Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1914-01-08


She chose to ignore his question
'Oh, if I had never come home! If
| had even not gone 20 Judge GiI5ert's
office that day! 1t was fate. Joe. it
was fate. I can see it all now We
boast that we dominate circumstances,
the gods laugh and are our masters
still. Looking back the way we've
come from that first night | met you
here | can see that every step. relent-
less as death, was leading to that day
when l learned the truth about my
father"
And you know"
Everything. That's why I'm here
1t was really such a little time ago
that I came back to Belmont, yet it
seems ages. Oh, why didn't you go
away! You must have seen how it
had to end Since l came home and
first met you. I've lived and suffered
and grown old. And l had dreamed
such dreamsi" Here she paused, as if
10 fight back the painful memories of
| those rainbow dreams. Then she ad-
| mitted them. And they became roster
| and Tosier-because of you. Even the
disappoiEtments my fathers lack of
polish caused me were nothing-be-
cause of you. Then you ceased TO see
me, and I didn't understand
Il wanted you so very much-then-
and you did not come. | know now
what it was; the election was coming
on, you had begun to fight my father.
| You knew | didn't realize his position
in Belmont I'm sincere / want you
to know I understand how hard it was
| for you, my friend because be
lieye you loved sincerely"
Sincerely, Gloria" His reply was
/ almost a sob. You know | begged
you to go away / would have fol-
lowed you. and you would never have
known,
That's true, but the gods laugh and
owed it to my father to remain with
| him in Belmont. Then came the day
in Judge Gilbert's office. Did ever d
girl have a courtship crowded into half
an hour? So short a time there was
between those few words of love and
the rude awakening which followed
that there remains to me now not
even Il sweet memory of that ayoWal
which all girls cherish so. And then
we'll that's why I've come today.
couldn't let you go away without ask
ing you to forgive me for what
said in Judge Gilbert's office"
There's no need of speaking of for
| giYeneSs. Please do not say any
more"
She was not to be deferred from her
/ set purpose, and therefore affected not
to hear. going straight on with her
narrative
/ You see, I was proud of my father
| All my life he'd been an ideal, not a
reality. and | thought him incapable
of anything else. 1t turned out / was
wrong-what said about you"
NO. Gloria, you just didn't under
stand"
But just the same, | was wrong
and wanted to tell you so before
went away. | knew | should not be
here when you return, and so | came
today"
You're not going to leave Bel
mont"
Yes, l am Do you think | could
stayi" Her tone made Wright's heart
sink. No, l lack the courage. Joe,
the moral courage. There's that much
of the butterfly left in me- I'm not
strong and brave like you are"
Gloria could not know how his
strength and bravery We're slipping
| from him little by little as they talk
| ed Her very presence was weaving
its subtle spell about him, snaring him
with her wan beauty, maddening him
with the thought that he was losing
| her. So she was going away. He
wondered why, specializing on how she
! had come to learn the truth. This
/ led him to ask;
But your father?''
! Had Wright known what a piteous
/ outburst this would evoke, he never
/ would have spoken,
/ My father, What am / to him?
/ haven't seen him from that day. Since
/ then I've been with Mrs Hayes. When
| | learned at luncheon that you were
! going away, / had to come because I
/ can't forgive myself for what I said
in Judge Gilbert's Office that came
near ending so disas trously - for
you"
Please don't think of it" he begged.
Il don't connect You in any manner
with the attack on me"
But | do she insisted. because |
know the truth" Here was the whole
reason for her coming, she told her
self. Since you're in this fight to
stay-eyen though you're fighting nay
| own father-I want you to have all the
/ protection that knowledge of the truth
| will afford. I've come to warn you. y
Wright saw that he had not made
her understand that he was giving up
the fight
But I'm going away
Yes. you've told me: but you're
coming back again because you know
your place is here. There's work to
do"
He recognized instantly that it was
her wish for him to remain. Her be
lief in him. such as it was, centered
about his efforts to make Belmont a
better place. NOT wishing 10 eNPIalu
what pain it would constantly give
him were he to do So, he avoided the
matter by referring to her own future
What are you going TO do?"
Il? I'm going abroad in few days
What does your father say TO that? p
Gloria's lip curled with scorn at the
question. Her answer came with the
GOODNESS of a woman of the world
He can't say anything. What is
he TO me? l haven't even sent hin