The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-08-01
SIXTH EPISODE.

The sudden and perilous illness Of
Gloria Stafford threw her official lover,
Freneau, also into a sudden and peri
lous situation. He and his partner,
Mulry, had counted on using Freneau's
engagement to the daughter OF the
great Pierpont Stafford as a kind of
collateral at the bank.
When the girl was stricken down
with pneumonia, Freneau's heart was
wrung as we'll as his purse. He was
genuinely in love with Gloria. It was
not hard to love so beautiful, so rich,
and 80 infatuating a girl But he had
not counted on death as a possible
rival.
And there was another, a more GER
tain rival-Dr Stephen Royce-whom
Gloria's brother, David, had called in
to take charge of the case. Royce had
loved Gloria before Freneau ever saw
her 1t was Royce who had actually
saved her from the Seminole Indians.
Royce despised Freneau and had told
him so. Royce would not even permit
Freneau to enter the sick room, whers
he was master
Freneau was permitted to send up
flowers, but he could not be sure that
they reached her. He wondered what
Royce was saying about him to Gloria.
and whether she believed it.
He did not know that Royce had
been discouraged to make even what
protest he might have given voice to.
When no first aDtarod CIorio'o rOOp,
Royce saw on the little table near her
bed a silver-framed portrait of Ere
neau. 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:
Il called you to treat my daughters
health, not her heart"
Freneau did not know that he had
such an ally in the family. But he
knew that he had an enemy of a Pc
culiar 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 a Freneau
had never dreamed when he began
CASUAL Ill AcllOn VIII LUIS llldl blC
would prove so desperate a worshiper.
He had expected 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 Sc
riously Lois took his attentions and to
learn it at a most inconvenient time.
ho1 rocnn1fad Diamonds s-l, hot
the engagement to Gloria should be
kept secret, and had told no one but
his partner, Mulry He had most de-
cidedly not told Lois. He was plan
ming 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
Glorias illness. At length he said to
Freneau:
MY boy, you've got to go and Dor
row of your papa-in-law to be, or we've
got to close the shop. Our branch Of
fees are bowling for their back pay.
and we've got to pull down some cash
somewhere or pull down the blinds.
Go talk to Pierpont and show him the
books. Show him the big killing we're
going to make in the street if he'll tide
us 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 a big bouquet and a big ledger
and a taxicab to the Stafford house.
And whom should he meet as he
was ushered in but Lois telling Pier
pont good-by And what should Pier
pont say but, Il am going to tell you a
great secret, Lois. Dick, here, is en-
gagged to Gloria. Don't tell anyone"
Lois had no 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 sufIlced for old Stafford, but as
she left, she gave the sadly shaken
Freneau a look that said, "Oh, no,
won't tell anyone. but I'll tell you
something"
That was what her eyes said, while
her lips said: Congratulations to you
both. I'm sure you'll be very happy
Good-by."
Freneau's heart fluttered still more
when he preached the subject of the
loan to Pierpont-broke to Pierpont
the unpleasant news that his new son
in-law's first act was to borrow money
He put it on a business basis, but Pier
pont, like most other millionaires
hated to be sponged on, and he shook
his head in answer to Freneau's propo
sition.
Freneau was in a pitiable plight. He