Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-08-14
GLoria's Romance
SIXTEENTH INsTALLMENT,

could see everything that goes on.
Pierpont Stafford had been kept
pretty well surprised OF late by his
daughters actions. In his haste he
had said that she was probably "on
that canal barge in the river" He
did not expect to be taken seriously
by the fates. But there his daughter
was, at least on another barge, miles
farther up the stream, but drifting
downward. She was in command of
the ship, at the tiller trying to steer
the bulky hulk. Il
When Gloria saw the captain Of
the tug had noticed the slight detail
of the parted hawser and the lost
convoy she was vexed. When she
saw the tugboat turning around to
recapture the barge she felt that it
would be hard to explain about the
prisoners she had fastened down in
the cabin. She supposed it was mu-
tiny or something for passenger
to tie up captain, crew and cook,
and change the course Of the ship.
She believed that people who did
that were usually hung from the
yardstick or something. She hoped
that the old barge did not have such
a thing on board.
The nearer the tug came the
louder the pilot and the crew yelled
at her and the less Gloria wanted to
meet them. She had never met any
tugmen and she felt no ambition to
get into their social set. It was grow
ing so dark by now that they could
not see who was at the tiller,- and
they kept calling her; "Trask" or
"Oh, Jedr'
At length Gloria decided that she
was not needed any longer. She
had noted the little boat bobbing
along after the barge and she felt
that she might as well capture that.
It was more nearly her size. She
would be safer alone on skiff than
on the barge when the tugmcn re-
leased that fiend of Trask He had
planned to kill her before she tied
him up. He would certainly do no
less now that he had escaped. Jed
had evidently picked himself up from
the rocking chair trap, united Trask,
and unmuffied Nell. The three had
been pounding and bowling for some
time. The hatch held for while,
but they were going at it now with
something as heavy as q battering
ram. 1t would yield soon surely and
then where would she bei
She ran to the edge Of the barge
and hauled in the painter attached
TO the little boat. The barge was
swishing in the tide and II was try
ing to run over the skif. But Gloria
had no further avenue OF escape. She
hung across the edge OF the barge
and dropped into the skiff. Her aim
was not very accurate and the river
nearly got her. But she sat down
quickly and steadied herself and the
boat. She began to ply the oars with
great eagerness, but little progress.
At length she noticed that she
T had forgotten to cast OH. She ran
to the bow and had to unite the
painter. The wet knots were torture
to her delicate hands, but ct last
she was free and the boat fell away
from the barge. The river was dark
and menacing, and its current was
like some invisible genie dragging
the skiff away to its lair. Still, when
Gloria saw the tug come alongside
the barge and make fast, and saw
Trask, led and Nell dash UP the
companionway and meet the tug
\ hands on the deck, she felt that tho
current would be kinder to her than
the men would have been. :,
1 What explanation Trask and yed
made she could not imagine. Evi-
IDENTIFY II was not good one. for the
crew from the tugboat gcsticulatcd
violently and it looked as II there
would be big fight. Gloria hoped
that they all would throw one another
overheard.
The tugboat crew went back to
their quarters. Trask ran back to
stare at Gloria. He shook his fist at
her and she rowed faster. But the
barge moved northward, following
the putting tug.
4 Gloria breathed sigh Of relief at
her escape. Then she realized that
after allVrrask had also escaped. She
was 50 angry. at the canceiiation q
her success that she started 70 TOW
back after the barge what sne Woulu
have done had she overtaken u sne
did not stop to t4nk Inc current
prevented the possibility OF knowing