The Elbert County tribune., 1917-02-16

ner husband was taking ner to the
benefit and she hoped that he would
be there. She had something i'm.
portant to tell him. Everything she
had to tell him was immensely i'm
portant nowadays to her-and I'm.
mensely unimportant to him.
The thing that agitated Lois was
her knowledge that Gloria mad come
back to New York and was still IN
love with the memory OF Freneau
Lois was in an anguish OF fear and
jealousy and she wanted to compel
Freneau to swear that he would not
forsake her for Gloria
Freneau vas oblivious or this, but
he had no intention of keeping his
promise to Lois till Mulry. who mad
overheard Freneau's end of the con.
versation. said: Come along. 1 got
stung for a couple of tickets. You
can have one of them We might
meet somebody who might give US a
line on the market"
So the Romeolike Freneau went
with his Falstafian partner. They
haunted the promenade of the box
holders, wishing to be seen in ex-
pensiye company.
CHANGING over the balustrade, Fre-
neau caught sight OF Lois mounting
the stairs with her husband She was
looking for him, and he smiled back
at her with stinted grace He did not
notice that on the other stairway of
the big double zigzag Pierpont Stat
ford was coming up with a vision of
young loveliness at his side. He did
not know Gloria saw him. He did not
gee her clutch her fathers arm and
almost swoon with delight.
He might have observed all this and
still not have suspected who the girl
was, for the Gloria he had found in
squaw costume in the everglades, the
Gloria who had exchanged vows with
him on the veranda of the Poinciana,
the Gloria who had waved farewells
to him from the recedIpg train five
years ago. had all but receded from
his memory. What recollection he
had of her was of little sixteen-year-
old thing with her hair down her back
and an air of almost childish imma,
turity.
The Gloria who marched up the
broad steps of the Metropolitan was
young lady of twenty, one with her
hair up, her head full OF knowledge,
and her features changed as the bud
is changed when 1t becomes a rose.
Her costume was the latest thing from )
Paris. still Paris in spite of the war.
Gloria could hardly climb the steps
to the level of Freneau. Her father
did not know him, but she did. She
left her fathers side and hurried to
Freneau's. He did not hear her or
know that she was at his elbow, trem-
bling with rapture and trying to keep
from crying his name aloud and seiz-
ing him by the arm that had saved
her from the Indians. She coughed
and he did not hear. At last she ven
tured the terrific deed of touching his
sleeve with her finger tip He turned
and she murmured:
Mr.. Freneau, l believer"
He turned, saw that most exquis-
ite creature had addressed him. won
| dered who under the sun she was. lift.
ed his hat, made violent pretense
at remembering her perfectly, having
met her just the day before, and ex-
claimed: why. hellol I'm SO GLAD
you got here
He put out his hand. but hers fell
away before he could clasp it. She
had thrust her arm into her fathers
elbow and hurried him along toward
the door OF their box while Freneau
whirled and stared
Mulry stared. too. and muttered:
Good Lord, who's the new peach with
old Pierpont?"
1T must be his daughter; it's
Gloria!" Freneau gasped.
His daughteri Do you know herr
Know her!" Freneau laughed.
well. ratherl I'm engaged to her in
way"
Engaged in a wayl" Mulry repeat
ed. We'll. marry her quick. Her old
mans money will come in mighty
handy"
Freneau leaned against the balus-
trade thinking so hard and recasting
his plans so rapidly and with such.
enthusiasm that Lois not only touched
his arm but pinched It fiercely before
he noticed her. Then he stared at
her with cold Indifference that veri-
fed her widest fears.
Meanwhile Gloria was sitting in
miserable splendor on a liftle gold
chair in a box like a prison cell to
her, and she was batting her eyes fast
to shake away the tears that came
pellmell- She was wringing her little
white gloved hands and trying not to
sob aloud: HE doesn't remember
me! He doesn't remember mel.
(TO BE CONTINUEDl