The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1917-03-29

was ignored In the excitement of the
convention. A mammoth lawn festival
for Polish relief; there was no dis
sent.
Now once more Gloria felt free to
seek David. She found him, hiding.
he said, till the women got away. She
asked him to follow her. She had
perfected her scheme for testing his
innocence or his guilt. ...4
David had not been present when
the yachting expedition set forth to
run down Trask, nor had he been pres
ent when Trask was brought in. David
was thoroughbred enough to rule his
own expressions and to pretend ignor-
ance of Trask's existence. But Gloria
felt sure that If she could bring the
two men suddenly face to face one or
the other would betray guilty knowl-
edge.
So she said to David: "Come with
me. I've got surprise for YOU"
David followed her up to the guest
room where Trask had been installed.
She led him to the door, knocked,
opened the door, and babe David enter.
A screen stood before the bed ana she
drew it aside quickly, keeping her
eyes on David. She saw surprise in
his face, but not Of the sort she ex-
pected. His surprise was blank won
der. She turned to see how Trask
took the conformation. Trask was
not there. The bed was empty.
Gloria ran to find the nurse. She
met her just coming in from a motor
ride. She had taken her TWO hours
of liberty, she said leaving Nell to
care for her father. She was stunned
by the news of Trask's departure. He
was too weak to rise and walk. 1t
seemed impossible that he could nave
been carried out without attracting the
attention Of Il dozen servants.
Gloria felt bewitched. She ran to
her, asking: "What's it 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
kidnapping his confederate. But she
dared not accuse him lest, if he We're
innocent, she would reveal to him
more of Lois guilt than she felt it her
right 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 left him
she began to feel dissatisfied with the
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 SO
many years to run to him with her
problems that she ran to him now,
and, laying her hands ON his arm.
cried:
"Oh, Stephen, Stephen, they've srol-
en- Trask! I've lost him again and
don't know what to do"
"Stolen Trask!" Royce exclaimed.
''It's impossible"
''Of course, it's impossible" said
Gloria, ''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 sent 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 guest at a
tea party below stairs.
Judge Freeman was not to be found.
AS matter of fact he was the prin-
cipal offender. After he left Gloria
he had wandered about in a deep and
gloomy meditation. He was convinced
that Gloria, with her impulsive and
unmanageable temper, was set upon
unraveling every knot in the tangle.
He was sure that her inexperience
with the world would keep her from
foreseeing the consequences and that
she would compel a complete revela-
ton. This would end only in public
scandal, an enormous and irretrievable
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, If he escaped that, |
he would escape 1t in some pretense
Of insanity, with all the aftermath
Of endless serial scandals. In any
case. Lois would be disgraced before
the world, and If David's wealth could
bride an acQuittal. it would purchase
q divorce.
Another consequence would be that
the judge himself would be impeached
or forced to a resignation under fire,
with his ermine dishonored. It 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
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