagining what
might have been if her answers had
been reversed.
But no, she dared not meet Kerrs
impetuous attacks yet First she
must get at Harry. And how was
that to be managed if he Insisted on
surrounding himself with "a Jolly lit
tle party?"
She found a moment that evening
In which to ask him to walk, out to
the Presidio with her the next morn
ing. But he was going to Bur
lingame on the early train. Ho was
woefully sorry. It was ages since he
hnd had a moment with her alone, but
at least he would see her that even
ing. She had not forgotten? They
were going to that dinner and then
the reception afterward? Her sus
picion that he was deliberately dodg
ing wavered before his boyish, cheer
ful, unconscious face. And yet, fol
lowing on tho heels of his tendency
to question and coerce her, this reti
cence was amazing. The next day
would be lost with Harry beyond
reach 12 hours while Kerr was at
tho mercy of chance, and she was at
the mercy of Kerr.
Yet when his card was brought up
to her the next morning she looked at
the printed name as wistfully as If It
had been his face. It cost an effort
to send down the cold fiction that she
was not at home, and she could not
deny herself the consolation of lean
ing on the baluster of the second
landing, nnd listening for his step In
the hall below. But there was no move
ment. Could It be possible be was
wailing for her to come in? Hush!
that was the drawing-room door, nut
instead of Kerr, Shlma emerged. He
was heading for the stair with his lit
tle silver tray and upon it a note.
Oh, Impudence! How dared he give
her the He. by the hand of her own
butlor! She stood her ground, and
Shlma delivered the missive as If it
were most usual to And one's mistress
beflounced in peignoir and petticoats,
hanging breathless over the baluster.
"Quite 8oI" 8ald Harry,
"Take that back," she said coldly,
"and tell him that I am out; and,
Shlma," she addressed the man's in
telligence "make him understand it."
She watched the note departing.
How she longed to call Shlma back
and open it! There was a pause
then Kerr emerged from the drawing
room. As he crossed the hall he
glanced up at the stair and as much
as was visible of the landing. He had
not taken Shlma's word for It, after
all!
The vestibule door closed noiseless
ly after blm, the outer door shut with
a heavy sound. Yet before that sound
had ceased to vibrate, she heard it
shut again. Was he coming back?
There was a presence in the vestibule
very vaguely seen through the glass
and lace of the inner door. Her heart
beat with apprehension. The door
opened upon Clara.
Flora precipitately retreated. She
was more disturbed than relieved by
the unexpected appearance. For Clara
must have seen Kerr leave the house.
Three times now within three days he
had been found with her or waiting
for her. She wondered If Clara would
ask her awkward questions. But
Clara, when she entered Flora's dressing-room
a few moments later with
the shopping-list, instead of a ques
tion, offered a statement
"I don't like than man," she an
nounced. "Who?"
"That Kerr. I met him Just now
on the steps. Don't you feel there is
something wrong about him?"
"Oh, I don't know," said Flora
vaguely.
Clara gave her a bright glance.
"But you weren't at home to him."
"I'm not at home to any one this
morning," Flora answered evasively,
feeling the probe of Clara's eyes. "I'm
feeling ill. I'm not going out this
evening, either. I think I'll ring up
Burlingame and tell Harry." It was
In her mind that she might manage
to make him stay with her while
Clara went on to the reception.
"Burlingame! Harry!" Clara
echoed in surprise. "Why, he's In
town. I saw him just now as I was
coming up."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. He was walking up Clay from
Kearney. 1 was in the car."
"Why thnt that Is" Kiora stam
mered In her surprise, "Thon some
thing must have kept him," she al
tered her sentence quickly. But
though this seemed tho probable ex
planation she did not believe It. Harry
walking toward Chinatown, when ho
had told her distinctly ho would be
In Burlingame! She thought of the
goldsmith shop and thero returned to
her the memory of how Harry and the
blue-eyed Chinaman had looked when
she had turned from the window and
seen them standing together la the
back of the shop.
"You do look 111," Clara remarked.
"Why don't you stay In bed and not
try to see any one?"
Flora murmured that that was her
intention, but she was far from speak
ing the truth. She only waited to
make sure of Clara's being In her own
rooms to get out of the house and
telephone to Harry.
It was not far to the nearest booth,
a block or two down the cross street.
