Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1917-04-12

most cnoked him. When another
man took Gloria away from Freneau
for the last half of the dance, and
Freneau reluctantly walked away,
Royce asked for a word with him,
moving toward the library, where they
could be alone. Freneau followed
with uneasy bravado. Once safe from
observation, Doctor Royce let his rage
break forth.
you contemplate fortune hunter!
Five years ago l warned you to keep
away from Gloria. You lied to her
then and your life is still one long
lie.''
Freneau's face blanehed with fury,
and he raised his arm to strike Royce,
but before the calm contempt in his
eyes he changed his mind. He de-
cided to forego the blow for the pres
ent, and laughed as bravely as he
could. Royce pursued him with an
alarming threat.
What if l tell her of your affair
with certain married woman?'
Freneau gave a surprised start, at
tempted to speak, changed his mind
again. He was guilty of too much
to risk a challenge. Struggling his
shoulders, he moved sullenly off and
out of the room.
Royce smiled to himself. TT was
a bluff, but it worked" He had
caught glimpse of Lois jealousy and
/ faint suspicion had risen in his
mind Now he wondered if it were
confirmed.
Royce walked after F'reneau and
had the satisfaction of seeing him de.
part after bidding good-by to Gloria.
Royce thought he had won sig.
nal victory. He would have taken lit
tie pleasure in it had he known that
Freneau left SO obediently because
Gloria had already granted him a
whole afternoon to be spent in her
company alone on the following day.
Freneau felt so certain of his ability
to win a promise of marriage from
her with this opportunity that he
could afford the seeming compliance
with the order of Doctor Royce.
AS he descended the outer steps OF
nailed his car to put into the drive
way. A tramp who had been loiter.
ing on the street watching the gor.
geous crowd OF guests, caught sight
of F'reneau and seemed to go mad
with rage. He rushed forward, shout.
ing accusations. Freneau struck out
viciously with his walking stick. The
tramp fell to the ground, while Ere
neau, leaping into his limousine, mo-
toned his chauffeur to make haste.
He leaned out of his car as it turned
and smiled to see the tramp pick him.
self up awkwardly and run after him,
rushing wildly through the traffic of
Riverside drive.
AS Freneau's car turned into side
street the tramp, still in pursuit, was
caught by an oncoming automobile
and knocked sideways. One of the
rear wheels passed over his legs. The
car was stopped instantly and the
occupants picked him up to hurry him
to hospital.
Freneau sat back in daze at the
quick tragedy. He could not tell how
badly the man was hurt nor how
much he could depend on his own re-
lease from danger in that quarter. 1t
ruffied him considerably to encoun-
ter another relic of his adventurous
past, just as he was about to win
beautiful young wife for himself; a
relic who had a just grievance and
might well ruin him by exposure. To
get out of his ENHANCEMENT with Lois
was delicate matter enough for him
to handle without this new ghost
Truly, Freneau brooded, a brave,
pleasure-loving free lance like himself
should have wider field to move
about in. The smallness of this world
was cramping his style!
Arriving at his own apartment he
threw his overcoat to his valet and
marched gloomily into the living room,
slamming the door behind him. II
only Trask should die! But he could
not count on such luck. Trask would
probably escape with few bruises
and an added grudge, and be out
again in few days to pick up the
trail.
A vision came to Freneau's mind OF
Nell Trask, as he had last seen her,
when he left her beside stream near
mining camp in the South.
Poor fool! She had pleaded so I'M
reasonably that he should marry her
and save her When he refused she
had thrown herself down on the bank
in wild abandonment to her grief As
he mounted his horse he saw the
girls father pick her up and hold her
in his arms while apparently she sob
bed forth her confession. A look of
such savage ferocity came over Tasks
face that Freneau dug spurs into his
horse. On reaching the town he had
boarded a train at once, leaving his
few belongings behind him. For that
look on Trask's face surely meant