Show ry x I I i r L LI j I s Cot o v ll 0 i rJ J I p a A itE Ive got the car Gratton was back offering to help her down dOWD f And I phoned your our mother Was Vall she sheA she tt A She trusts you ou with me Gloria ho ha SaId eald quickly She Bhe let him help her Into the car he had hired Gratton would not tell her where here they were ere going assuring as ns- luring suring her ga gayly Iy that their destination destina r tion Uon was reserved as aa the final surprise sur Bur surprise prise for tor her He evaded laughIngly laughingly laugh laugh- when she asked Maybe well we'll keep right on going always alt and ocd always he Jested with her ber She thought that under that Jest there was a queer note when hi hla eyes flashed briefly toward her she aha tried t to read their message But the I g. g f j hour mystery filled filled them with t mystery Gloria began laughing z t W. W What will we look like tom tomorrow tomor- tomor or f row I row I mean when its it's s full tull th day I M ii dressed like Ilka this you thIs you In evening suit BUIt IBy I t By Dr Jove 1 said laid Gratton Then he be laugh laughed with her Its the lark of ot my lito They were far tar upcountry country when the sun rose Gloria war wai asleep and started wide a awake wake when the ca cu stopped suddenly They were In the theone theone theone one street of ot a little town It must be eight Over Oyer their breakfast in the little wayside restaurant It was Gratton who did all aJl of the talking Gloria by now DO realized that she was downright downright downright down down- right sorry that she had come The waiter she ehe said 11 as ae they finished 1 is II staring his head off ocr at atour atour our clothes Were going to remedy that mattel mat ter tel Come on the stores are open I haven't a ft cent with me meLet me- me me-It me Let me be your jour banker bonker he ha said alj lightly Gloria hesitated But Dut very briefly The escapade even this going at eight o'clock In the morning Into ar a i r t country store with a 11 man and oo on money borrowed from the man was wu h an nn experience to put the gay note of Gt adventure back Into the affair Gloria made her purchases In Jn fifteen fit teen minutes and the change from theater gown Into an olive outing suit cult In another fifteen When they left Jett both were strangely silent Bent At nine o'clock they were threadIng thread thread- fag Ing the streets of ot Sacramento At a little after atter ten they were In Auburn On over a narrow red-dirt red rond road closer down to the gorge across the thelong long Jong bridge up an and up the steep writhing grade They came to the top of ot the ridge raced through Cool through Lotus Lotus- Colonial Coloma gasped Gloria You are going to Coloma Well he said lightly It tilt Is to Coloma that you have been coming ever every week I l lWell Well Welli he said a second time Then you you you-you you too too too- He Ho glanced at nt the road rond cut down the speed sun still mo more mope PC and looked back Into her thoughtful eyes Would you ou rather that It was Mark King or I Iho who ho succeeded She was cle clearly l-I l perplexed Mark King Is papas papa's partner Y she said musingly J And I I hope one da day to bemore be beh bemore h more than his bs partner 14 I l She understood but gave no sign signi fa i t of ot understanding lie He did not press W. W the point Here we ve are he said presently as os the first of the picturesque old rock mortar houses of ot Coloma stood forth out of the wilderness And youre you're dead tired and nearly dead for sleep I am sorry sorry we cant can't have baTe a city hotel up here hut but 1 Ill I'll j get you 1 0 a room where you can tie lie down You can sleep and rest for tor two tuo or three hours then well we'll start back He led the way to the little hotel hotel hotel ho tel and she followed Since she could not Insist on following him about his iris business It wits was perhaps per per- hops haps ju Just t as well If It she la lay II down own And alone thought things s out He lie placed a chair for her and arranged for tor her room Fie ne paid for tor It In ads advance ad ad- t s vance saying that they would be 1 leaving In a hurry he registered for tor her r. r Then Gloria was shown sho down downa a lon long hall holl and to her room Here Gratton Cratton left her Impatient to be he away awny She went to her window and stood looking out She sa saw srm v Gratton Gralton come como about the corner of the house and start across the street A man r r a n very ery big man came to meet him V VV V They stood together talking In the tho middle of the thc their voices voles low V their their looks earnest They Ther went awny away to together ether She shivered and went to her bed and und sat down doun her her F hands tight n a look of ot trou trouble r t ble bie In her eyes eJes Gratton and Siren Swen Brodie Brodle together together- I dont don't understand She said It If r to herself over oer and over o I cant can't 1 understand I 1 4 She sprang up and left the room going In feverish haste back to the front part of the building She was groping c. c In ia a mental fog oi she ehe was tired very cry tired And lain tain Suddenly she felt utterly alone hopelessly helplessly alone She wanted her mother and with tho the Impulse wheeled back toward the clerk I want to