River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-09-11
CHAPTER /.

The surprise which Gloria knew ner
unexpected arrival would occasion
was even greater than she could i'm
agine Several things had happened
In Belmont recently to disturb David
Kerr, and he was in no frame OF mind
for further complications.
The stock-yards company was be-
ginning to hint at certain favors 1t
wished extended, and with an election
coming on, Kerr was in no mood for
such concessions. Worse still, the
Belmont News had just changed own
ership, and the new editor was not
displaying that subservient fealty
which had characterized all Belmont
papers In the past. Already the News
was swapping at his heels and asking
questions which were extremely point
ed. To have Gloria descend upon him
at such time was too much for even
David Kerr. His mastery of the sitL-
alton caused him to have no great
fear for the stockyard demands and
the newspaper outcrys vexing prob
lens though they were, but Gloria
Gloria in Belmont-was quite another
proposition.
Father, this is Gloria" explained
David Kerr's daughter when she had
established telephone connection with
Locust Lawn.
"Gloria!" he exclaimed. Where
are you?"
Here. in Belmont, at the station.
| just came"
How did 1t happen? wasn't look
Ing for you"
Aren't you glad to see me?"
Glad to see you? OF course am,
but It's a surprise. When did you
come? How do you happen to be
here? Why didn't you let me know?"
i wanted to surprise you," she
laughed. "Annabel Hitchcock's aunt
died, so we couldn't go to California.
| had nothing else to do, so / came
home. Wasn't that right?"
Exactly, exactly. But it's a bad
time to come to Belmont"
Il don't care, I'm SO glad to be
home. How do | get out to Locust
Lawn"
You can't well wait there for me
to come in for you. Take a carriage
and tell the driver you want to go to
the end of the Townsend Park car
line. Wait for me in the drug store.
I'll get there almost as soon as you
do"
Hurry, father, because I'm so anx-
ious 70 see you. It's been an age
since r." you, and you know I don't
know thing about Belmont. I'm just
dying to meet everybody, and then
I'll ask some of the girls out to visit
me-"
We'll talk that over after awhile"
was his noncommittal response. Wait
for me at the drug store. Good-by."
The carriage drive through Belmont
and Townsend Park, suburb, was of
educational value. 1t gave her an in
creasing respect for Belmont AL
though there was no remarkable resi-
dCnce district. there were occas oEal
homes which denoted refinement as
well as comfortable circumstances.
This was not in keeping with what
David Kerr's daughter had been
taught about her fathers town. The
number of automobiles also surprised
ner. by the time Sne reached the
place appointed for her meeting with
her father there was not so much of
condescension in her attitude toward
Belmont.
This changing viewpoint did not
mean a diminution of enthusiasm.
More than anything else it spurred
her curiosity. She realized that the
real Belmont was an advance over
what she had been led to expect, just
how much only dip into the social
whirl could reveal. The pleasurable
part of it all was that Gloria was still
queen by right of inheritance. If the