The Ordway new era., 1914-02-13
beautiful, spring vsathsr we're

having"
This remark served only to pupctu-
ate the silence. It seemed to him.
from the length OF time before she re-
piled. that Gloria was mentally inspect
ing the records of the weather bureau
for the last twenty years.
Yes" she said. a word that did not
appear so ponderous as to require all
that time to bring 1t forth. rai.'
This did not prove conducive to fur
ther conversation. He felt that the
weather had not been exhausted by
her voluble reply, however, and used
it again.
They tell me It's liable to be bad
for another month"
Again Gloria seemed to make men,
tai survey of all the weather records
of the last twenty years. Wright had
almost forgotten what he had said
when she at last gave the conversation
football a dainty kick by saying:
Yes"
This time he was ready for her. His
embarrassment was wearing of and
he began again promptly:
Don't the rains make the road pret-
ty bad out your way?"
my friends manage to get out to
see me-"
This was a chill rejoinder. and
Wright felt he had lost several points
in their game of indirection.'
Locust Lawn is quite distance
out" he ventured.
Not far enough to discourage my
friends"
This goaded him to an apology. He
regretted that she was not making 1t
easy for him. but he forgave her be-
cause he knew she did not understand
because I've been 30 busy. please
don't think that I'm discouraged"
why should l think OF It at all?"
she replied with spirit.
Her remark hurt him. both her words
and her manner OF speech. II tore
away his reserve and made him burst
forth in protest.
That's not like you. Gloria. We've
been such good friends"
I'VE have been good friends" she
admitted promptly. "Is there any
reason. Joe. why we should not be
now?"
His heart beat high within him at
her words. They were SO direct. so
honest. 80 like the one woman of his
dreams. 1t grieved him that he could
not be as direct with her: but that
was impossible. for over them was the
sinister shadow OF David Kerr. her
father. the boss of Belmont.
There's no reason why we shouldn't
be good friends, Gloria. What put
that idea into your head?"
my circle of friends in Belmont
seems to have grown smaller and
smaller"
please don't put me on the out
side"
You seem to have put yourself
there"
The conversation Jagged. There was
10 much to think about. Gloria was
seeking to reconcile his explanations
with her own observations. Looking
at him closely she saw that he did not
have that fresh, robust look which
month ago had made him seem ft for
gIadiatorial contest. As he sat in
the big ONCE chair he seemed to
relax with fatigue. His face was thin
ner, and there were little lines Of
worry about his eyes. Between his
brows and on either side his mouth
were to be seen creaseB which the
girl thought proclaimed to the world
his strength of character. A month
ago she had not noticed them. She
had felt he was such q man, but the
wrinkles. confirming her belief. could
almost be called source OF Joy to
her. They had made away with some
of the youthfulness. but In his face
she now saw something which more
than compensated. 1t had greater
strength now. strength such as was
written on her fathers countenance.
"You look tired" Her low. sympa-
thetic tones and her solicitous look
did what nothing else could do. They
melted his stern purpose to bear 1t
all in silence for yet a few days into
desire to take her as much as he
dared into his confidence. With q
woman's quick perception she would
understand that he waa unhappy. Her
sympathy and her confidence In him
would nerve him to hght the good
fight as nothing else could and his
heart was stirred by the possibility"
Yes" he admitted. I'm tired and
sick at heart
why don't you take . vacationf
Go to Europe"
T can't pick up and run away like
that; but I'd do It anyway II 1t would
bring back the dear old days"
"The days I knew?" the girl made
bold to ask
"The days you made so-delightful."
"Can they be gone forever7"
"You mean" Wright did not dare
to put his hope in words.
Carried farther than she had In
tended, Gloria beat retreat by say
ing: