Omaha daily bee., 1916-06-26
GLORIA WAS CONVINCED, AT
LEAST FOR THE MOMENT.

LEAol TIN 4 he M " M EN -
Pierpont was fully prepared for this.
He shook his head.
why not, fatheri You must, or |
will, at once"
Gloria, we can't tell the police any
thing. II they learned that you were
engaged to Freneau, the house would
be bcsiegcd by detectives and re-
porters. What evidence have you?
Nothing but the imagination OF de-
lirious girl II you told them Of your
delirium you would only stir up a
scandal 1t would have no value in
court"
Gloria stared at him increduously,
but he went on wildly to convince
her.
I'VE should be laid open to enor-
nous publicity at once. There would
be headlines in all the papers about
you every day. Gloria Stafford In
VOWED in Freneau Mystery Secret
Engagement OF Heiress Just Discov-
ered;' Gloria Stafford Claims She Saw
Freneau Murdered The Beautiful
Daughter OF Pierpont Stafford
She groaned. "0h, don't, father; |
can't bear il"
But Stafford continued inexorably:
"You could never leave the house nor
enter it without a dozen cameras
being focused on you. The police
would swarm the house, demand all
your private correspondence with
| Freneau. II YOU refused them any
thing they would use force and |
should be powcrless to help you. And
what the police get the reporters get.
Do you want your love and your sor-
row given over to the gossipsl Now
do you see why we cannot set the
machine in motioni have only one
desire, to protect your reputation. II
you want to protect Freneau's, you
will keep silent. PROMISED"
Gloria was convinced, at least for
the moment. She nodded her head in
obedience, kissed her fathers cheek,
patted him absent-mindedly and left
him. But once alone again she burned
with resentment at the plan to shield
, the murderer Of her lover. She re-
spectcd her fathers dread Of publicity
and she shared his hatred Of pub
licity, but she would not relinquish
her demand for justice. She realized,
however, that she would have no help
now in her hunt for the murderer. But
this only strengthened her determine
ton. Alone she would unravel the Sc
cret knot and bring the guilty to pun
ishment.
Meanwhile Lois, in her own pas.
sionate way, was suffering also, but
her suffering was tinged with GER
tain amount Of horrible satisfaction.
Death, instead OF Gloria. had taken
Freneau from her. Gloria could not
claim one smallest part Of him from
her now. He had never cared one
atom for Gloria; he had told her so,
4 II was for financial reasons alone that
he had intended to marry Gloria, but
she could not buy him now. Freneau
had been struck down in his youth
and strength by some hend, but he
was hers, hers in death as he had
been in fife. Neither Gloria nor her
own husband, David, could ever take
him from her now.
| Lois went to her dressing table
took from a locked drawer her opera
bag, and drew from il the silver
framed photograph Of Freneau that
she had stolen from Gloria. Staring a,
il longingly, she kissed it, then, paus-
ing with anxious jealousy, lifted |,
from its frame and read the inscrip-
ton on the back:
ITO Gloria, my only love, with all
my heart Dick"
| Lois recoiled from the words as i
they struck her in the face. Then
turning the photograph toward hel
again, she gazed at it searchingly
Suddenly she smote il with hei
clenched fist and threw il from her
But at once, with swift revulsion O
feeling, she knelt and clasped il Il
her bosom again, bursting into dr.,
sobs and misery n
She was interrupted by knock a
. the door and the warning voice o
her maid. Miss Stafford is calling
madam"
Lois was startled. She rose an,
slipped the photograph between tw'
volumes in book rack on a tabl
J and called to her maid. Show Mis-
Stafford up here" Il
Rushing TO her dressing table. sh
hastily ran a powder puff over he
!. face and brushed back her hair.
When she turned ii was to confron
Gloria clad in heavy mourning. Fo
moment the sight Of the crepe stun
, Lois to jealous frenzy; next she dc
I ltefmined TO make some excuse I
wear black herself She felt that sh
/. had a better right 70 mourning tina
Gloria had,