Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-13
THE LOVE TRAP
BY HAZEL DEYO BACHELOR
CHAPTER LII
a Change Of Mind


FTER three days and nights OF mulling
II over the situation, Jeffry Arnold came
to the conclusion that he was behay-
ing like lOyesick boy. The fact renamed
that in some marvellous way Gail Martin, a
girl he had seen only a few times in his life,
had stirred him no other woman ever
had. Was he to give up without making
a fight? Was he to give her up to man
he knew to be unworthy, without telling her
what he thought? He might better tell her
OF it than to let her go without word, and
besides he more than certain that she
cared for him. He could not bring himself
to believe that she had been merely anus
ing herself.
With his decision to see Gail the depres-
sion Of the last few days lifted and his
spirits began to rise. If she loved him, he
would take her in spite of herself. Nothing
in the world could keep them apart, and
this time there would be mere exchange
Of chances between them; he would deter
mine for himself how much she cared. He
would batter down her defenses, He would
take her in his arms by force If necessary
and defy her to tell him that she intended
to marry another man.
He called the Thornton the tee-
phone and waited impatientiy for the con-
nection. His voice when he asked for Miss
Martin was not quite steady, but the reply
Of the Indifferent room clerk was not what
he expected.
miss Martin Is not staying here now"
But she must be there" he persisted.
Gust a moment" drawled the maddening
voice, and then as Arnold waited inpatient
ly and with vague misgivings stirring in his
heart the clerk finally returned to the tele-
phone.
miss Martin checked out yesterday. No
we have no idea where she went You
might get in touch with Mr.. Kennerey.
here's a chance that he would know where
she is"
Arnold slammed the receiver on the hook
hot rage consuming him. Kennerey! Had
she gone to him! Had they by chance de-
cided on a sudden marriage, an elopement?
1t was the most likely thing in the world
and yet even now he could not bring him
self to believe it.
He fought against the impulse to call up
Arch Kennerley, but finally yielded. After
all, Kennerley needn't know who was call
ing, and there would be a certain measure
OF satisfaction in knowing the truth After
wasting considerable time and all of his pa
tience, Arnold was finally put through to
Arch Kennerley's office, but the effort was
we'll worth the trouble he had taken. In
response to Arnold's explanation that he
was an out-of-town friend of Miss Martins
and would like to get in touch with her,
Arch's reply was emphatic. He had no
idea where Miss Martin was. She had left
the Thornton without telling him her
plans. The tone of his voice left Arnold
in no doubt as to whether or not he was
telling the truth. Arch was angry and he
took no trouble to disguise the fact He
had received letter from Gail and a mes
senger had delivered the small box contain
ing the engagement ring. His anger was
due not so much to the fact that he cared
for Gail and could not bear to lose her, as
it was to hurt pride and the knowledge that
any woman could treat him with such scant
ceremony.
In spite Of Jeffry's dismay at Calls sud-
den disappearance he hung up the receiver
with feeling of eXutation in his heart He
had been right after all. Gail had not been
able to go through with it, and rather than
marry Arch Kennerley she had run away
At this very moment she was hiding some
where in the city, but where she was and
how he was to go about finding her were
questions that he had no way of answering
Concluded Saturday,