The Elbert County tribune., 1917-05-18

was engine trouble in the works and
the captain brought the hateful news
that the yacht could not bulge for
several hours. Gloria was bitterly dis
appointed and completely baffied.
ITS the old story of the tortoise and
the hare" she grumbled. while we
are sleeping here the barge is moving
along every moment. Wen never find
it. It'll get away for keeps this time"
"Never despair" said Royce stupid
ly.
Don't speak TO me-" said Gloria.
She flounced away to the stern deck
to be by herself, Then the soft breeze
blew away her anger and her furies.
In spite of herself she fell asleep. Her
father came to urge her to go to her
BERTH but she refused to stir.
You'd better sell this old tub and
buy a motor boat" she said.
Later Gloria was half-awakened by
little chill. She was too cold to say
where she was and too drowsy to
move. She saw shadowy figure tip
toelng up. She knew that a steamer
rug was gently laid over her. Half
a-dream, she murmured, THANK you,
Stephen"
She did not know whether he heard
her or not.
When she awoke the yacht was re-
deeming its lost reputation. 1t was
Fastening up the river at a splendid
gait. The sun was just crossing the
eastern wall of hills.
Gloria went to her stateroom to
bathe and dress for a new and busy
day. Breakfast was served on deck.
and the Palisades slid back with en-
couraging rapidity.
Before Gloria had finished her break
fast a tug, towing barge, was sighted
on the northern edge of the water.
Gloria went to the pilot house to stim-
ulate the pursuit. She had great fun
calling down the tube to the engineer
to go as fast as possible and then still
faster. She tried to hurry the pilot,
too, but he explained that he could not
increase the speed by turning his
wheel. Gloria asked him numberless
questions and made him teach her how
to steer the yacht. AT first he helped,
over to the queens taste.
Gradually the barge grew larger and
larger and its ugliness more distinct
The men on the tug paid no heed to
the yacht following closely. But Gloria
saw gaunt figure on the barge watch
ing anxiously. Soon he was distin-
guishable as Trask. Gloria left the
pilot house and went forward to make
sure. She recognized him as he rec
ognized her. She called to him to sur
render. He laughed. Then she saw
that he had rifle in his hand.
Trask had been mystified beyond en-
durance by the whole transaction. He
had left Freneau's body in the moon
lit SHOWS in front of the Soldiers and
Sailors monument on Riverside drive.
He had watched the papers for days.
expecting to read in each one an ac-
count of the finding of the body.
He had been driven frantic with
anxiety by the silence of the journals.
He had begun almost to wonder If he
had really killed his man or only
dreamed 1t, when suddenly the head
lines had hared out with the state
ment that Freneau's body had been
found in the lower bay. miles below
the spot on Riverside drive where he
had left 1t empty of soul.
He had cudgeled his brain trying to
conceive who could have disposed of
the evidence of his crime and with
what motive. The papers said that
Freneau had committed suicide. and
nobody disputed 1t.
Trask had begun to grow used to
the hope that his crime was to go I'M
discovered, to remain another of the
many instances that disprove the old
fallacy. Murder will out" 1t seemed
safe for him to return to his business
as bargeman, yet he had no sooner en-
tered his own cabin than a strange girl
appeared, unexplained, and charged
him with the murder. She avowed, in
fact, that she had seen him do the
| deed.
Then she escaped, but after that
nothing occurred to hamper Trask's
northward voyage In his canal boat
| His night was sleepless. however. he