North Carolina Newspapers

. ' v , . - .... ni77V Ml AMY 7 SYNOPSIS. Fran arrives at Hamilton Gregory's Some In Littleburg:, but finds him absent conducting the choir at. a camp meeting. She repairs thither In search of him. laughs during the service and is asked t- leave. Abbott Ashton. superintendent of tchools, escorts Fran from the tent. He tells her Gregory Is a wealthy man. deeply interested in charity work, and a pillar of the church. Ashton ' becomes greatly interested in Fran and while tak ing leave of her, holds her hand and 13 seen by Sapphira Clinton, sister of Rob ert Clinton, chairman of the BChool board. Fran tells Gregory she wants a home with him. Grace Noir. Gregory's private secretary, takes a violent dislike to Fran .and advises her to go away at once. Fran hints at a twenty-year-old secret, and Gregory in agitation asks Grace to leave the room. Fran relates the story of how Gregory married a young girl at Springfield while attending college and then deserted her. Fran is the child of that marriage. Gregory had married his present wife three years before the death of Fran's mother. Fran takes a liking to Mrs. Gregory. iQregory explains that Fran is the daughter of a very dear frlerfd who Is dead. Fran agrees to the story. Mrs. Gergory insists on her making her home with them and takes her to her arms. The breapfe between Fran and Grace widens. It is decided that Fran nust go to school. Grace shows persis tent interest In Gregory's story of his dead friend and hints that Fran may be an imposter. She threatens to marry Bob Clinton and leave Gregory's service, much to the latter's dismay. Fran declares that the secretary must go. - CHAPTER IX. Skirmishing. Fran made no delay in planning her :ampaign against Grace Noir. Now that her position in Hamilton Greg ory's household was assured, she re solved to seek support from Abbott Ashton. That is why, one afternoon. Abbott met her in the lower hall cf the public school, after the other pu pils had gone, and supposed he was meeting her by accident. "Good evening, Nonpareil," he said, pleased that her name Bhould have come to him at once. His attentive look found her different from the night of their meeting; she had lost her elf ish smile and with it the romance of the unknown and unexpected. Was it because, at half-past four, one's charm Is at lowest ebb? The janitor-was sweeping down the hall stairs.' The very air was filled with dusty realism Fran was no longer pretty; he had thought "Then you haven't forgotten me," murmured Fran. , "No," he answered, proud of the fact. "You have made your home with Mr. Gregory. You are in' Miss Bull's class-room. I knew Mr. Gregory would befriend you he's one of the best men living. You should be very happy there." "No," said Fran, shaking her head decidedly, "not happy." He was rather glad the janitor was sweeping them out of the house. "You must find it pretty hard," he remarked, with covert reproach, "to keep from being liappy." "It isn't at all hard for me," Fran assured him, as she paused on the front steps. "Really, it's easy to be unhappy where Miss Grace Noir Is." It happened that Just then the name Grace Noir was a sort of talisman opening to the young man's vision the interior of wonderful treasure-caves; it was like crying "Sesame!" to the very rocks, for though he was not "Will You Please Excuse Me?" She Asked With Admirable Restraint. In love with Gregory's secretary, he fancied the day of fate was not far ahead. He had no time to seek fair and ro mantic ladies. Five years ago, Grace Noir had come from Chicago as if to epare him the trouble of a search. Fate seemed to thrust her between his eyes and the pages of his text books. Abbott never felt so unworthy as when in her presence; an unerring instinct seemed to have provided her with an absolute standard of right and wrong, and she was so invariably right thc.t no human affection was worthy of her unless refined seven times. Within him self, Abbott diecovered drosg. Try to be a good girl, Fran," he eoiT.'-i-I'-d. gaod, and your asso ciation with Misa Noir will prove the happiest experience of your life." good," cue returned mockingly. ,-iip m Mm wmm toffT 7 ' INJ X 11 3V J - "and you will be Miss Noir." Then she twisted her mouth. "She makes me feel like tearing up things. I don't like her. ' I hoped you'd be on my side." He came down the steps gravely. "She is my friend." "I'm a good deal like you," Fran declared, following. "I can like most anything and anybody; but I can't go that far. Well, I don't like Miss Noir and she doesn't like me isn't that fair?" "Examine yourself," he advised, "and find ou what it is in you that she doesn't like; then get rid of what you find." "Huh!" Fran exclaimed, "I'm going to get rid of her, all right." He saw the old elfish smile now when he least wanted to see it, for it threatened the secretary, mocked the grave superintendent, and asserted the girl's right to like whom she pleaied. Fran escaped, recognizing defeat; but on her