Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-10-09
The Daughter of David Kerr
By HARRY KING TOOTLE
Illustrations by Ray Waite
Copyright BY a. c. NcCIarg & Co.. 1914

however, Miss Piper had an engage
ment. When several other days were
mentioned she had engagements for
! those also. Could she have been made
to accept Gloria, the task of conquer
ing Belmont would instantly become
/ less arduous. Her father was head of
! the great Piper Mining company, and
| her family was looked upon az one OF
/ the most exclusive in the whole state.
II Laura Piper would, she could make
! it extremely pleasant for Gloria. But
| Laura Piper had her own way and her
/ fanily's ideas about the Kerr breed,
and no matter how nice Gloria might
| be, she was still her fathers daugh-
| ter
Mrs. Gilbert reported her lack of
/ success to her husband on his return
| from his first trip to Chicago, and he
mentioned it, almost casually, to Da-
! vid Kerr when they met the next day.
! The boss inquired the particulars, but
made no comment. That he was not
unmindful Of the episode DEVELOPED
| two days later when the Piper Coal
| company received a complaint from
| the secretary Of the school board that
there was an undue quantity of slate
! in the last coal furnished the public
| schools. While worrying with this, the
! company's legal department sent word
to the president that the city solicitor
| had just notified the company that one
/ OF the important spurs into an uptown
| coal yard crossed a street without au-
| thOrity Of law.
Old man Piper sWore by all the gods
| in mythology that it was the worst
| outrage ever perpetrated upon him in
| all his business life. He had but day
| or two to catch his breath before Mrs.
/ Gilbert telephoned at the dinner hour
/ asking Laura to luncheon the next day.
| The whole thing dawned on him when
| Laura 1ounced back from the tele-
! phone and announced petulantly that
she would not meet that odious Gloria
| Kerr. He said nothing until after din
ner, then calling Laura aside he or
dered her to telephone Mrs. Gilbert
and withdraw her refusal His pocket
book having been hit, Piper was will
ing to make some sacrifice to deter.
mine the reason and what he was 70
expect in the way of further attat K.
He kept his <nouth closed and waited.
Laura returned from the luncheon
with a favorable opinion of Gloria. but
she could not forget her parentage.
Upon beiGg questioned she told her IA
Their she did not care to put Gloria on
her visiting list.
Suppose l have some one to visit
me who asks: Who is that girl you
introduced me to?' complained Laura.
And I'll have to say: That's Gloria
Kerr, the boss daughter Then what
will the visiting girl think Of Belmont
society, and what will she think of
nc? I'm sure | would be surprised if
gent to visit anyone and they intro
dUced me to the son or daughter of a
nan like Kerr"
Laura" answered her father, 81
mink you'd better go down to New
York for a couple of months"
And two days later Laura went, aft
er having called when Gloria was not
at home. She never knew why her IA
Their urged her to go.
Piper felt it would be cheaper to pay
the expense of a New York trip than
to have his company stand the continu-
Gus annoyance by which it could be
worried, if what he suspected was true.
When he inquired about coal fpr the
school board the complaint depart
ment reported that the secretary had
been Modified but hoped it would not
happen again. AS for the city solicitor,
the legal department refraineC from
asking anything about the track across
the street and that official never wrote
again
Old man Piper kept his moutE shut,
but he knew he had been taught
lesson.
Kerr was keeping a sharp eye on
things, but his hand was suspected
rather thar seen in any move that was
made. As the time for the ball ap-
preached, ais rheumatism troubled
him more and more, and upon the adj
vice of DR.. Hayes he decided to so to
Esmeralda Springs to drink the wa
ter Sam Hayes took him down and
came back with the comforting report
that he was already better. He was