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

TILDRED'S mother arrived the
wi following afternoon. Mildred
and Gordon met her at the train
In Gordon's big car. Mrs. Deery was
considerably surprised to see him, as
she had no idea ne 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
er, 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 IL 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
dred's 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
around the turn. She knew the two
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
don's 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 We're served there
We're marvels of good cooking and
good taste Gordon had kept up the
establishment Just his parents had.
\ happy month passed. One day
Gordon telephoned to Mildred that
some repairs were necessary to a part
OF the telephone system on the ea-
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 eX-
amined II carefully. There were evil
dences that 1t had been tempered
with and he puzzled his brain to
account for II. Who could have done
tt2 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 it, While the
boy was on his errand Gordon's at
tention was attracted to a gathering
OF dark and angry clouds away off
TO the southwest. As they grem to
inky blackness and gray edges be-
gan to form. his praCticed eye told
him that a storm of magnitude was
brewing As he stood viewing the
phenomena there suddenly came from
the clouds a binding flash of light
ninE. followed by the crash and deaf
eniug 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 IL came
3-, nd 81
ing the land as II everything were
moved down by a mammoth scythe
in the hands Of the gaint, Antaeus.