The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-04-04

east she loved SO well. Other men
Of his type had retired. why not he?
One had even raised a horse which
had won the greatest classic OF the
English turf. But for him, he had
unused. there would be no such pur-
suits to bring him into the public eye.
That he wished to avoid for Gioria's
sake. And now all his plans seemed
to be coming to naught-Gloria had
come home, free of heart and anxious
to mingle in Belmont society.
The drive to Locust Lawn was I'M
eventful. Gloria watched for land
| marks along the way, and commented
on the changes twelve years had made
Locust Lawn seemed closer to town
| than In the old days Most OF her re-
marks about places they passed were
addressed to Tom, because together,
when she was child, they had been
over the road many times. David
Kerr, never much of a conversation
alist, was content to listen, hoping
some chance speech might aid in clear
ing up the situation. Everything
Gloria said, however, seemed only a
confirmation of her determination to
enter at once into Belmont's gayeties,
Oars de first sight O. Locust Lawn.
Miss Glory"
| They had just reached the top of
hill and Tom pointed with his whip
to house on the next eminence.
Looking up. Gloria saw, not the estate
of her imagination, but square red
brick house hooking rather desolate
through the bare branches Of many
trees. Locust Lawn at the end of
winter was no enchanted fairy bower;
but she was far too clever girl, and
far too good at heart, to betray any
disappointment To her the place was
home, and she was anxious to recog-
nize it as such.
The interior of the house was no
more inviting. AS soon as possible
Gloria wandered from room to room,
her inspection making her give silent
| thanks that she had not asked any of
her friends to join her in her descent
OF Belmont The wall paper with big
yellow flowers, the carpets with big
red flowers, the rocking chairs with
the crocheted tides, and the marble
topped table in the parlor with the
| inevitable plush album upon it, were
no less distressing than the wax flow
ers under the glass case, the steel en-
craving of the Scotch Covenanters
worshiping in a mountain glen, and
the tin bathtub. She even gave thanks
that she had not brought a maid.
"Mistah H." said a negro nanny,
putting her head in the door Of the
living room after Kerr and his daugh-
ter had finished going over the house,
Tom wants to knew ef you Is goin'
to town dis mawnin'."
mo, Lily, amt going to town to-
day. Tell Tom to send Yellow Sam
with the spring wagon for Glorias
trunks.
"Dey's ben telephonin' you from
town. Dey say it's pow'ful important
business. Miss Glory. she done will
in to stay wifi me, jes' lax she use
to. Amt you, honey"
To this Gloria gave laughing as
sent. but her. father shook his head.
I'm not going to town today. And
tell the telephone operator not to con-
meet any one with Locust Lawn all
day. l amt going to be disturbed.
D. you understand"
Aunt Lily, who probably was given
that name by some ante-bellum joker
because of her ebon hue, nodded her
acknowledgment of the order and with
drew.
The reasons David Kerr had for not
wishing to get into communication
with any one in Belmont were several.
but the most potent was his desire to
be uninterrupted while engaged in
studying his daughter and evolving
some plan whereby she could be taken
from Belmont before her slightest
suspicion had been aroused.
One episode in their tour Of the
house had given him much comfort.
Gloria had paused in the old-fashioned
parlor and gazed long at his life-sized
portrait, done in oils, over the marble
mantel. Then she had looked about
the room, and not finding what she
sought, had asked:
Where is one of my mother?"
There is none," he confessed, and
added quickly, but I'm going to have
one painted for you. That was given
me recently by the First Ward club"
whats the First Ward club?"
"a political organization"
Politics! Do you know anything
about politics?'
David Kerr almost smiled.
II don't know whether the presi-
dent is a Democrat or Republican,
fshe added.
Don't bother about it.