homeward way, she was already preparing herself for the next move. So intent was she in estimat ing the forces of both sides, that she gave no heed to the watchful faces at cottage windows, she did not recog nize the infrequent passers-by, nor ob serve the occasional buggies that freaked along the rutted road.. With Grace stood, of course, Hamilton Greg ory; and, judging from Bob Clinton's regular visits, and his particular atten tions to Grace, Fran classed him also as a victim of the enemy. It now seemed that Abbott Ashton followed the flag Noir; and behind these three leaders, massed the congregation cf Walnut Street church, and presumably the town of Littleburg. Fran could count for her support an old bachelor with a weak heart, and an old lady with an ear-trumpet The odds were terribly against her. The first light skirmish between Fran and Grace took place on Sunday. All the Gregory household were at late breakfast Sunday-school bells were ringing their first call, and there was not a cloud in the heavens as big as a man's hand, to furnish excuse for non-attendance. The secretary fired the first Phot. Apropos of nothing that had gone be fore, but as if it were an integral part of the conversation, she offered "And, Mrs. Gregory, It is so nice that you can go to church now, since, if Fran doesn't want to go, herself " '"Which she doesn't, herself," Fran interjected. "So I presumed," Grace remarked significantly. "Mrs.' Gregory, Fran can Btay with your mother since she doesn't care for church and you can attend services as you did when I first came to Littleburg." "I am sure," Mrs. Gregory said qui etly, "that it would be much better for Fran to go to church. She ought to go I dtn't like to think of her stay ing away from the services and my duty is with mother." Grace said nothing, but the expres sion of her mouth seemed to cry alcud. Duty, Indeed! What did Mrs. Gregory know about duty, neglecting the God who had made her, to stay with an old lady who ought to be wheeled to church! Mrs. Gregory was willing for her husband to fight .his Christian warfare alone. But alone? No! not while Grace could go with him. Gregory coldly addressed Fran: "Then, will you go to church?" It was as if he complained, "Since my wife won't " "I might laugh," said Fran. "I don't understand religion." Grace felt her purest ideals insulted. She rose, a little pale, but without rudeness. "Will you please excuse me?" she asked with admirable re stralut "Miss Grace!" Hamilton Gregory ex claimed, disturbed. That she should be driven from his table by an insult to their religion was intolerable. "Miss Grace forgive her." Mrs. Gregory was pale, for she, too, had felt the blow. "Fran!" she ex claimed reproachfully. Old Mrs. Jefferson stared from the girl seated at the table to the erect BC-cretary, and her eyes kindled with admiration. Had Fran commanded the "dragon" to "stand?" Simon Jefferson held his head close to his plate, as If hoping the storm might pass over his head. "Don't go away!" Fran cried, ever come at sight of Mrs. Gregory's dis tress. "Sit down, Miss Noir. Let me be the one to leave the room, since it Isn't big enough for both of us." She darted up, and ran to the head of the table. Mrs. Gregory buried her face in her hands. "Don't you bother about me," Fran coaxed; "to think of giving you pain, dear lady! I wouldn't hurt you for anything in the world, and the per son who would isn't worthy of being touched by my foot," and Fran t.am vm-.t till. it f tm R . 111 iWI 1 Ulfc in AnlV mil f I I BY JOHNBIQECffiNRIDGE ELLIS V C'T 'Y TT T TTCm A mkl. v. O ' IRWIN stamped her foot. "If it'll make you a mite happier, Til go to church, and Sunday-school, and prayer meeting, and the young people's society, and the Ladies' Aid, and the missionary so ciety, and the choir practice, and the night service and and " She darted from the room. Grace looked at Gregory, seeming to ask him if, after this outrageous be havior, he would suffer Fran to dwell under his roof. Of course, Mrs. Greg ory did not count; Grace made no at tempt to understand this woman who, while seemingly of a yielding nature, could show such hardness, such a fixed purpose in separating herself from her husband's spiritual adventures. It made Grace feel so sorry for the hus band that she quietly resumed her place at the table. Grace was now more than ever re Eolved that she would drive Fran away it had become a religious duty. How could it be accomplished? The way was already prepared; the secre tary was convinced that Fran was an "He Didn't Have to Stand a-Holding Her Hand." Impostor. It was mely needful to prove that the girl was hot the daugh ter of Gregory's dead friend. Grace would have to delve into the past, pos sibly visit the scenes of Gregory's youth but it would pay. She looked at her employer with an air suggest ing protection. Gregory's face relaxed on finding himself once more near her. Fortu nately for his peace of mind, he could not read the purpose hidden behind those beautiful