Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-11-24

Everybody applauded the impudence,
but Gloria answered it with one of her
blacklist looks. DIR. Royce was still I'M
der the ban. He had confessed too much
and duped her too well to be forgiven i'll
haste. But her rebuke was ignored In
the excitement of the convention. 4
mammoth lawn festival for Polish re-
lief; there was no dissent.
Now once more Gloria felt free to seek
David. She found him. hiding. he said,
till the women got away. She asked
him TO follow her. She had perfected
her scheme for testing his innocence or
his guilt. Her plan was inspired, no
doubt, by what she had heard and read
OF what the police call the third de-
gree"
David had not been present when the
yachting expedition set forth to run
down Trask, nor had he been present
when Trask was brought in. David was
Thoroughbred enough TO rule his own ex-
pressions and to pretend ignorance Of
Trask's existence. But Gloria felt sure
lthat if she could bring the two men sud
denly face to face one or the other
would betray a guilty knowledge.
So she said to David: Come with
me- I've got surprise for you
David followed Gloria up to the
guest room where Trask had been
Installed. She led him to the
door, knocked, opened the door, and babe
David enter. A screen stood before the
bed and she drew it aside quickly, keep
ing her eyes on David. she saw sur
prise in his face, but not of the sort
she expected. His surprise was blank
wonder. She turned to see how Trask
took the conformation. Trask was
not there The bed was empty.
Gloria ran to find the nurse. She met
her just coming in from motor ride
She had taken her two hours Of hoer-
ty, she said, leaving Nell to care Tor
her father. She was stunned by the
news of Trasks departure. He was
too weak to rise and walk. 1t seemed
impossible thae he cosld have been car
ried out without attracting the atten-
ton Of a dozen servants.
Gloria felt bewitched. She ran to seek
Doctor Royce. David ran after, asking:
whats it all about? What's the little
surprise you had for me? 1t seems TO
have caught you first"
Don't bother me-" was all Gloria
would say.
David seemed so amazed by her dis
may that she began to suspect him OF
his confederate. But she dared
not accuse him lest, if he were innocent,
she would reveal to him more of Lois
guilt than she Ielt III mex TlshI " VI
vulge.
She stood off David and hurried on
to find Doctor Royce. She met Judge
Freeman on the lawn, and told him what
had happened. He expressed surprise,
but when she had left him she began
to feel dissa tisfiad with the sincerity of
his amazement. But she could not pause
TO investigate further. When at last
she found Royce, she forgot that he
was in her black books still. 1t had
been her habit for so many years 20
run TO him with her problems that she
ran TO him now, and, laying her hands
on his arm, cried:
ooh, stephen, Stephen, they've stolen
Trask! I've lost him again and i don't
know what to do"
stolen Trasl5!' Royce exclaimed. 1t $
impossible
"Of course, it's impossible" said
Gloria, "but it's true, too"
Royce set out to pick up what trace
there might be of him. Gloria tagged
along Royce asked every servant he
met where he had been. Several OF
them had been on the lawn serving tea.
Judge Freeman had set others on various
errands. The cook and her crew had
been busy providing for Aunt Horton
sia's mob. Royce called for his own
he confessed, as a guest at a tea party
below stairs
Judge Freeman was not to be found.
AS q matter of fact he was the prin-
cipal offender. After he left Gloria he
had wandered about in a deep ana
gloomy meditation. lie was convinced
that Gloria, with her impulBive and un-
manageable temper, was set upon unrav-
cling every knot in the tangle. He was
sure that her ineXperience with the
world would keep her from foreseeinS
the consequences and that she would
compel a complete revelation. THIS
would end only in public scandal, an
enormous and irretrievable disaster.
David would be put on trial for his
life and Trask would turn states evil
dence against him to save his own life.
David would perhaps be sentenced 20
death, or, If he escaped that, he would
escape It in some pretense Of insanity,
with all the aftermath of endless serial
scandals. In any case, Lois would he
disgraced before the world, and if Da-
yid's wealth could bride an ac1uittal, IT
would purchase a divorce.
Another consequence would be that
the Judge himself Fould be impeached
or forced to a resignation under fire,
with his ermine dishoncred. it is only
fair to say that the judges fears tor
his own suffering had less weight with
him than his fears for the wreck of his
daughters life and of David's. He loved
David as if ne were his own son. He
had a deep affection for Pierpont, and
he cherished a great fondness for Gloria.
He respected even the motives that were
so perilous to herself as we'll as all the
others.
He wandered disconsolately about the
lonelier~portions of the Stafford demesne
and found himself at the outer gate.
There he CHANGED to see the bargeman,
Jed, come ZIP the road. Jed asked If
he knew where the Stafford place was.
Judge Freeman told him that it was be-
fore him. Ted asked if a badly hurt
man had been taken in there with his
daughter. The judge nodded and asked
what he knew of the pair.
Jed said he didn't know much exc pt
that the old mans daughter was his
girl and going to marry him some day
and he was afraid she was in trouble.
SO he had left the barge to hurry back
and see If he could be OF some use.
Judge Freeman questioned him
cautiously and finally proposed that
the best thing to do would be
tc get the old man out of the hands OF
the StaHords, who meant him no good.
jed seized on the suggestion hungrily
and the judge offered his cooperation.
He led Jed by little frequented path
to the rear of the house and babe him