The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1917-05-03

seek Doctor Royce. David ran after
her, asking: whats 1T all about?
What's the little surprise you had for
me? 1t seems to have caught you first"
Don't bother me-" was all Gloria
would say.
David seemed so amused by ner dis
may that she began to suspect him of
his confederate. But she
dared not accuse him lest, If he were
innocent, she would reveal to him
more of Lois guilt than she felt 1t her
to divulge.
She stood off David and hurried on
to find Doctor Royce. She met Judge
Freeman on the lawn, and told him
what had happened. He expressed
surprise, but when she had lert him
she began to feel dissatisfied with the
sincerity of his amazement. But she
could not pause to investigate further.
When at last she found Royce, she
forgot that he was in her black book
still. 1t had been her habit for sc
many years to run to MIN with her
problems that she ran to him now,
and, laying her hands on his arm,
"Oh, Stephen, stephen, they've sroi-
en- Trask! I've lost him again and j
don't know what to do"
"Stolen Trask!" Royce exclaimed.
"It's impossible"
"Of course, It's impossible" said
Gloria, a"but it's true, too"
Royce set out to pick up what trace
there might be Of him. Gloria tagged
along. Royce asked every servant he
met where he had been. Several of
them had been on the lawn serving tea.
Judge Freeman had SEM others on vari-
Gus errands. The cook and her crew
had been busy providing for Aunt Hor-
tensia's mob. Royce called for his
own chauffeur. He had been In the
kitchen, he confessed, as q guest at a
tea party below stairs.
Judge Freeman was not to be found.
AS a matter Of fact he was the prin-
cipal offender. After he left Gloria
he had wandered about In q deep and
gloomy meditation. He was convinced
that Gloria, with her impulsivc and
unmanageable temper, was set upon
u%nraveling every knot in the tangle.
He was sure that her inexperience
with the world would keep her from
f~oreseeing the consequences and that
she would compel a complete revela-
ton. This would end only In a public
scandal. an enormous and i~rretrievable
disaster.
David would be put on trial for his
life and Trask would turn states evil
dence against him to save his own
life. David would perhaps be SEN
fenced to death, or, II he escaped that,
he would escape 1t in some rretense
Of insanity, With all the aftermath
Of endless serial scandals. In any
case, Lois would be disgraced before
the world. and II David's wealth could
bride an acQuittal, 1t would purchase
q divorce.
Another consequence would be that
the judge himself would be impeached
or forced TO q resignation under fire,
with his ermine dishonored. 1t Is only
fair to say that the judges fears for
his own suffering had less weight with
him than his fears for the wreck OF
his daughters life and Of David's. He
loyed David rs If he were his own
son. he had a deep affection for
Pierpont, and he c. erished a great
fondness for Gloria. He respected
even the motives that were so perilous
to herself rs well MS all the others.
He wandered disconsolately about
the lonelier portions Of the Stafford
demesne and found himself at the
outer gate. There he CHANGED to see
the bargemnn. Jed. come up the road.
Jed asked II he knew where the Staf-
ford place was. Judge Freeman told
him that e was before him. Jed asked
II q badly hurt man had been taken In
there with his daughter. The Judge
nodded and asked what he knew 6f
the pax.
Jed said he didn;t know much *.
cept that the old mans daughter was
his girl and going to marry him some
DAY and he was afraid she was In
trouble. So he had left the barge to
hurry back and zee II he could be OF
'so1ne use.
The tadee min cautiously
and finally pfoposed that the best thing
- DO would b to set the old man out
- A-LLn-LAA XT