Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-07-24
GLoria's Romance
THIRTEENTH INsTALLMENT.

To be miles from home without
street car fare is luxury for the
daughters of millionaires. Gloria
Stafford would have taken her first
experience as great joke it she had
not been devoted to so important an
errand. The footpad who stole her
handbag also stole her transportation,
She felt that she might as well have
been lost in the Florida everglades
again.
sOf course, she could have had pro-
lection by appealing to almost any OF
the wayfarers. But, after her encoun-
ter with the pickpursei she looked on
everybody with suspicion. She slipped
through the crowded streets and fit
ted along the deserted byways on the
nunt for the murderer OF her lover.
She was afraid of everybody and
everything, but most afraid Of losing
that man. :.
At last she saw him again ahead of
her. He was wandering rather aim
lessly. He had apparently dropped in
al one or more OF the little swinging
doors that Tapped on Every corner.
Gloria fastened after him. but before
she could quite catch up he clambered
on surface car. The conductor had
10 help him aboard. He was so busy
II that task that he did not see Glor-
las wildly waved hands or hear her
command, stop that carr
II Gloria had caught the car she
could not have paid the fare, though
she might have, given the conductor
a nickel's worth of filtration. At any
rate, she missed the car Several other
cars came near not missing her as she
stood irresolute in the middle of the
street.
Then taxicab hustled along. Gloria
felt more at home. She did not have
10 pay the taxicab till the end OF the
VOYAGE. She could probably have the
fare charged. From the look OF the
ramshackle thing she could buy. the
cab for next to nothing. She told the
taxicab to follow the street car ahead
and keep near it, without passing II.
The taxi driver was greatly impressed.
whats the game miss. Are you a
lady detackatuff?"
Gloria looked wise and said nothing.
As she hoped in DR.. Royce
caught sight OF her from distance.
Al taxicab was rather conspicuous
down there. He wished for another,
or pair of wings.
Then a motor ambulance came
along, banging its bell. DR.: Boyee
had a wide acquaintance in am
balances. He dared to stop this one
and ask the inferno for ride. :.
And so they went-the taxicab
pursuing the street car; the am
bulance pursuing the taxicab. II
was an appropriate place tor an am
bulance. II was quite likely to be
needed. But the ambulance had to
turn into a side street before 1t over
took Gloria, and Royce was com.
PEELED to drop off and pursue afoot
Then the street car that carried
Trask stopped so abruptly that
Gloria's taxicab shot on past It, al,
most annihilating Trask as 1t whizzed
by. /,
Gloria caught glimpse of TrasE
leaving the car, grazing the taxicat
and reeling down dark street. She
pounded on the glass and put her
head out to check her driver. She
ordered him to back up. He backed
into the very street car that Trask
had just left. There was a crash
tinkle OF broken guass and Gloria
was evicted through the broken door
The chauffeur got down and began
the usual wrangle with the motormar
and the conductor Of the street car
the passengers piled out; crowt
gathered. Two policemen ran up ant
began to make notes. Gloria tugget
at the coat OF the chauffeur, but ht
was too busy to pay any attention
and she had no money to pay him
So she left him and ran for Trask
not entirely sorry that she had saved
her fare.
The delay had enabled DR.
Royce to gain some ground, but h,
lost it again trying to ask the ex
cited chauffeur where his passenge,
was.
Gloria could see Tasks tall, griz
zied head over the heads Of the GROVE
and she was nearly at his heel wher
belated truck, bearing long stee
girder, drove across her path. /
seemed to take forever to move by
When at last it cleared the way Trasl
was almost out OF sight, He hest
tated before two or three saloon door
/ and Gloria had retrieved most of he