use the long-distance long telephone she said Where Is It Iti This way miss sal said the man eager enger to be of service Then with a Ii bashful grin he amended I beg pardon Mrs Gratton I mean menn I 1 IGloria Gloria stared at him Her mouth was open to correct him she saw how naturally his mistake was made But before she could speak a wild 11 1 flutter In her heart stopped the words she went swiftly to the register In Gratton's own hand set opposite the clerks clerk's number seven indicating her room were the words Gratton Wife S. S F. F She turned crimson an and white Ill telephone later Inter she said faintly and went ent again to the door and this time out Into the autumn sunshine All AU of the high adventure was dead ashes the lark was lost lostIn lostin lostin in a sinister enterprise Gratton's wife wife Mrs Gratton Gratton- He lIe had done that I r She walked d on blindly tears gathered tears of ot mortification of ot blazing anger But they did not fall fan she site dabbed viciously vi vi- 1 at her e eyes es Why had bedone he be done that Why Howdy dy miss a voice was say say- tug hug ngIt It brought her back to earth from froma a region of ot swirling vapors back to today and nd Coloma She stopped and nna looked at the man startled He was a stranger yet dimly familiar I wanted to ask he said gald soHeI solicitously towy how v your father was this morning My ther father she ahe repeated dully Ob Oh hes he's quite well weB thank you Plainly her words puzzled him Youre the young lady that stopped in my store one day last spring with Mark KID King June It was wasn't It Yes Yel she admitted She would never have havo remembered him But he 13 r I sT s- s I T fi fic c i w 41 p i w sr Gratton and Wife S. S F. F She Turned Crimson Went White who had not seen others like her remembered Then youre you're Ben Gaynor's Ga norB girl And you say any ny hes he's well r Quite well I believe she ahe said coolly But wasn't he bad hurt last night Papa hurt huit How Bow hurt she Bhe cried sharply When Where Tell me wh why liy dont don't you jou OU tell me He lie looked at her In wonder All AU I know Is Just what I heard I heard he got hurt hart at old Loony Honeycutt's last night it Right night bad hurt they said But Dut I was Just asking ask asic- ing lag you you you- Where Is he she cut In edly Now I you Just come out of ot th the hotel j- j He lie looked more nitre puzzled than ever he there I How do I know Was he taken there He nodded lse I heard I he was Last night night tl I Gloria turned and find ran back bick to the building she hind had quitted quilted only a moment a ago o bursting Into Into the front room demanding earnestly and In words that came with n a rush Is m my father here Is he hurt hurl I Your father hurt hurt- t Sa Say you OU I aint Ben Den Ga Gaynor's nors daughter are you ou Yes yes jes es Take me rne to papa Quick I 1 I said Gloria Imperiously You should d have ha In Inc c told toM me the tuba min minute ute I came But nut I 1 didn't know know- Quick 1 I repeated Gloria He Be showed her lIr to the room only I three doors beyond her own lIe He mo ed to open the tho th door but hut Glorias Gloria's hand was first firM to the knob she site opened and went lIt In closing the door She nand made out oat I a mans man's form on on n the bed there was a white bandage ban dage about his head hend He stirred I and halt half turned over Papa 1 cried Gloria her voice co catching He loo looked ed at her In wonderment Gloria misread the look in his eyes and find for tor a terrible moment thought that he was dying Gloria I I he said In amazement Here nere Oh lOh I papa apa I 1 ITo To Ben Gaynor this unannounced I coming of ot his daughter partook of ot the nature of an nn apparition and of ot ofa a n miracle But the hands gripping his were flesh blood hands By the Lord well we'll nail their hides on our barn barn barn- door yet yeU were his first words of greeting What In the world happened Gloria asked after a sl sigh h of ot relief How you happened to be here gets me said Gaynor Its like magic You didn't hear down In San Francisco that I was hurt did you ouT No J I J-I I Just happened to be here You see papa papa papa- come later he broke In Youre here that's all aU that counts Youre You're going to do something for tor me Anything thought Gloria And she was glad that he be did not seek Just now the explanation of or her presence here of ot course she would tell teU him ever everything later But she was still confused Mrs confused Mrs Gratton I IDid iDid Did she down In the depths of ot her frivolous heart girl want to be that You are not dangerously hurt papa Bless less you no i Not now v that youre you're here Dont Don't you worry about me Ill I'll be on my feet teet In a week Now listen Ive I've got to talk fast before somebody comes In You know the trail through the mountains mountains moun to our our place you rode It twice with King Yes I want vant you to ride It again to to- da day You can get a horse kt at t the stable Dont Don't let anyone know where you ou are going I want you to take a message to King And its it's got to get to him and Into nobody's hands but hl his Understand that Gloria Gloria saw laW a terrible eana n her fathers father's eyes ere She 04 its us hands blind and replied HOt Of course papa Ill I'll do g whatever