The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1917-01-30

good looking for his own good or tho
good of any girl or woman he focused
his eye upon. Freneau was magnetic
and he was great fun, but David Stat.
ford was good business. To CAPTURE |
the son Of Pierpont Stafford would ha
high Misunderstanding tremendous.
The judge, her father, kept his eyes
on Lois more than on the golf ball.
and landed in the bunkers with regu.
larity. He knew that his daughter
was up to some mischief but he was
sure that it was not the innocent mis-
chief of the obstreperous Gloria.
Gloria Stafford, exquisite in her
bathing suit, was like a bisque figure
come to life-very much to life as
she stood outside her bedroom door
and held the knob against her gov.
erness, who tugged in vain at the OBJ
posite knob. Then Gloria let 60, and
the governess went staggering back.
ward across the room, while Gloria
with shrieks of laughter made her way
off and down the corridor and out to
the beach.
The beach being no less than Palm
Beach, she lodged among throngs Of
tie we'll known, the much photo
graphed, who were also making their
way, though more sedately, to the
surf. It was twelve o'clock, the fash
ionable bathing time. To be seen in
the water more than half an hour
earlier or more than half an hour late
was socially fatal.
The governess followed the fugitive
in hot haste, but Gloria sought refuge
in the crowded ocean. She dived and
stayed under as long as she could, but
Miss Sidney deserted her at once and
gesticu1ated violently, commanding
her to come back. Gloria merely
bobbed her pert little bonnet and
splashed in behind her father. Miss
Sidney persisted and Gloria gave her
father push, saying: "You go make
her let me alone. Tell her she'll be
sorry If she doesn't"
| The capitalist foundered out with
the apologize manner of an over
grown schoolboy, for even he was
.. afraid of the governess. And he was
not very impressive in q bathing suit
He made his way to Miss Sidneys
presence and mumbled: "Would you
| mind IL Gloria had her morning swim,
! please?"
The governess explained to him, as
If she were talking to another child,
that since Gloria had positively re-
F, fused to work out her problem in alge-
| bra she had been forbidden to go into
| the water. Nevertheless she had fla
gravity rebelled, secretly arrayed her
self for the bath, and fled. 1t would
| never do to let her have her own
way.
"Er-um-I see," said Stafford. He
bowed meekly and returned with still.
less courage to face his daughter.
A widower with q woman-child OF
sixteen is pathetic enough at best, but
Gloria was so effulgently sixteen, so
eagerly alive, and so enchantingly
pretty that her father was disarmed
by a mere glance at her. His anger
was sure to melt in a shamefaced
smile.
In the meanwhile Gloria had made
the most of her stolen moments and
with swift overland strokes had put
number of cleaning breakers BE-
tween her and the shore.
She turned just in time to see her
father beckoning to her with his best
imitation of the stern parent. she
knew that the governess had coWea
him, and she did not wish to humlll'
ate him by her own disobedience-
So she swan back through the
heads floating on the water like ap'
pies floating in Halloween tub. IL
| made her boiling mad to be disgraced
before all the important people. she
could see some of them grinning az
her. Her brother David openly rldi
culed her and splashed water over
her.
She pretended not to notice hlr,a
but, reaching her father at last, sns
| hurled herself upon him and ducKeO
4 aim under the water. Then she scran
| bled to the beach. When the enrageO
governess seized her by the wrist ulo
& ria tried to pull her into the frotn
But the governess was too big for ne
. and she hauled Gloria out OF the ~
mantle sea into hard world OF or
sand and drier mathematics.
Q Gloria skunk along in white rage
q storm brewing behind her eyes. 81
was not often sullen and never MOI
u bid. She was made up of Joy, sunilgn
T. and mischief, all the fresh and swee
4 of life. But she loathed being told
g. do things or not to do things, forDll
den, commanded-in q word, bosse'
n She was poised at the nameless stag
n between childhood and girlhood. on
"a was not what is termed "out," yet ne
b FESTIVE spirit made It impossible ~
d her to be kept Gin" She was tireo
u being snubbed.
= Her brother David. Some eUsr yeu
y Her soa1se, made life fncSuatngty Ion
r. -. Y1l~~s. ,,v ~. ar.rAona %
II ~ -. -