Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-21
CHAPTER XXXVI

n HILDREDS mother arrived the
wi following afternoon. Mildred
and Gordon met her at the train
in Gordon's big ear. Mrs. Deery was
considerably surprised to see him, as
she had no idea he was in the noun
tain region. She was also surprised
when Mildred said:
Wasn't it nice Of Gordon to meet
you in this great big carr"
1T was very kind Of him, / am
sure" replied Mrs Deery. But she
gave her daughter a curious look.
"Oh, / know what you mean. moth
err laughed Mildred. yes, he calls
me Mildred and / don't recall that he
asked permission to do So and in
self-defense / have to call him Cor
don"
Mildred was on the point of telling
her mother another intimate piece of
news concerning Gordon Kelly and
herself, but she decided to wait until
a later time. As It turned out she
kept her secret for many weeks She
had never deceived her mother and
when she talked the matter over with
her conscience that night, she told
herself she was not deceiving her
now; she was simply keeping a secret
and Withholding some important in
formation for the time being.
The days that followed her moth
er's coming were the happiest Of Mil
dreds life. and Of Gordon's, too Mrs
Deery quickly saw the turn affairs
had taken that Is to say, she saw the
turn but she did not see all the way
he N
young people were much taken up
with each other, but she did not know
there had been an avowal. She had
always liked Gordon and after Mil
dred had told her his life story and
she had learned of his people and
saw the great mansion he lived in,
she liked him all the more. She GER
tainly made no move to stop the
friendship between her daughter and
Gordon Kelly. At Mildred's request
she did not tell her husband Of Cor
dons presence in the mountains, on
the ground that the news might leak
out and make things very annoying
for everybody concerned.
A Happy Month.
And so the days passed swiftly by.
Mrs Deery and Mildred were frequent
guests at the mansion, and some of
the dinners that were served there
We're marvels of good cooking and
good taste Gordon had kept up the
establishment just his parents had.
A happy month passed. One day
! Gordon telephoned to Mildred that
some repairs were necessary to a part
of the telephone system ON the es-
tate, and as he was the only cleo
trician on the place he begged for
enough time off to mend things.
With Steve TO help him he started
off up the brook and after a welk
of of more than a mile came to the
box that was out of order He eN-
amined IL carefully. There were evil
dences that il had been tempered
with and he puzzled his brain TO
account for it. Who could have done
il? Certainly no one connected with
the estate
a peculiar tool which he did not
have with him was necessary in or
der to make the repairs and he sent
Steve back to fetch il, While the
boy was on his errand Gordon's at
tentiou was attracted to a gathering
Of dark and angry clouds away off
to the southwest. As they grem to
inky hlackness and gray edges be-
gan to FORM his practiced eye told
him that a storm of magnitude was
brewing. As ne SlOoN viewing l1lt
phenomena there suddenly came from
the clouds q binding flash of light
ming, followed by the crash and deaf
ening roar Of thunder that could be
heard for miles around. Instantly
there shot out of the clouds a Will
ing. comiCal mass. The huge, black
cone of clouds struck the earth and
swept up the valley. sucking into its
vortex everything with which it came
in contact, uprooting trees and clear
ing the land as If everything were
moved down by a mammoth scythe
in the hands of the gaint, Antaeus.