The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-08-22

parade and be put in jail on bread
and water. / don't even read about
it."
Her absolute ignorance Of politics.
nothing remarkable in girl OF her
years and training, was no small grain
of comfort to her father
| 1t was not until after luncheon that
Gloria disclosed the subject nearest
her heart. Her father, like a wise
general, permitted her to open the
engagement. He had never been a
man to exert more strength than was
necessary for the discontinue. of the
| enemy. He wanted all her batteries
unmasked, all her forces engaged. be-
! fore he brought his own side into &C
| ton.
! For some time they sat in silence
| in the living room, gazing into the
open wood fire. More than once Kerr
| thought his daughter was about to
| speak, but each time she seemed to
| think better of it or else lose her
courage He knew that something
weighed on her mind.
Il know I'm going to like Belmont
very much" she ventured at last.
And / want Belmont to like me. My
coming home is different from that Of
other girls l know At Annabeps or
Jane Leigh's or any of the girls homes
We haven't been in the house ten min
utes before the telephone begins to
ring In half an hour there are enough
/ engagements to last a week. In Bel
mont | don't know any one yet.
This was not said in any tone of
complaint. She could not dream of
such thing, because her fathers 90
sition was such that her lack Of
| friends was only a temporary embar-
rassment. She knew that well enough
IF | had known that l was coming
home | would have brought some OF
the girls with me-" She did not al
low him to know that the house had
not come up to her expectations. I'm
| glad l didn't because l don't know any
one here yet, and although we'd all
be received at once ! couldn't make
it as pleasant for them as l can after
| have had an intimate knowledge OF
things. After you once introduce RE
l think l can begin to plan for the
girls. I'm under obligations to every
single girl | know | don't mean sin
gle-unmarried But l might as we'll.
because married girls don't go visit
ing around the country"
Il thought you entertained in the
east"
Il did, but girls like to get to new
place They're not looking for any
body, but the wider your territory the
more certain it is that lightning will
strike you"
You've had a pretty wide terri
tory" was her fathers dry rejoinder
But l always ran for cover when
saw a storm coming"
Il thought you'd come home en-
gagged to a duke or count at the
least Didn't you see any men you
liked?"
Il liked them ALL father, but |
haven't seen a foreigner I'd marry
They're nice enough to talk to and
dance with and to bring an ice at
ball, but no more than that. But moth
ing worries me; I'm going to stay
here and keep house for you"
1T amt much of a house, Gloria
You see, [ amt ever had any women
folk around here, and the place bout
runs itself, 'cept what the niggers
do. You won't like it, I'm afraid.
I'll like it well enough. You don't
know how I've envied other girls their
homes
q tell you what you do. Go on to
California now-I'll go with you, If
you say so. and stay till you git set
tied with some of your friends. Then
I'll come back and have the house
fixed up SOS when you come again
it'll be just what you want
Kerr felt that if he could get her
away he could see to it that she did
not return, even at the cost of his
leaving Belmont year or two sooner
than he had planned. To this sug-
gestion Gloria did not accede.
What! go away and miss all the
fun of fixing up the house, she eS-
claimed mo. sir, daddy. I'm going
to stay right here and make pies in
the morning, have teas in the after
Moons and go to the theaterS at nlght.
And you're going with me-" Kerr
made a deprecating gesture, but she
quickly overruled him. Don't say a
word You're going, and tonight's
the night we start. We're going to
the theater tonight"
Then Gloria told of a girl she had
seen on the train who had come to
Belmont to theater party She ex-
planned to her father that no occasion
would give her better opportunity
to see the Belmont of which she was
Ito be a part than that offered that
evening In all likelihood she would
meet a number of persons between
the acts. From her point of view she
suggested SO many good reasons that
her father was afraid to interpose
any objection at the time.
(TO BE Continued