Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1932-09-22

tou uh hlsnlf Are you sure every
thing is all rightT"
have told you | am all right.
am up In the mountains. at our lot
house. Didn't Mr.. Grafton tell you
MIR. Gratton?' Mrs. Gaynor wal
mystified- HE has told me nothing
haven't seen him. | tried to phone
him-eh.I have phoned everybody We
knowl-and he is out of town. and
But Gloria. panic-stricken by some
thing her mother had said, cried:
You have phoned everybody! Oh
mamma What-what do you mean? p
when you didn't come in last night
Il have been crazy with worry |
thought you might be spending the
night with one of your friends. | rang
up Georgia Stark and Mildred Carter
and the Farrilees-and even the emer-
gency hospitals. thought"
The rest was only a meaningless
bnzzing in GlorIa's ears: she sat, be-
reft of all reason for a dull moment.
then harboring quick. clear thoughts.
as swift. as vivid as lightning. and In
the end as binding by their very
quality of blazing light. The news
papersi
Still. dominated subconsciously by
the thought which had brought her to
the telephone, Gloria managed before
the connection was broken to beg her
mother to come Immediately to her at
the log house. to tell every one that
Gloria was with her father. Her moth
er promised; began asking questions,
and Gloria said a bleak "good-by' and
hung up.
The newspapers Gloria, her face
whittier and whittier. looked into empti-
and saw headlines that lowered
as high rs immense black cliffs. Her
mother had telephoned Mildred Carter
had confessed that Gloria had gone out
with Mr.. Grafton: was gone all night.
no one knew where: Mildred Carter
who was as good as married to Bob
Dwight Of the Chronicle! And the
emergency hospital Gloria with
never = tear coming In her hour Of
greatest distress sat rocking back and
forth ON her chair. crying: "0h, /
wish | were deadir
As one hears noises through a dream.
long powerless to connect them log
ically with familiar happenings. so
did Gloria absently hearken to
Grafton calling from the foot of the
stairs She jumped up only when she
heard him start to mount them. Then.
galvanized, she sprang to her feet,
to him, .Tll be down In just a
second" and ran to her room. She
stood again looking at herself In her
gfHss-
Gloria Gaynor." she heard her own
lips say. Ayou have gotten your
self into a nasty. nasty mess" The
lips began to tremble, then. with a
great struggle for will-power, they
steadied. And" said Gloria in a cold.
little dice, Its up to you. and
40 one else. to get out the best you
this time"
She bathed her face and hands she
her cheeks with a towel, deter
mined to bring some vestige OF color
rack, she took down her hair. She
brought from her closet half d dozen
; chose a certain pink one with
%analyzing the reasons of her selec-
ion. found silk stockings and pumps.
dressed from top to toe She
would have to have 1t out with Graf
on. n way or the other-she began
o know which way 1t would be. But
a girl Should be at her best.
Gloria was getting a grip on herself
AGAIN. When. after Grafton had waited
ind fumed for upward OF an hour. she
vent down stairs she looked cool and
'retty. and quite unembarrassed. He
a look at her that was eloquent
II w excitement.
Il want to explain everything TO you.
Gloria"
1T will take a good deal of explain
ne. won't 1t, Mr.. Gratton?"
They went into the living room and
sal In a big chair while he stood
'efore her. his fingers tapping and tap
ling at his cigarette cast.
II am afraid" he began. talking
that / have been instrumental
q placing you In a false position.
asst night | told you I had telephoned
0 your mother / did try they re-
the line ont of order. What
ould | do? | didn't want to alarm
1t was only a lark I meant In
ocently. you know that, don't you.
'loria r.
"Did your" she said. and managed
D keep her lips smiling.
TT Is only since coming here that
ave realized how things will look;
that people win think-and say. curse
Our being out so long together;
~ buying clothing for you"
"Our being registered as Mr.. and
IRIS. Grafton"
Forgive me. Glorial 1t was the
rad impulse OF a moment. | thought
y we went In that 1t would look
1range-a young. unmarried couple.
lat Ii / put down man and wife no
ne would think anything at all. And
ed be gone In a few hours and no
ne would know who you were"
II see" Gl0ria's tone gave no clew
, her racing thoughts. @You did that