Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-09-05
Gloria S Romance
BY Mr.. and Mrs Rupert Hughes.
Copyright. 1916. by Adelaide VI. Hughes.l
Continued from Last Issue.)

"LORIA gnawed the end of the pen
= holder a moment, and then sighed
- with all the impotence of youth
in the shackles of conventionality. Il
suppose So" She flung down the pen
and wondered how she could manage
delicately to attract Mr.. Freneau's at
tention without seeming to.
"By the way" said Pierpont, there's
n big gala performance at the Metropo-
Titan Opera house tonight, a special bene-
fit for some war relief. Would you like
to go?"
girl elegance.
At about that time Freneau was just
putting down the telephone in his office.
Lois had called him to say that her hus-
band was taking her to the benefit and she
hoped that he would be there. She had
something immensely important to tell
him. Everything she had to tell him was
immensely important nowadays to her
and immensely unimportant to him.
The thing that agitated Lois was her
knowledge that Gloria had come back
to New York and was still in love with
the memory of Freneau. Lois was in an
anguish Of fear and jealousy and she
wanted to compel Freneau to swear that
he would not forsake her for Gloria.
Freneau was oblivious Of this, but he
had no intention of keeping his promise
to Lois till Mulry, who had overheard
Freneau's end of the conversation, said:
Come along. 1 got stung for a couple
of tickets. You can have one of them.
We might meet somebody who might
give us a line on the market"
SO the Romeolike Freneau went with
his Falstaffiian partner. They haunted
the promenade of the boxholders, wish
ing to be seen in expensive company.
CHANGING over the balustrade, Freneau
caught sight of Lois mounting the stairs
with her husband. She was looking for
him and he smiled back at her with
stinted grace. He did not notice that on
the other stairway of the big double
zigzag Pierpont Stafford was coming up
with vision Of young lovliness at his
side. He did not see Gloria see him.
He did not see her clutch her fathers
arm and almost swoon with delight.
He might have observed all this ana
still not have suspected who the girl
was, for the Gloria he had found in
sQuaw costume in the everglades, the
Gloria who had exchanged vows with
him on the veranda Of the Poinciana,
the Gloria who had waved farwells to
him from the receding train five years
ago, had all but receded from his MEM
| DRY. What recollection he had Of her
was of little sixteen-year-old thing
with her hair down her back and an air
| of almost childish immaturity
The Gloria who marched up the broad
| steps of the Metropolitan was a young
| lady of 20, one with her hair up, her
head full of knowledge. and her feat
ures changed as the bud is changed when
1t becomes a rose. Her costume was the
| latest thing from Paris, ,still Paris in
spite Of the war.
| Gloria could hardly climb the steps to
I the level of F'reneau. Her father did
not know him, but she did. She left
her fathers. side and hurried to FIRE.
neau's. He did not hear her or know
that she was at his elbow, trembling
with rapture and trying to keep from
crying his name aloud and seizing him
by the arm that had saved her from the
Indians She coughed and he did not
hear At last she ventured the terrific
deed of touching his sleeve with her
finger tip. He turned and she muir
INJURED:
Mr.. Freneau, believe"
| He turned. saw that a most exquisite
creature had addressed him, wondered
who under the sun she was, lifted his
hat, made violent pretense at remem-
bering her perfectly. having met her
just the day before. and exclaimed
why, hello! I'm so glad you got here"
He put out his hand, but hers fell
away before he could clasp It, She had
thrust her arm into her fathers elbow
and hurried him along toward the door
of their box while Freneau whirled ana
stared.
Mulry stared too. and muttered: GOOD
Lord, who's the new peach with old
Pierpont!'
''It must be his daughter; it's Gloria!"
Freneau gasped.
His daughter Do you know herr"
Know herr Freneau laughed. We'll
rather! I'm engaged to her in a way"
Engaged in a way!" Mulry repeated
| We'll, marry her quick. Her old mans
money Will come in mighty handy"
Freneau leaned against the balustrade
! thinking so hard and recasting his plans
so rapidly and with such enthusiasm
that Lois not only touched his arm but
pinched it fercely before he noticed
her. Then he stared at her with cold
Indifference that verified her widest
fears.
Meanwhile Gloria was sitting in mis-