River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-10-09


fly her own curiosity now that she had
told him something about herself.
Only month or So"
Il think it's the queerest thing in
the world that we should meet mere
of all Places What are you doing
here?"
And then Wright lied. He did not
have time to consider what might be
the ethics of the case. He listened to
his heart, which may have made HIM a
traitor to himself, and answered
promptly:
1--WE been doing some magazine
writing and an occasional bit of news
paper and similar work"
Had he been asked he could not
have explained why he had not replied
just as promptly that he was the own
er of the Belmont News. What the
real reason was he could not even ex-
plain to himself. Earlier in the eve
ming he had talked glibly of news
paper and it's duty, and here an hour
later he was denying his own under
the fire of a pair of laughing eyes
Gloria, whose ideas of business were
as vague as her notions of politics or
esoteric Buddhism, accepted his expla-
nation as adequate; especially since
she recalled that when in Europe he
had been writing some magazine ar
ticles about the tariff. Since she never
thought about the matter at all she
never thought it strange that Belmont
should be the place for suck 3bors.
Have you ever been to Locust
Lawn" was her next question.
Il have that pleasure in store for
me-"
This pleased her. Even before he
came there were many little things
she could do to make the house appear
to better advantage. Although he his
not yet made explanation Of his fail
ure to come to Paris, she found her
self anxious to have hAN once more
on the old footing OF Intimate friend
ship.
Are you the same as in the mad
old, glad old Paris days?" he asked.
She parried the question with an
other.
Are your"
'In some respects-only more 500
That's riddle. l hate riddles
AS he made no reply to this, she went
on after the pause of which he had not
taken advantage. Il hope we meet
accidentally as often as you met our
party abroad"
Was it accident?" he made bold to
ask.
Wasn't it? You pretended 1t was. y
Then the mischievous little spirit that
ruled her tongue forced her to say, 81
don't blame you; l think Annabel
Hitchcock is a beautiful girl We all
know you were crazy about her.
WAS II" Rising infection.
Weren't your" Also rising inflec-
ton.
'Ill admit followed your party
he conceded.
Nov we're g@tting at the truth of
the matter" she replied triumphantly
She felt she was teasing him, and she
enjoyed it. But why didn't you come
on to Paris as you promised us? I'd
like to know why we suddenly lost
you. Was it another girl even prettier
than Annabel?"
He did not join her when she
laughed at the picture she had painted
All the light joyousness, the first
which had been his since he had come
to Belmont, died out of his face as he
answered:
After the Rhine l had hoped to
meet you in Paris again looked
forward to it as the beginning OF an
other happy time. And then, in Lon
don, l received a cable-my mother
was dying"
NO." protested the girl, her eyes
wide with pity.
Il had just time to catch the express
for Liverpool that would put me
aboard a liner an hour before she
sailed Miss Kerr, know l thought OF
Paris, but things all seemed blurred
to me, and so the message had
planned to you-not to Miss Hitchcock
was never sent"
My poor friend"
4 reached America too late"
I'm so sorry" she sighed.
He had told the whole story. There
was nothing more to say.
Both sat gazing into the open fire
busy with the thoughts of life and
death. At last Gloria said quietly
with no more movement than if her
thoughts had of themselves become
vocal:
Tell me of your mother. I never
knew my mother, and so l envy you
You loved herr"
Il loved her." he began. OF his
own affairs he seldom spoke, yet here
was one who by her very presence
made him glad to tell his story, and
glad that it was story he could tel
with pride "Son never loved mother
more. And never did a son owe q
mother more than | owed mine.
never knew my father. He was a good
man, but not provident. When he died
mother found she had to support her
self and me, an only child. o Miss
Kerr, if you knew the bitterness OF
! that struggle as I know it your heart
would ache, too, at thought Of it,
He paused, but something clutched
at Gloria's throat. She could not
speak.
If mother could have fault, 4
was her pride of me. l suppose when
all the things she had planned for her
self came to naught at my fathers
death she centered everything on me
1t wasn't right, of course, because
wasn't worth it. but 1 tried, always