Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-29
Gloria 5 Konapce
CONTINUED From Last Tssue.)
CHAPTER VI

perlIOuS SITUATION. ne anu HIS par 1llSi
Mulry had counted on using Freneaus
engagement to the daughter or the great
Pierpont Stafford as a kind of collateral
at the bank.
When the girl was stricken down with
pneumonia, treneau's heart was wruns
as well as his purse. He was genuinely
in love with Gloria. 1t was nOL hard 10
love so beautiful. so rich, and so infatu-
ated girl. But he had not counted on
death as possible rival
And there was another, more certain
rival-Dr Stephen Royce-whom Clio
ria's brother, David, mad called in to take
charge Of the case. Royce had loved
Gloria before ifreneau ever saw her. Ii
was Royce who had actually saved her
from the Seminole Indians Royce de-
spised Freneau and had told him so
Royce would not even permit Freneau
to enter the sick room, where ne was
master.
Freneau was permitted to send up
flowers, but ne could not be sure that
they reached her. He wondered what
and whether she believed it.
lie did not anoW that Royce had been
discouraged To make even what protest
he might have given voice TO. When
he first entered Gloria's room, Royce saw
on the little table near her bed silver
framed portrait of Freneau. Gloria was
too delirious to see how his lip curled
with scorn. But her father saw it, and
when Royce said, This fellow is a
scoundrel,' Pierpont answered, sternly;
81 called you to treat my daughter :
health not her heart"
Freneau did not know that nc had
such an ally in the family. But he knew
that he had an enemy of peculiar sort,
| an enemy who loved him not wisely,
but too WELL And that was Lois, the
wife of David Stafford.
| The poor Don Juan of Freneau had
! never dreamed when he began a casual
| Irritation with Lois that she would prove
| so desperate a worshipper. He had ex-
! pected that she would let him go with a
| sigh or a smile, as his other sweethearts
| had done when they realized that his
! heart had wings and used them. He was
to learn how seriously Lois took his at
! tentions and to learn it at a most incon-
venient time He had respected Pier
|
ria should be kept secret, and had told
no one but his partner, Mulry. He had
most decidedly not told Lois. He was
| planning to discard her as gracefully
! as possible before the news broke.
/ Mulry had chuckled with joy at the
news of the engagement. But he grew
as glum as an owl when he learned of
! Gloria's illness. At length he said to
! Freneau:
My boy, you've got to go and borrow
OF your papa-in-law to be, or We've got
to close the shop. Our branch offices
are bowling for their back pay, apd
we've got to pull down some cash some
where or pull down the blinds. Go talk
! to Pierpont and show him the books
Show him the big killing were going TO
make in the street if he'll tide us
I over Go on, and come back with the
bacon, or don't come back at ALL"
Freneau would almost rather have
gone to the electric chair, but needs
must when the devil drives So he
took big bouquet and a big ledger and
( taxicab to the Stafford house.
! And whom should he meet as he was
ushered in but Lois telling Pierpont
good-by. And what should Pierpont say
but, 81 am going to tell you a great
| secret, Lois Dick, here, is engaged to
| Gloria. Don't tell anyone"
I
! Lois had not more self-contrOl than
| to topple over. 'Freneau was disguised
with her more than ever now. She had
/ enough presence of mind to blame her
collapse on the heat of the room and
her alarm for Gloria. And the excuse
sufficed for old Stafford, but as she left
she gave the sadly shaken Freneau a
look that said, "Oh, no, I won't tell any
one, but I'll tell you something"
I vrrho hap WI 10
her lips said. Congratulations to you
both. I'm sure you'll be very happy.
GoOd-by
Freneau's heart huttered still more
when he preached the subject of the
loan to Pierpont-broke to Pierpont the
unpleasant news that his new son-in-
laws first act was to borrow money. He
put it on a business basis, but Pierpont,
like most other millionaires, hated to be
sponged on, and he shook his head i'll
answer to Freneau's proposition
Freneau was in a pitiable plight. He
was about to stink away in despair,
when he happened to think to say:
you offered we reward for the rescu-
ing of Gloria from the Indians. l re-
fused the money then, so l thought that
now-perhaps-welI thought
That's true" said Pierpont. THAT
suggests way out of it. Your propo-
sition does not appeal to my business
sense, but 7 can do this. Ill pay You
double the reward with compound in
terest for five years That will square
us up"
Freneau smiled with a renewal Of
hope, and Stafford wrote him an i'm
portant check.
Ereneau thanked him, promised to
return the money, and left the
h0uuuet for Gloria. As he made
his way out he met Royce just coming
down from Gloria's room. Freneau hated
the sight of Royce for many reasons.
We usually hate people we have wrong
ed He managed to ask how Gloria was.
Royce said she was better, but not vet
out of danger. a curious look came over
his face as he added
Look here. Freneau, 7 don't like YOU
q little bit, but Gloria loves you a lot.
/ don't see why, but she does. Women
are peculiar. Now, I'd rather break my
own heart than hers. She wants Won
for q husband, and if youn play fair
and walk straight from now on, I'll do
nothing to interfere with your plans.
But if You olav false with her, r.
well-there's nothing l won't do to save
her from YOU
Freneau promised glibly that he would
be an ideal lover and model of loyalty
Royce said. Il hope So without much
hope, and You'd BETTER with rather
too much emphasis. Still, Freneau had
the check i'm his pocket. and he went
go, T,,U