The Elbert County tribune., 1917-06-08

pripe IN her power. She drew the en-
veloDe of letters from the bosom of
her gown and held 1t out to Lois, say
Ing:
II forgive you. dear. have no
right to judge you. 1 can't take that
responsibility. Keep your life and your
past and make what you Will of them
Lois rather saw the prize than heard
! the counsel and she snatched at the
letters with the instinct OF child.
Gloria felt her heart harden again.
She could not keep back a feeling of
contempt for the selfish pettiness of
Lois.
! Gloria was afraid to speak lest she
waste further rebukes on n soul that
could not profit by any other chastise-
nent than sacrifice and, fear. So Gloria
left her and climbed the terraces. She
noted with relief that no one had seen
the brief drama that might have star
tied the whole nation. She was afraid
that she hnd done everything she
ought not to have done.
As she was entering the house to 90
to her room the boy Stas called her.
He was Juggling picture book of for
eign paintings. He knew nothing of
any of them and he asked Gloria many
questions she could not answer One
of the pictures represented Christ
kneellng and writing on the ground.
Near him lay a contrite woman in
shame and tears. In the background
n number of men We're turning away
| gl, of ha ntp l.L
Neither Do / Condemn Thee, Go and
Sin No More"
Now Gloria felt that she was justi-
fed in laying aside her impulse to ex-
act penalty from Lois. She told Stas
that the picture was beyond the un-
derstandlng of a child, and that he
was lucky to be child. She wished
that she had never grown up. Then
she went to her room. Looking from
her window, she could see the embank-
ment where she had won double vic
tory over Lois and herself Lois was
tearing the bundle of letters to bits
and scattering the pieces upon the
railroad track, where she had nearly
been torn to pieces herself.
Gloria felt that one riddle at least
was solved. She felt sorry for David
and his choice among women. Then
she remembered the judges accusa-
tion against David. According to that
her brother was guilty of more helm
ous crime than Lois. He had taken
life or, with even greater wickedness,
had persuaded another man to com
init murder for him. She could not
rest till she had either cleared David
of that suspicion or warned him that
his secret was known.
The reason that the duel between
Gloria and Lois had not been observed
by anyone but the fleeting eyes of the
fireman on the express engine was
that the Stafford estate was u little
world in itself.
David had been comforting with his
business associates by telephone. Pier
pont had been inspecting the prize cat
tie with which he jealously expected
to confound his rival neighbors at the
next county fair. Stas had been look
ing at the big picture books on the
huge table in the great living room.
His father, Casimir, had been working
among the rose bushes with the head
gardener. Judge Freeman had been
involved in one more conspiracy, which
he firmly hoped would be the last.
1t was Casimir who first interrupt
ed Gloria in her search for David.
Casmir had hardly believed that there
We're as many roses in all the world
as there in the Stafford close He
could see his wife lying in reclln-
| ing chair in sunny nook and 1t oc-
cured to him that one of those roses
would cheer her and serve as bit of
galantry. So he plucked one. The
\ gardener saw the deed, charged on
him with roar, and snatched the
/ flower from him. The deep thorn bite
he received in his thumb did not pacify
him. He stood sucking his thumb and
swearing when Pierpont strolled by.
Pierpont had lost his temper at 'the
4 dairy because the head valet to the
cows had not brushed their teeth to his
satisfaction nor manicured their hoofs
to perfection. When the gardener ex-
planned that Caslmir had dared to
pluck one of the famous and priceless
Pierpont roses which had never failed
of honorable mention at the annual ex-
hibition of the Garden club, Pierpont
was more wroth than the head gar
dener.
CasImir quailed before the on
slaught, and Gloria, drawn to the spot
by the noisy voices, found him craven
with confusion. She took his part at
once, and when the gardener and her
father explained the atrocity he had
committed Gloria also turned on him
In heavens name, Casimir. what
did you mean by taking the only rose
my poor father has?"