Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-23
CHAPTER XXXV
Aftermath

~ HE thing that impressed Gloria most
in the days that followed was the
a fact that Viyyan Bobby and Barry
Carr all stood by her, They went with her
to seek out the boys parents, they offered
suggestions and help. They sympa-
thetic, warm-hearted and generous, and it
began to dawn upon Gloria that beneath the
veneer of these people she had always looked
down upon there were warm hearts and big
impulses.
Dick Saunders, Thea injured boy, came of
poor people, Gloria was ashamed the first
time she went to see Mrs Saunders, for in
stead of blaming her she seemed awed in
the presence of the great film STAR
Gloria took the woman's toil-Worn hands
in hers.
"Dick isn't badly hurt" she explained, che
has three broken ribs and Is badly shaken
UP, but the doctor says he'll be all right
Just the same, I never forgive myself
and 1 want to do something to show you
how l feel
Mrs Saunders was not a little excited
when Gloria took her to the hospital to see
Dick. He lay in an Immaculate white bed
surrounded by picture books and toys of all
descriptions A nurse in crisp white linen
in attendance, and flowers were every
where
Gee. ma he cried out as she bent over
him. Its great here. 1 have whole bed
to myself and they treat me fine. Swell
eats, too. Amt it great?"
Mrs. Saunders nodded, tears close to her
eyes. No wonder Dick looked upon the
whole thing in the light of adventure
At home he shared a single bed with an
other brother. Food not always plenti-
full, for Mrs. Saunders was a widow and
worked hard to make money enough to sup
port her four children At her husbands
death she had bought the small house they
lived in with the money left by his life in
surance. She wanted to be sure of roof
over her head, but she had found it none
too easy to provide food and clothes for four
husky childfen.
Gloria became a fairy godmother to the
Saunders. 1t seemed as If she couldn't do
enough to prove her gratitude. But there
were times when she shivered at the mar
roWness Of her escape. Suppose Dick had
died. If he had, she would have gone
through life murderess, it wouldn't have
been possible to atone in any way for what
she had done. The thought serious
one, serious enough to make her want to
reconstruct her whole life.
Gloria looked up and smiled. Vivyan, in
her expensive sport dress with a large Pana-
ma hat set askew on her dark hair, and her
carefully made-up face, seemed homogeneous
welding needle And yet Gloria had
grown fond of her. They had become
friendly through a common interest, and
Vvyan had confided almost shyly the fact
that she and Bobby Clyde were planning to
be married.
Hes wild Gloria, and he has bad rep
utation here in the colony, but he isn't
nearly as bad as he is painted. OF course,
he's grown hard like the rest of us, but
think we can make a go of things. There's
one thing, we're neither of us hard about
and that's the way we feel about each other
Don't you think we have pretty good
chance to be happy"
Gloria assented eagerly She had watched
Vivyan's face soften as she spoke, and it
struck her suddenly that almost any one
had better chance for happiness than she
had herself.