The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1914-08-08

heart, "stnce l was a little girl, too
young to understand. and was
brought up to believe that my father
was-well. just the opposite of what
he Is. 1t was all a mistake, of course
1t was no fault Of mine. but | must
suffer for it just the same. l had ev-
erything money could buy; and then
you came-and-and had love"
Her voice trembled for the instant.
Wright could not stand it.
"Gloria!" he cried. seeking to stop
her. but she went on again in the same
impersonal manner
But no one was really kind to me.
know the truth" Then vehemently.
losing control of herself: "Oh. why
did you ever speak to me of love!
You, of all men. to make my humilia-
alton doubly great"
Don't speak so. beg of YOU"
Wright commanded. Can you believe
that l have not suffered"
She chose to ignore his question.
"Oh. If had never come home! II
had even not gone to Judge Gilbert's
Office that day! 1t was fate, Joe. it
was fate. / can see 1t 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 l met you
here can see that every step. relent-
tn hot do
when ] learned the truth about my
father"
And you know"
Everything. That's why I'm here
It was really such 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 1t
had to end. Since l came home and
first met you, I've lived and suffered
and grown old. And l had dreamed
such dreams!" Here she paused. as II
to fight back the painful memories Of
those rainbow dreams. Then she ad-
mitted them. And they became roster
and rosier-because of you. Even the
disappointments my fathers lack of
polish caused me were nothing-be-
cause Of you. Then you ceased to see
me, and l didn't understand.
Il wanted you so very much-then-
and you did not come. l 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. l want you
to know understand how hard it was
for you, my friend-because-I be-
lieve you loved me-sincerely."
Sincerely. Gloria" His reply was
almost q Sob you know I begged
you to go away | would have fol-
lowed you. and you would never nave
known"
That's true. but the gods laugh and
are our masters still. felt that
owed It to my father to remain with
him in Belmont Then came the day
in Judge Gilbert's Office. Did ever
girl have q courtship crowded into half
an hour? So short time there was
between those few words of love and
the rude awakening which followed
that there remains to me now not
even q sweet memory of that avowal
which all girls cherish so. And then
well, that's why I've come today.
couldn't let you 60 away without ask
ing you to forgive me for what
said in Judge Gilbert's ONCE"
There's no need Of speaking Of for
giveness. 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 IN ideal, not q
reality, and l thought him incapable
of anything else. 1t turned out was
wronx-what l said about you"
mo. Gloria. you just didn't under
stand
But Just the came, l was wrong.
and wanted to tell you 30 before
went away. l knew l should not be
here when you return. and so ! came
today"
You're not going to leave Bel
mont"
"Yes. / am. Do you think could
stay." Her tone made Wright's heart
sink. NO. 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 were slipping
from him little by little a. they talk
ed. Her very presence was weaving
it's subtle spell about him. sharing him
with her wan beauty. maddenfng him
with the thought that he was losing