Omaha daily bee., 1916-08-07
GLoria's Romance

unclasp that child's arms. In fact, he
lifted Stas to his arm and held him
there while he told the butler he could
leave without notice il he did not like
the guests OF the house. Also Pierpont
told Royce that he must take partic-
ular care Of Casimir's wife. Royce
laughed at the old mans complete col
lapse and said
Its a pity Gloria isn't here to see
you. | wonder where on earth she is.
Shes somewhere she oughtn't to
be, that's sure" Pierpont growled, as
he stared at his section of the Hud-
son, where, fighting against the cur
rent, little tug was visible, towing
an old canal barge loaded to the wa
ter line. Then he added: She's
probably on that barge now, adopting
the bargeman's family
He could imagine nothing more ex-
travagantly impossible to say than
that. And yet, the truth kept pace
with his extravaganza. For Gloria
was indeed even then on board just
such barge being lowed upstream by
just such tug. Only Gloria was not
adopting the bargcman's family. She
was being adopted by it. She was a
prisoner and her life was in pawn.
| Gloria's curiosity as to one problem
was solved. She had found out that
her vision OF Frcnau's murder was not
a delirium. She had seen the assassin
and heard him accused by his own
! daughter One trouble with satisfy
ing curiosity Is that every curiosity
satisfied opens up new curiosities.
Gloria now was frantic to know why
Gideon Trask killed Frenau and how
Trasks daughter was involved in the
crime. Next, she was curious to know
how she was to escape with her
knowledge. once she had il.
When Trask heard Gloria's voice
over his shoulder accusing him OF the
crime he was denying. he whirled as
lit an angel had spoken with the
voice OF conscience. An angel would
have been hardly more surprising than
the look OF Gloria on the stairway OF
the barge.
Trask had no idea OF Gloria's iden-
tity. He could not imagine who she
was, whence she had come, or why
she accused him. He stood trans
fixed moment, then moved toward
her with menace. Gloria retreated up
the steps. but he leaped at her and
dragged her down and siezed her BY
the throat, as he had seized Fireman..
She tried to scream, but she could
not make Sound. Nell attempted
to restrain her father, but he turned
on her with terror and wrath: IF
she gets away, go to the chair"
He might have throttled her then
and there, but there was jolt, the
barge shook as the tow line dragged
II away. and down the hatchway
came the voice Of Trask's helper,
| Jed.
i Trask hurled Gloria against the
way and warned her that il she made
a sound II would be her last. He
would wiring her neck and throw her
into the river.
Gloria covered in utted dread Of
him and remembered the fate of her
poor lover, whose body the same
stream had received and kept for
days.
When Trask stamped up the cabin
stairs and banged the hatchway down
Gloria studied the girl. She had been
beautiful, and still was pretty, but
too sad. Just now she was too an
CRY. Nell had been fighting against
her father till this unknown woman
appeared from nowhere. Now Nell
was all for her father against the
world.
| Gloria spoke to her. questioned her
about Freneau. Nell did not answer
at all. only in grumbling monosylla-
bles. Gloria tried to bride Nell to let
her escape. Gloria offered larger and
lafRer aims till Nell would have been