Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-09-23
THE SECOND MRS. STRONG
BY HAZEL DEYO BACHELOR
CHAPTER
A PrOdigaI Daughter

TN HE door of the library led into the
large entrance hall. From where he
was sitting, Matthew Strong could see
the outer door, massive with carved wood
and tiny loaded panels Of glass. The hall
light filtered through an ornate Chinese
lantern, so that the entrance was flooded
with dim radiance. 1t was very quiet in
the house
At seven, when he had returned from
the office, he had asked Immediately for
Claudia, only to be told that she had gone
out. No one seemed to know where, and
inaSmuch as the girl was only seventeen,
and had been running about lately with the
gay younger set, Matthew was worried
about her.
The grandfather clock in the library
struck one single, deep, sonorous stroke
Matthew stirred in his chair, reached for a
fresh cigar and lighted it, and then re-
sumed his thoughts.
The situation he was facing was grimly
amusing. For father to be sitting up for
his daughter was enlightening to say the
least. 1t reflected on the feverish trend of
the times, and of late Claudia seemed to
be drifting away from him. He had no in
fluence over her at all Last week when
he had spoken to her about keeping late
hours she had defied him. She had been
flippant, little hard, very smart and highly
polished, and yet so appallingly young that
there had been a certain pathOs about her.
Tonight Matthew was resolved to have it
out with her. to assert his authority, and
ever since his solitary dinner he had been
waiting in the library, trying to read smok-
ing endless cigars and growing more impa-
tient and worried each minute.
The clock struck two, and as the echo
died away Matthew was suddenly conscious
that motorcar was stopping in front Of the
house. A moment later there were steps
on the porch, followed by the click Of the
key in the lock. The door swung inward,
and there came q humble of voices, fol-
lowed by silence that seemed intermfnab1e
Matthew's fingers clenched on the arms of
his chair he waited, and then at last
Claudia appeared.
She closed the door very softly and leaned
against it for a moment. Then with great
deliberation she stopped and unfastened the
straps of her silver slippers A moment
later she was tiptoeing across the hall to-
ward the stairs.
"CIaudia!" Matthew's voice was suddenly
sharp.
The girl started, wavered uncertainty, and
then turned toward him. Her evening cloak
sagged off one shoulder, her bobbed hair
stood out wildly about her small face. She
met his eyes defiantly, her own very bright,
and as Matthew put out his hand to draw
her into the library, he caught the unmis-
taxable odor of liquor on her breath.
you've been drinking."
Claudia laughed, and the sound was
shriIl unnatural.
"Why, dad, you sound as though you'd
been reading a temperance tract You've
been drinking she minced impertinently
II had couple Of sips out Of Eddie's flask
but not enough to hurt me-"
"Who is Eddie?"
eddie Montgomery. He brought me
home"
''Home from where?"
cob, a crowd of us went out to Silver
Springs. There's a peach of roadhouse
there and we had some slick dances That's
ALL"
"Oh so that's ALL" Matthew drew long
breath as he spoke. II warned you last
week, Claudia, and I meant what l said.
You are too young for this kind of thing.
won't have you coming in at two in the
morning with the information that you've
been slipping drinks from mems TASKS. It's
disgusting. I should think you'd be ashamed
Of yourself. Hand over that key. In the
future, you'll come home from parties at
decent hour or I'll know the reason Why!"
CHAPTER III