The Elbert County tribune., 1917-06-15
at the nttle bab, that Men carried al


leaving 1t utterly dark. There was not
enough embers left to fare with Jea-
] lousy. She was restless to have done
| with Freneau forever.
When Trask appealed for her for
gIveness If he had caused her any pain.
she gave 1t freely. Her bitter heart
felt that Trask had done a cleansing
| task in removing F,reneau from the
earth.
Trask sank back exhausted and his
hand relaxed its hold on her. Then
she left him to the ministrations of
Doctor Royce, who whispered to her
that she had better not linger to the
last. He sent her away. She went to
her room In loneliness more pro-
| found than she had ever felt She
had not even dead love for compan-
ionship now. She found the photo
graph of Freneau there and her lips
curled with disgust at the kisses she
had squandered on that worshiped
| image.
| In her wrath she broke 1t to pieces
and laying the fragments In the empty
fireplace, set n match to them. She
watched them burn and flung herself
across her bed weeping madly. She
wept herself to exhaustion and finally
to sleep. 1t was troubled sleep with
a hideous vision of Freneau in internal
flames that mounted about him as the
flames had danced around his photo
| graph only they did not consume him.
He put his arms out to her through
the flames, appealing for pardon. She
heard him say: "Gloria, had repent
ed of my evil ways and vowed to mend
them, but 1 was struck down before
/ could. Forgive meW
| She answered him harshly: "Ask
| Nell, not me. Come back and undo
the evil you did"
| He sighed: "If only could. There
| is only one evil that can be undone. l
| stole your love from man who loved
you before did, and loves you still.
| Give him your heart, Gloria. Give him
your heart, Gloria-Glo-ri-al ~
His voice died away as the vision
of him faded and she woke. She wept
again to think of the pity of life and
death and love, and her heart melted
| little toward Freneau.
| She bathed her eyes and went out
| into the hall. There she found Nell
| Trask weeping inconsolably. Her fa-
| ther was dead. Gloria took the girl
into her arms and tried to think of
consultations where there were none.
| Her anger ragged again at Freneau,
| whose treacheries were to blame for
| everything. The man Jed, hearing
Nell weep, came laundering into the
house and up the stairs and claimed
her from Gloria's arms, saying:
| Leave her to me, miss. She belongs to
| me. She told me all you heard today
| long while ago. 1 love her just the
same, or more, maybe. And I'll take
good care Of her and the baby. It's
| n nice baby; 1t amt to blame. I'll
| take good care of the baby, miss, and
| Nell too"
Gloria surrendered the girl to him
and saw that Nell leaned heavily upon
his strong encircling arms.
Gloria left them together and went
down to the living room. There she
found Judge Freeman. The haggard-
ness seemed to have left his ancient
face. He spoke to her:
"I heard what Trask told you. I
never was SO glad or so proud to be
proved wrong. I owe David humble
apology"
"Will you make 1t to him?"
mo, not for world. The most pro-
found apologies we make to people are
the silent ones they never hear. 1
could not apologize to David without
telling him what apologized for, and
that I could never do. Lois is going
to be q good wife to him. She ought
to have her chance to build up their
lives together. Have you the heart to
tear their home to pieces now? Have
you the rightT
Gloria answered drearily: II haven't
the strength. That's about all know"
She walked out upon the lawn where
the sunset was adding almost intoler-
able beauty to the majesty Of the river
and the Palisades. The vast old peaks,
like relentless judges, were being soft
ened into a tenderness by the soft
colors from the sky. Gloria sat down
on bench before softly plashing
fountain whose waters were made rosy
by the light. Royce found her there
and sat down by her. He was tired
and very solemn with the last rites of
old Trask.
"Is your heart at peace at last,
Gloria?" he murmured.
''At peace, mol" she gasped. sit is
all in chaos"
"About Freneau. mean"
mo, hate him now-or at least I'm
trying to-"
''Don't hate him, Gloria. Don't hate
him.
"You ask that?"
"Yes, for how was he to blame? He