Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-01-30

rne moment. she nOuueQ ner Heau IN
obedience. kissed her fathers cheek.
ratted him absent-mindedly. and left
him. But once alone again she burned
with resentment at the plan TO shield
the murderer OF her lover. She re-
spected her fathers dread Of publicity
and she shared his hatred OF publicity,
hut she would not r~elInquish her de-
mand for justice. She realized. how
ever. that she would have no help now
in her hunt for the murderer. But
this only strengthened her determine
ton. Alone she would unravel the Sc
cret knot and bring the guilty to pun
ishment.
Meanwhile Lois. In her own passion
ate way. was suffering also. but her
suffering was tinged with a certain
amount Of horrible satisfaction. Death.
instead OF Gloria. had taken Freneau
from her. Gloria could not claim one
smallest part of him from her now. lie
had never cared n atom for Gloria;
he had told her so. II was for financial
reasons alone hit he had intended 10
marry Gloria, bur she could not buy
him now. freneau had been struck
down in his youth and strength by
some fiend, but he was hers, hers In
death as he had been In life. Neither
Gloria nor her own husband. David,
could ever take him from her now.
Lois wen 10 her dressing table, took
from a locked drawer her open bag,
and drew from II the silver-framed
photograph Of Freneau that she had
stolen from Gloria. Staring nj II long.
ingly. she kissed II. then. pausing with
anxious jealousy, lifted IL from It's
frame and read the inscription on the
back:
ITO Gloria, my only love, with all
my heart. Dick"
Lois recoIled from the words as II
they struck her in the face. Then. turn
Ing the photograph toward her again.
she gazed az II ~searchlngly. Suddenly
she smote IL with her clenched fist and
threw e from her. Blu AT once. with
swift revulslon OF feeling. she knelt
ard clasped II 10 her bosom again,
bursting into dry Sobs and misery.
She was interrupted by a knock at
the door and the warning voice OF her
maid: Miss Stafford Is calling. mad
am
Lois was startled. She rose n
slipped the photograph between two
volumes I'm a book rack on a table and
called 10 her maid SHOW Miss STAFF
ford up here
Rushing To her dressing table. she
hastily ran u powder pun over her
l.t..l A..t~ lM- l.s~
When she turned IL was 10 confront
Gloria clad IN heavy mourning. For a
momen the sight of the Grape stung
Lois To Jealous frenzy next she deter
mined 10 make some excuse 10 wear
black herself. She felt that she had
a better right 20 mourning than Gloria
had.
Advancing. She kissed Gloria's cool
cheek. mumbling How are you. dear?
10 You think you ought 10 be out On
such a cold dayf'
"Oh. yes" answered Gloria llstlessly.
Il thought a drive would do me good.
just dropped in on you for a mo-
ment.r
Putting up her furS. Gloria wan
N'A'A AAaAHiN~AN wv Aht ANtAAs tsta
sank into d chair by the table. The
women eyed each other with con-
straint. Neither wished 10 speak first
Of Freneau. Gloria noted the haggard
mien ~ Lois with wonderment. Cast
inE about for something 10 say. she
fuinbled with the books on the rack.
The picture ~ Freneau fell out.
The blood pounded In Gloria's heart
and spread a quick flush over her face
as she picked It up. She turned II over
and read the inscription. She asked
bewilderedly How did this come
here:"
Lois. controlling herself with diff
Guilty. tried TO speak.
WAS Il you. then, who stole II from
my room7" Gloria hurled the question
with set lips and glittering eyes.
With a desperate inspiration Lois
explained. "Yes. / stole IL. I was go
ing to surprise you with II. And then
he died"
Gloria was touched. and believed as
impulsively ms she had suspected.
Throwing her arms about Lois, she
embraced her. "Thank you. dear; II
was wonderful Of you to think Of that.
You are so very thoughtful. | must
20 now" She slipped into her coat
In spite Of the protests Of Lois, and
left her. She took the photograph with
her, and Lois dared not protest.
Far away in a Colorado town lived
a woman who after all was most to be
affected by Richard Freneau's death.
for she had given him more than Clio
ria with her young girls heart or Lois
with her guilty love. She had given
him birth.
In a quaint. old-fashioned sitting
room the venerable. sweet woman was
sitting In a rocking chair before the
fire. On her mantel were portraits Of
Freneau as a child and as a man. She
put down her knitting and rose with
some difficulty. Clinging to the man.
tel, she took down one Of the photo