what I roe IOU want God ble bless you for tor that he t nut mat aut- aut ered This Is ob sober serious hitless hit hit- less Gloria you are the only out one lere I 1 could trust King KIni will be bl at atthe the Jie house at least leut I hope at he Fill ylli ind Gloria I want you to promise y ly y all that's good and holy that you wont won't let a word or sign or a h hlat t ilip to anybody else Not a a. soul foul soulA m D A earth Will you Gloria 7 T Yes Yea She had bad never neTer known her rather father to be so 10 tensely hi In eArn earnest t. t Then he said go 0 turn the key keyn n th the lock loek And hurry Before comes She locked the door and returned jo 0 o him Feel under my pillow Got Itt She found a small parcel and crew It ft out It was waa a affair tad and rectangular lar the size sire and shape f t an octavo octa a volume a flat box boxy If It sot a book It wa was waa draped la in a bit bitt f t soiled cloth Quick he commanded nervous nenon ly Yo Out ef of sight with It Stick It Into lato your blouse It If you can Catching something of ot bis AIs suppressed suppressed sup sup- pressed excitement she he obeyed MI I managed a little note Dot to Mark lark he be said when she had hod buttoned the loose shirt a again aln and ho he sunk white and exhausted among his hll pil low lows Iowa I stuck tuck It Inside the cloth Lord rord If It I was only on my feet teet 1 I But Dut you'll do It for me my rid girl 1 With never a hint to anyone I promise papa she said aspirin as a gly Unlock the door again then Theres There's somebody coming Sit BIt down over there across the room And ADd leave as soon goon as you can Gloria sat In her ber chair across the tha room looking innocently Jy tho the part of ot ofa a daughter in a ft sick room when the thedoor thedoor thedoor door opened and the Placerville doctor doctor doctor doc doc- tor came in A moment Later she sUpped slipped out Down the road she saw v Gratton Ho He came quickly to meet her She saw that he was eyeing her keenly and her thought was wa that he be was wondering if It by hy chance she had bad seen the hotel register I dont don't know Just what wheat to do said Enid Gratton My rj business Is going to hold me here longer than I had thought I I-I I I promised to go back backwith backwith backwith with you ou this thus afternoon Would It be all aU right if It I got a man to drive you rou back I am nm terribly sorry Gloria but but fl Business u ss ln Is IR business t She laughed a n trifle nervously Then her Inspiration I know I I can enn go goto goto goto to our mountain home Ill I'll phone mamma and she will come upWell upWell up Well We'll spend a few fow days and ft and For an Instant his eyes es fairly blazed they were ere bright with tri trIo Just the thing Ill I'll go for the hoi horses ses Ill I'll ride over over with you 1 0 and andt get t right back here But nut But nut already excusing himself hurriedly h Gratton was cs off orr for the 11 horses 0 rsc It as was mid afternoon when Gloria and Gratton en came rue to the log house houseIn In the tho woods wends Jim Spalding coming to take tale their horses away awny to the stable stahle was wn-l plainly planty curious We rode on ahead Jim Gloria told him hint and Jim detected no false not note In her gaiety Mamma Is to Iscom com coming In p. p Spalding gave goye thorn theta a key one and they went lyent to lQ tho ho house bongo It was waa Glo- Glo rIa who unlocked the door Gratton his while white face looking more than ever bloodless saw her hand trem trem- ble She hurried In excused herself herself her her- self and ran upstairs lr She knew that the time had come when hen she would have to listen to what Gratton Grat Gnat ton was going to say she knew what the burden hurden of ot his plea would be she be-she she knew everything she thought wildly except what her answer answer an an- awer would be On this floor was an extension telephone Installed for the convenience conven convene lence of ot Gloria and her mother Glovia Gloria GlorIa Glo Glo- ria via went tiptoeing to it rather than go down where Gratton was She rang the necessary bell for fer the operator operator operator op op- In Truckee and put In her long-distance long call Then she sat with the Instrument In her hand hand- waiting She wondered when wIlen Mark King would come comet 1 This afternoon to afternoon to tonight nl night tomorrow night ht tomorrow Spalding had hod said aId nothIng she had not mentioned King to Spalding since she had not mentioned him to Gratton Gralton during the tho long ride ride ride- Her telephone bell rang Gloria Gloria I 1 Is that you Her mothers mother's voice olce sounded strange In Glorias Gloria's ears shaken cars shaken with emo emo- tion What hits has happened child 1 Tell TeU me quirk quid 1 r I am nearly dead with worry Are you all rl right ht Of course mamma I I- I But where are you Where were I you nil all night Are AIe you sure every every- everything thin thing Is all nU rIg right lt I II I have told you ou I J nm am all an right 1 l Jam lam am up In the mountains at our log house Didn't Mr Gratton tell you you you- Mr rr Gratton Mrs Gaynor was wm mystified He has hns told me nothing I haven't ha seen him I tried to phone phom him oh him oh I have phoned everybody w we know know and and he is out of town towa I and and |