Graham guardian., 1921-05-27
GLORIA
BY MOLLIE MATHER.
(a. isai. Western Newspaper UniOn.)

uiOTld was 50 light huiicu anu hect
Of foot, that she seemed to Everton.
like an elusive bit Of thistledown.
When he would glimpse her shining
head at the foot of the garden, and 90
swiftly In pursuit, Gloria would be
sure to disappear, her golden head pop.
ping out to mock him presently, from
an upper window. 1t was this elus-
iveness Of the girl which first drew,
and then piQued his fancy. Everton,
Of the old and honored Eyerton's, was
not usually evaded by the fair sex.
And IL Gloria seemed to him bit Of
thistledown, Everton, upon his part
impressed the girl just at first, pom
derously, and as an old, young per-
son Of depressing character. Frank
ly, she did not care to know him. She
had heard so much from grandmoth-
er, since her arrival at the homestead,
concerning the desirability' Of this
same dignihed young man as future
husband, that she was In revolt at the
possibility.
To Gloria, families Of old and un-
questioned standing or circumstances
Of like unQuestioned stability were
matters Of indifference. She had come
to enjoy in full the novel experience
of country life, and the sweet old ex-
perience of occupying the very room
that her own mother had occupied in
her far-away gIrlhood. After that,
Gloria wanted to 90 back to her IA
ther. The mother, whose picture on
the wall, was so like herself, had died
before she might even become men,
ory.
Father Bob, Gloria preferred to call
him Bob" had cared for her In child
hood as tenderly as that mother might
have done, and had sent her later with
tears In his eyes--away from him to
school. And though Bob's money was
hard won, Gloria never lacked for
the things that her associates enjoyed.
She looked forward to graduation,
merely as time when she would be
reunited to her father, and then he
had sent her abroad. Upon her re-
turn he urged that she try life in her
grandmother's home. Gloria was
grieved at Bob's desertion. 1t was
difficult for her to see the unselfish.
ness Of his plan. When Mrs. Everton
Blaine learned Of her sons infatu-
alton for the little stranger, she was
distressed.
Mrs. Blaine remembered Gloria's
mother as graceful young person
who had married out of town, and
gone away, never to return. Everton
came to her with the startling an
nouncement of his engagement.
Gloria had consented to marry him,
he said joyously.
"Everton," she bemoaned, "if you
had but waited! Now, your engage
ment Will only have to be broken. An
Everton may not bring dishcnor upon
his family. am sure, no Everton
would"
Her son famed.
"Dlshonor!" he exclaimed.
Mrs. Blaine nodded sadly.
"If not" she said, chow do you ex-
plain the fact of the girl being en-
gnged to you, professedly in love with
you, and being each evening not only
In the company of fiashy-looking in
dividual--but being-yes, my dear, in
the mans embrace as WELL"
II don't believe It," Everton cried.
"Then you must disbelieve your
mothers word" she told him, for
have repeatedly witnessed that en-
brace from my seat in the car. The
girl upon whom you have wasted your
affection, was evidently keeping
tryst each time / saw her, with her
companion on the bridge by the MILL
Without response the son turned
blindly, and made his way toward the
same hidden little bridge. He scarce.
" realized why he chose that direc-
tion or why he was going, But as he ap-
preached In the deepest misery that
he had ever known, he saw Gloria
there before him, her blonde head
swaying In It's thistledown fashion,
In evident time to some merry tune
that she was humming. And near her
stood the man; fashionably fashy, as
his mother had said, but with hand
some eyes resting In unmistakable
tenderness upon the girls face. With