Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-06-19
Gl0riiu's Romance
SEVENTH INSTALLMENT.

gin the day Ereezily { r him.
The air OF the office was clouded
with Freneau's gloom when his part
ner. Mulry, entered gayly and slapped
him on the back The clerk and
stenographer paused, expectant, but
before he spoke to Mulry, Freneau
snarled to them:
Get out and stay out till | send
for yor."
They got out,
Nlulry was amused at his friends
had temper. He chuckled: Wrong
side OF the bed this morning, old
bear2 What seems to be your little
trouble now"
Frenean rose, threw his cigar away,
stuck his hands in his pockets, and,
pacing the floor, proceeded to ac-
quaint Mulry with the dire state of
his love affairs. Mulry continued to
be mildly amused until he realized
that their financial security was again
at stake; then he became serious at
once.
Freneau told him that Lois Stat
ford, whom he was attempting to get
I rid Of, had learned of his engage
nlent to her sister-in-law. Gloria, and
had become unmarageab1e
She threatened that, unless ! gave
up my proposed marriage, she will
confess the whole affair and then kill
herself"
Principally this meant to Mulry that
the firm would have to refund the
large sum OF money Freneau had lust
hNrro,,,nd {,1,,, Glacial f,tt,a. -. Al
strength of the engagement Mulry
began pacing the floor also, chewing
his cigar. At last he chewed out an
idea that pleased him.
You make the trip to the branch
officers in my place, and take your
fair tormentor along. Perhaps YOU
can appease her and get her into a
reasonable state Of mind
Freneau did not care for the
scheme. He shook his head in de-
rision. Mulry urged.
AT least 1t would gain time for
u.s.
mo, its out Of the question; try
again Freneau snapped. "She is go
ing to the Catskills for week and
she insists on my tagging along"
Mulry rubbed his head. His mas
sage seemed to conjure up another
idea, for he began to rummage
through his desk. He beckoned to
Freneau to come over to him and held
up delightedly handful Of misccl-
laneous papers. Freneau looked and
saw merely number OF sheets OF
writing paper and envelopes from
various big hotels about the country.
They meant nothing to him.
Mulry laughed and swung his huge
bulk back in the swivel chair till he
almost capsized 1t. Freneau, saving
him from fall, demanded the reason
for the gay outburst. Mulry waved
the blank sheets of paper and en-
vclopes at him and exclaimed:
When ! stay at a hotel always
annex lot of its paper and envel-
opes."
"Yes? And what have your par
simonious habits to do with our pres
ent troublei" queried Freneau pa
tiently.
Mulry was disguised. why, don't
you see, you poor Don Juanl You
take these letterheads and write love
letters on them to your sick fiancee.
take them with me and mail them
from the different towns make.
Then Miss Stafford will think you are
there. Meanwhile you can 20 away
to the Catskills and meet your
troublesome Lois. II you can't rig up
some story to get your letter back
from her and keep her quiet until
after your marriage, why you're not
the little bright eyes | always took
you for. See nowl"
Frcneau did see. He was not en-
thusiastic, but this seemed the only
4 possible way to tide over the present
reef in his way to the harbor OF mat
rimony. At least II was chance and
he would use il. 1t was the only one
he dared to try.
Freneau was dishonorable, Freneau
was Enthusiastically an adventurcr and
what the world calls cad, but he
was born Of gentle people; he had
good blood in his veins, as his world
" graces showed. He truly adored
Gloria and wanted only her. There
was sharp torment in the agonies he
endured fearing the loss OF her
through his previous sins. His pun
ishment was not far off and he was
TO meet il with neither peaceful
thoughts nor clear conscience. He
had enmeshed himself in SO complex
web OF intrigue and wrongdoing
that the problem OF escape was ever
more complex He had courage OF a
kind and great belief in his own re-
sources. But he was growing skepti-
cal of his ability to fight so many enc.
mics at once.
Who knows? II Gloria had been q
woman when he first saw her, the
woman she now was, instead OF the
child then. she might have saved his
soul and his life. But he had to take
the present as the past gave it to
him. and hope for future of more
Straightforward life.
Late that night in his apartment,
Freneau started the batch of love let,
tiers and kilograms for Gloria, He
became interested in them, and SC
carried away by the fervor he infused
into them that early dawn and hi,
valet found him asleep at last with
his head resting on sheets OF paper
that bore such messages as;
Dear Darling Gloria: As | tele
graphed you, ] arrived safely, bu
missed you terribly. This week o.
absence will seem an eternity"
This was on letterhead OF tn,
Hosrl Ten Eyck in Albany. Otherl
were written from other hotels. TIL,
last one he had written was on tn,
paper OF the Fort Pitt hotel, Pitts
burgh. In it he said:
HThe eternity Of this long week i
over. l return tomorrow to you