The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-01-19

sassin and heard him accused by his
own daughter. One trouble with salts
flying curiosity is that every curiosity
satisfied opens up new curiosities
Gloria now was frantic to know why
Gideon Trask killed Freneau and how
Trasks' daughter was involved in the
crime. Next, she was curious to know
how she was to escape with her knowl
| edge, once she had 1T.
When TraSk heard Gloria's voice
! over his shoulder accusing him of the
crime he was denying, he whirled as
if an angel had spoken with the
voice Of conscience. An angel would
have been hardly more surprising then
the look of Gloria on the stairway of
the barge.
TraSk had no idea of Gloria's iden-
tity. He could not imagine who she
was, whence she had come, or why she
accused him. He stood trans6xed q
moment, then moved toward her with
menace. Gloria retreated up the steps,
but he leaped at her and dragged her
down and seized her by the throat, as
ne nau SelZeQ freUeau.
She tried to scream, but she could
not make sound. Nell attempted
to restrain her father, but he turned
on her with terror and wrath: IF
she gets away, go to the chair"
He might have throttled her then
and there, but there was jolt, the
barge shook as the towline dragged
it away, and down the hatchway came
the voice of Trask's helper, Jed.
Trask hurled Gloria against the way
and warned her that if she made a
sound 1t would be her last. He would
wiring her neck and throw her into the
river.
Gloria covered in utter dread of him
and remembered the fate of her poor
lover, whose body the same stream
had received and kept for days.
When Trask stamped up the cabin
stairs and banged the hatchway down
Gloria studied the girl. she had beea
beautiful, and still was pretty but too
sad. Just now she was too angry, Nell
had been fighting against her father
till this unknown woman appeared
from nowhere. Now Nell was all for
her father against the world.
Gloria spoke to her, questioned her
about Freneau. Nell did not answer
at all, only in grumbling monosyllables.
Gloria tried to bride Nell to let her
escape. Gloria offered larger and
larger sums till Nell would have been
dazzled if she had been convinced.
At last she spoke:
"Say, who do you think you are?
The Dime Savings bank? And who do
YOU think [ am? 1 amt on AUCTION.
If your father had all the money you're
maxim up he has, do you think you
could buy my father with it? Mop
Glora liked her better for that, but
she was none the less determined to es-
cape if she could. She talked no more.
But she thought harder than ever be- |
fore.
Nell went on getting her fathers |
supper at the little stove, Gathering the |
pans and jabbing the fire with the pok-
er angrily.
Gloria had often steamed up the |
Hudson on her fathers yacht. This
was ner first voyage on a canal barge.
The place WAS extremely unlike her ia
TIERS yacht, but the SAVIOR of the fry
ing pan made Gloria democratically
hungry. When Trask came back, how
,ver his cold eyes took her appetite
iway. But not his own. She watched
aim wolf his food; she felt that he
vas half insane, relentless fanatic
IN a wild crusade.
His eyes kept rolling in her direc-
ion. He found her so mysterious that
lie was half afraid of her. He re-
rendered the loneliness Of that win
er night by the Soldiers and Sailors
monument. He remembered the APP
'earance of Freneau alone and no 9TH
r human being in view. His very
ands remembered the death grasp
hey took on Freneau's throat. He
miled. That was one good deed, at
east, he told himself.
But he could not imagine how this
irl could have seen him. How could
e guess that she had sat at her win
ow with binoculars to her eyes and
-atched the whole tragedy. He be-
an to grow superstitious. Gloria was
pparently able to perform miracles.
he wore the invisible cloak Perhaps
ne would leave as mystically as she
ad come
Finally he grew brave enough to
lout out at her: "Who are you?
hat was Freneau to your"
Gloria knew that anyone who bus
RS is likely to be weak, so she an
vered coldly: "Never mind who /
n. The main thing is, who are you
Id what was Freneau to your"
The very name Freneau seemed to 7
adden Trask. He emitted loud yelp !
hate and derision and left the table. Q
? moved toward Gloria, but changed q
8 mind or deferred his purpose and a
mt up the stairs, closing the hatch
d fastening it above. There was
thing reassuring in his last look at 9
oria. ;,
Nell was clearing pg the table when