She rang, first, the office. The word
came back promptly In his partner's
voice. He had gone to Burlingame
. tho narlv "' It was the same
with a Straight Look at Kerr.
at the clrY Ho must be in town, then,
on secret business
She walked rapidly. In her excite
ment, turning the troubling question
over in her mind. She did not realize
how far she had gone until some girl
she knew, passing and nodding to her,
called her out of her reverie. She
was almost In front of the University
club. A few blocks more and she
would be In the shopping district She
hesitated, then decided that it would
be better to walk a little further and
take a cross-town car.
A group of men was leaving the
club. Two lingered on the steps, the
other coming quickly out At sight of
him, she averted her face, and.hurry
Ing, turned the corner and walked
down a block. Her heart was beating
rapidly. What If he had seen her!
She looked about there was no cab
in sight the best thing to do was to
slip into one of the crowded shops,
full of women, and wait until the dan
ger had passed. Once Inside the
door of the nearest she felt herself,
with relief, only one of a horde of
prlcers, lookers and buyers. She felt
as If she had lost her Identity. She
went to the nearest counter and asked
for veils. Partly concealed behind
the bulk of the woman next her, she
kept her eye on the door. She saw
Kerr come In. How absurd to think
that she could escape him! She turned
her back and waited a moment or
two, still hoping he might pass her
by. Then she heard his voice be
hind her:
"Well, this Is luck!"
She was conscious of giving him a
limp hand. He sat down on the vacant
stool next her, laughing.
"You are a most remarkably fast
walker," he observed.
"I had to buy a veil," Flora mur
mured.
"Has It taken you all the morn
ing?" She could Bee she had not fooled
him.
"I had a great many other things
to do." She was resolved not to ad
mit anything.
"No doubt, hut I wanted to see you
very much last night, and again this
morning, I may see you this even
ing, perhaps?" He was grave now.
She saw that he awaited her answer
In anxiety.
"Hut " she hesitated Just a mo
ment 'too long before she added, "I'm
going out this evening."
She started nervously to rise.
"Wnit," he Bald In a voice that was
audible to the shop girl, "your pack
age has not come."
She looked nt him helplessly, bo at
tractive and so Inimical to her. He
swung around, back to the counter,
and lowered his voice. "Did you know
I called upon you yesterday morning,
also?" he asked.
She nodded.
"Mr. Cressy and I waited for you to
gether. Did he mention It to you?"
"No." Her lips let the word out
slowly.
"That's a reticent friend of yours!
The exclamation, nnd the truth of it,
put her on her guard.
"I can't discuss him with you," she
said coldly.
"Yet no doubt you have discussed
me with him?"
"Never!"
"You haven't told him anything?"
The Incredulity, the amazement of his
face put before her, for the first time,
how extraordinary her conduct must
seem. What could he think of her?
What construction would he put upon
it? She blushed, neck to forehead
and her voice was scarcely audible as
she answered "No."
But at that small word his whole mood
warmed to her. "Why, then," he be
gan eagerly, "If Cressy doesn't
know "
"Oh, but he " Flora Btopped In ter
ror of herself. "I can't talk of him,
I must not. Don't ask me!" she lm-
plored, "and please, please don't come
to my house again!"
He gave his head a puzzled, Inv
patient shake. "Then where am I to
see you?"
"In a few days perhaps to-morrow
I will let you know." She rose. Sho
had her package now. She was get
ting back her courage. There was no
further way of keeping her.
But he followed her closely through
the crowd to the door. "Yes," he said
quickly under his breath, "In a few-
days, perhaps to-morrow, as soon as
von got rid of It, you won't mind meet
Ing me! What are you afraid of?
Surely not of me?"
She was, but hotly .denied it
"I am not afraid of you. I am
afraid of them!"
"Of them!" He peered at her.
"What are you talking about now?'
Ah, she had said too much! She
bit her Hp. They had reached the
corner, and the gliding cable car was
approaching. She turned to him with
a last appeal.
"Don't ask me anything! Don't
come with me! Don't follow me!"
Not until she was safely inside the
car did she dare look back at him
He was still on the corner, and he
raised bis bat and smiled so reassur
ingly 'that she was half-way home be
fore she realized that in spite of all
she had urged upon him, he had not
committed himself to any promise.
