Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-11-27

huO", 1ITS- hayes, ne seemed 70 me
to be very much like my father"
For time she thought it over to
herself. Mrs. Hayes did not press her,
and continued to show her sympathy
by holding her hand
Yes, it would have been a lot better
had he died before l ever knew What
would have been a beautiful dream is
now only a htdeous nightmare. And
l believed in him SO, You who have
seen just a little OF him can't know
how l loved him. 1t wasn't exactly
love when we were abroad in the same
party. Yes, it was; only didn't know
it. 1t wasn't until he had gone away
and no word came from him that
knew how much he was to me. And
then I met him here. Heaven seemed
TO open for me that night"
She turned her head for minute,
and the tears began to flow. When
she began again her eyes we're still
blurred with tears.
4 can tell you, and I could tell
Mrs. Gilbert, that it's going to hurt
me lot. It's going to hurt to think
how l was deceived. l thought I was
building my house of life upon a rock,
and when the rains came l awolIe to
find the foundation was only shifting
sand"
we all have our troubles, dear"
Mrs. Hayes told her. yours may seem
hard to bear, but you must know that
life can't all be painted in rainbow
hues. I've taken you with me into
Belmont's unhappiest homes, and what
you have seen should teach you to
bear your own trials with resignation
and fOrtitude as a Christian should.
Perhaps it's not we'll to think how
much better off we are than other
people, but when we do think of it we
see that God has shown us abundant
kindness compared to that given to
others, and then our crosses are
lighter"
But I loved him SOL" cried Gloria.
burying her face in the pillow.
Mrs. Hayes could only clasp the
girls hand. The attempt to comfort
her was Improbable. Her grief was
too new, her wounds too fresh for com
fort. Longer and longer grew the in
tervals between her sobs. Finally Mrs.
Hayes thought she had fallen asleep,
but Gloria was only thinking. It came
to her that she was still young. Love
would never be hers, she was sure Of
that; but long years stretched out be
fore her She couldn't be a coward
and shirk those years. Once she had
built her house of love and life upon
the quaking sands, now she would
build her house of life upon the firm
| rock of service In ministering TO the
unfortunate, she might find surcease
for her own sorrow.
Mrs. Hayes?''
What, Gloria?"
I'm not going to let anything that
| happened today spoil my life"
! "Of course not, dear. Rain today
means sunshine tomorrow for us"
! 81 don't know about the sunshine
| but I do know that l want to go along
| just as if nothing had happened. To
morrow let's do just what we planned
to do. and the next day and the next
l want to keep busy. Can't you under
| stand?"
| Mrs. Hayes did understand, and ad
mired the girl for her bravery.
"Au right, Gloria. l think that is
| best. We weren't put into this world
to have only the. good things Of life
and shirk the bad things. We must
| take them as they come, the bad with
| the good. You are doing just what
| Mr. Wright would have you do if he
were the man you thought him an(
he had died before your wedding day
Perhaps all will come out as you once
| had planned"
The daughter of David Kerr shool
| her head
THAT can never be"
/ She said no more, and after a time
seemed to fall asleep. Mrs. Hayes un
/ clasped her hand, turned out the light
and left the room.
Through the windows streamed the
moonlight. The girl assured that she
was alone, turned on her side anC
watched the beams creep slowly across
the room.
What a food of memories the moon
light brought!
Those first nights on shipboard haC
| been under a silver moon that sheC
its rays upon silver sea. Those night:
In France a month later had been I'm
der moon no less gorgeous. Their
had come the Rhine and there, too
had been moonlight.
She tried to think of him as he haC
been and not as he was. In him sht
had found every good trait a MAJ
should have. She was chagrined Il
think how easily it now appeared sht
had been won. How much she woult
have been spared, she pondered, hat
she not been so eager for his love a
to show him so soon that she caret
for him.
Every familiar gesture which was a
all a part of him she knew would cal
him to mind when another man Nigh
make it. The way he held his ciga
when he smoked, the odd manner i
which he would lock his hands togetf
er whenever a knotty problem botf
cred him. these little things and hos
of others would come back to plagu
her
All the dear. dead past crowded int
her mind. 1t was not of the ma
whom that afternoon she had spurne
that she thought, but of the ma
whom in her heart she cherished-he
IDEAL.
With a mighty sob she began agai
: to weep. There had come to her til
realization that love was done. Fa
across the room the moonbeams creI
/ before Gloria fell into a fitful slumbe
: CHAPTER XVII.