The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1917-04-05

Royce Slulleu. IlerpOnt grew more
furious.
"Oh, I'm not afraid of her just be-
cause she is only a child. She's got to
obey me and get rid of them"
"Tell her so, sir" said Royce,
amused at the old mans helpless blus-
ter.
"Oh, I'll tell her! !" Pierpont swag-
gered. "Where is she?"
No n knew. Royce suggested that
she had probably gone to the country
place to see her new playmates. SO
Pierpont motored out with Royce. He
told Royce that he would really have
to get rid of the unwelcome guests, If
only to prove to Gloria that she was
not yet the absolute boss Of the family.
'"That victory will be worth going
miles to see," said Royce.
They reached the country place, only
to find that Gloria had not been seen
nor heard Of. Her three guests were
there, however, installed for a long
stay. The butler was so Mortified at
having a walters family to wait on
that he offered his notice.
Pierpont decided to evict the wait
er's family and save the butler. lie
would do it at once, before Gloria got
home. He stalked forth like a con-
stable with a writ of eviction.
The boy Stas caught sight of him
and ran and flung his arms about his
neck and began to tell him of the Won
ders of his W country place, of trees
and flowers and birds and animals
commonplace things to Pierpont, but
miracles to the boy from the slums.
Casimir had gathered an armload of
flowers for his sick wife, and he was
aglow with the feeling that she was
better already.
Pierpont had a great deal of Gloria's
impulsiveness and a great deal Of her
Astounding tenderness. He lost his
temper In flashes, but his charity
burned steadily and deeply. and now
Stas had won his heart. He could not
unclasp that child's arms. In fact, he
lifted Stas to his arm and held him
there while he told the butler he could
leave without notice II he did not like
the guests Of the house. Also Pier
pont told Royce that he must take par
ticular care Of Casimir's wife. Royce
laughed ut the old mans complete col
lapse and said:
tits a pity Gloria isn't here TO see
you. / wonder where on earth she is"
"She's somewhere she oughtn't to
be, that's sure" Pierpont growled, as
he stared at his section Of the Hudson,
where. fighting against the current, a
little tug was visible, towing an old
canal barge loaded to the water line.
Then he added: "She's probably on
that barge now, adopting the barge
mans family"
He could imagine nothing more ex-
travagantly impossible to say than
that. And yet, the truth kept pace
with his extravaganza. For Gloria was
indeed even then on board just such
a barge being towsd upstream by just
such q tug. Only Gloria was not
adopting the bargeman's family. She
was being adopted by 1t. She was a
prisoner and her life was In pawn.
Gloria's curiosity as to one problem
was solved. She had found out that
her vision Of Freneau's. murder was
not a delirium. She had seen the as
sassin and heard him accused by his
own daughter. One trouble with salts
flying curiosity is that every curiosity
satisfied opens up new curiosities-
Gloria now was frantic to know why
Gideon Trask killed Freneau and how
Trasks' daughter was involved IN the
Next, she was curious to know
how she was to escape with her knowl-
edge. once she had 1t.
When Trask heard Gloria's voice
over his shoulder accusing him of the
crime he was denying. he whirled az
II an angel had spoken with the
voice of conscience. An angel would
been hardly more surprising then
the look Of Gloria on the stairway Of
the barge. Il
Trask had no idea OF Gloria's iden-
tity. He could not imagine who she
was, whence she had come. or why she
accused him. He stood trans6xed@a
m0ment. then moved toward her with
menace. Gloria retreated up the steps,
but he leaped at her and dragged her
down and seized her by the throat, as
no had seized Frenenu.
She tried to scream. but she could
not make . sound. Nell attempted
to restrain her father, but he turned
on her with terror and wrath: III