And yet, she thought In dismay, he
had almost made ber give away Har
ry's confidence. Sho was seeing more
and more clearly that this was the
danger of meeting blm. He always
got something out of her and never.
by chance, gave her anything In re
turn. If he should seek her to-night
she dared not be at home! Any place
would be safer than her own house.
It would be better to fulfill ber ea-
gngement and go to the reception with
Clara and Harry. That was a house
Kerr did not know.
It was awkward to have to an
nounce this sudden change of plan aft
er her pretenses of the morning, but
of late she had lived too constantly
with danger for Clara's uplifted eye
brows to daunt her. The mere trivial
act of being dressed each day was
fraught with danger. To get the sap
phire off her person before Marrlka
should appenr; to put It back some
how after Murrllta had done; to shift
It from one place to another as she
wore gowns cut high or low and
every moment In fear lest she be dis
covered In the act! This was her
dally maneuver. To-night she clasped
the chain around ber waist beneath
her petticoats.
She was ready early, In the hope
that Harry might come, as he had
been wont to do, a little before the
nppolnted hour. But be turned up
without a moment to spare. Clara was
downstairs in ber cloak when he ap
peared. There was no chance for
word at dinner. But if she could not
manage it later In the wider field of
the reception, why, then she deserved
to fall in everything.
But she found, upon their arrival,
that even this was going to be hard
to bring about. For she was Imme
diately pounced upon first, by Ella
Buller.
"Why, Flora," at the top of her
voice, "whrre have you been all these
days?" Then In a hot whisper: "Did
you speak to her? It hasn't done one
bit of good."
"I think you are mistaken," Flora
murmured. "But be careful, and let
me know " She had only time for
that broken sentence before she was
surrounded; and other voices took up
the chorus.
She realized with some alarm that
though she had forgotten her public,
It had kept its eye on her. She an
swered, laughing, that she was keep
ing Lent early, and allowed herself to
be drifted about through the crowd
by more or less entertaining people,
now and then getting glimpses of Har
ry, tracking him by his burnished
brown head, waiting her opportunity
to get him cornered. At last she saw
him making for the smoking-room. Con
necting this with the drawing-room
where she stood was a small red
lounglng-room, walls, floor and furni
ture all covered with crimson velvet
It had a third door which communi
cated Indirectly with the reception
rooms, by means of a little hall. She
was near that hall, and It would be
the work of a moment to slip by way
of It into the red room and stop Harry
on his way through. She had not
played at such a game since, as a
child, she had Jumped out on people
from dark closets, and Harry was as
much astonished as she could remem
ber they had been.
"What In the world are you doing
hero alone?" He spoke peevishly. "I
don't see how a crowd of men can
leave such a bundle of fascination at
large!"
She made him a low courtesy and
said she was preventing him from do
ing so.
"It's very good of you, and you are
very pretty, Flora," he admitted with
a grudging smile, "but I've got to see
a man in hero." His eyes went to tho
door of the smoking-room whence
was audible a discussion of voices,
and among them Judge Buller's basso.
She was between Harry and the door.
Laughingly, he made as if to put ber
asido, when the door through which
she had entered opened again sharp
ly; and Kerr came In.
"Forgive me. I followed you," he
began. Then he saw Harry. "I ha
ha I've been hunting for you, Cres
sy, all the evening!"
Harry accepted the statement with
a cynical smile. It was too evidently
not for him Kerr had been hunting,
and after tho first stammer of embar
rassment, the Englishman made no at
tempt to conceal his real intentions.
His words merely served him as an
excuse not to retreat
"This Is a good place to sit," he
said, pushing forward a chair for
Flora. She sank Into it wondering
weakly what daring or what danger
had brought him into a bouse where
he was not known, to seek her. He
sat down in' the compartment of a
double settee near her. Harry still
stood with a dubious smile on his
face. The look the two men exchanged
appeared to her a prolongment of
their earnest interrogation in the pic
ture gallery; but this time It struck
her that both carried it off less welL
Harry, especially, bore it badly.
"Did you say you were looking for
me?" he remarked. "Well, Buller'a
been looking for you. He wants to
know about some Englishman that
they're trying to put up at the club."
"How's that? Oh, yes! I remem
ber." Kerr shrugged. "Never heard
of htm at home, and can't vouch for
every fellow who comes along Just
because he is English."
"Quite so!" said Harry, with
' straight look at Kerr that made Flora
uncomfortable. -
(TO BB CONTINUES,)