The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1914-06-19

T.
heart, since ! 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 mistake, of course.
1t was no fault of mine. but must
suffer for it just the same. 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.
| lived in a fools Paradise. | did not
know the truth" Then yehemently,
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 ! have not suffered"
She chose to ignore his question.
"Oh, if | had never come home! If
/ 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 I met you
here | can see that every step, relent-
less as DEATH was leading to that day
when | learned the truth about my
father"
And you know"
Everything. That's why I'm here.
1t was really such little time ago
that | came back to Belmont, yet it
seems ages. Oh, why didn't you 60
away! You must have seen how IT
had to end. Since | came home and
first met you, I've lived and suffered
and grown old. And | had dreamed
such dreams!" Here she paused, as If
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 nothtng--be
cause Of you. Then you ceased to see
me, and | didn't understand
81 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 l didn't realize his position
in Belmont. I'm sincere. want you
to know understand how hard it was
for you, my friend-because-t be
lieve you loved me-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 nave
/ known"
That's true, but the gods laugh ant
are our masters still, felt that
owed it to my father to remain will
him in Belmont. Then came the da!
in Judge Gilbert's office. Did ever /
girl have courtship crowded into hal
an hour? So short time there wal
between those few words Of loYe ant
the rude awakening which followed
that there remains to me now no
even a sweet memory of that ayowa
which all girls cherish so. And then
well. 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
giveness. Please do not say an,
more"
She was not to be deferred from he
| set purpose, and therefore affected no
to hear, going straight on with he
narrative.
"You see, l was proud OF my father
All my life he'd been an ideal, not
reality, and | thought him incapabE
of anything else. 1t turned out wa
I what | said about you"
mo, Gloria, you just didn't undel
stand"
But just the same, was wrong
and wanted to tell you so before
went away. | knew ! should not b
here when you return, and SO cam
today"
You're not going to leave Be
mont"
.'Yes. | am. Do you think coul
stay!" Her tone made Wright's heal
sink. mo, | lack the courage, Jo
: the moral courage. There's that nuc
of the butterfly left in me. I'm NJ
strong and brave like you are.
Gloria could not know how h
strength and bravery were slippin
from him little by little as they tall
ed. Her very presence was weavir
it's subtle spell about him, sharing hi
with her wan beauty, maddening hi
! with the thought that he was losir
. her. So she was going away. +
wondered why, gpeculating on how 81