eyes. "I wonder," Simon Jefferson growled, "why somebody doesn't badger me to go to church!" Indignant because Fran had fled the pleasing fields of his interested vision, he paused, as if to invite antagonism. He antiounced, "This talk has excit ed me. If we can't live and let live, I'll go and take my meals at Miss Sapphira Clinton's." No one dared to answer him, not even Grace. He marched into the gar den where Fran sat huddled upon a rustic bench. "I was just saying," Simon told her ingratiatingly, "that if all this to-do over religion isn't put a stop to, I'll take my meals at the Clin tons'!" Fran looked up at him without mov ing her chin from her palms, and aeked as she tried, apparently, to tie her feet into a knot, "Isn't that where Abbott Ashton boards?" "Do you mean Professor Ashton?" he returned, with subtle reproof. Fran, still dejected, nodded careless ly. "We're both after the same man." Simon lit the pipe which his physi cian had warned him was bad for his heart "Yes, Professor Ashton boards at the Clintons'." "Must be awfully jolly at the Clin tons'," Fran said wistfully. . CHAPTER X. An Ambuscade. Fran's conception of the Clinton Boarding-House, the home of jollity, was not warranted by its real atmos phere. Since there were not many inhabitants of Littleburg detached from housekeeping, Miss Sapphira Clinton depended for the most part on "transients;" and, to hold such in subjection, preventing them from in dulging in that noisy gaiety to which "transients" are naturally inclined just because they are transitory the elderly spinster had .developed an ab normal solemnity. This solemnity "was not only benefi cial to "drummers" and "court men" acutely conscious of being away from home, but it helped her brother fJob. Before the charms of Grace Noir had penetrated his thick skin, the popular Littleburg merchant was as unman ageable as the worst. Before" he grew accustomed to fall into a semi coma w TtA TO V . triEtS OylGHT 1912 BOBB5 - MEPj? ILL CO.) tose ' condition at the approach of Grace jNoir,' and, therefore, before his famous attemptto "get religion," the bachelor merchant often swore not from aroused wrath, but from his pe culiar sense of humor. In those Anti Grace and heathen days, Bob, sitting on the long veranda of the green frame building, one leg swinging over the other knee, would say, "Yes," it," or, "No, - it," as the case might be. It was then that .thexreproving protest of his sister's face would jelly in the fat folds of her double chin, helping, somewhat, to cover profanity with a prudent veil. Miss , Sapphira liked a joke or at least she thought so as well as any body;, but like a too-humorous author, she found that to be as funny as pos sible was bad for business. The "trav eling men .were bad enough, needing to be reminded of their wives, whom they'd left at home, and, she'd be bound, had forgotten. But when one man, whether a traveler or not even a staid young teacher like Abbott Ash ton, for instance a . young man who was almost like a son to her when he secluded himself in the night-time by himself? with another male? oh, lear, no! with a Fran, for example what was the world coming to? "There they stood," she told Bob, "the two of them, all alone, on tba foot-bridge, and it was after nine o'clock. If I hadn't been in a hurry to get home to see that roomers didn't eet the house afire, not a soul would have seen the two colloguing." "And it don't seem to have done you any good," remarked her brother, who, having heard the tale' twenty times, began to look upon the event almost as a matter of course. "You'd better not have eaw them" at an early age Bob had cut off his tduca tion, and it had stopped .growing a .that very place. Perhaps he had been elected president of the school-board on the principle that we best appre ciate what does not belong to us. "My home has been Abbott's home," said Ml83 Sapphira, "since the deat,h of his last living relation, and her a step, and it a mercy, for nobody could get along with her, and 'she wouldn't let people leave her alone. You know how .fond I am of Abbott, but your position is very responsible. You could get rid of him by lifting your finger, and people, are making lots of talk; it's going to Injure you. People don't want to send their tender young innocent girls they're a mighty hard ened and knowing , set, nowadays, though, I mtsst say to a superinten dent that stands on bridges of nights, holding hands, and her a young slip of a thing. His a-standing on that bridge." "He ain't stood there as often ao I've been worried to death a-hoaring of it," growled the ungrateful Bob, who was immensely fond of Abbott Miss Sapphira spoke with amazingly significant double nods between each word "And . . . I . . . saw . . . only . . . four . . . days . . ." ago" TRAGEDY TURNED TO COMEDY Dritish Officer Tells How Snuff Saved Him From a Hungry Indian Tigrass. A comedy which came very near to tragedy is related by a gallant of ficer of the Bengal Lancers, now home on furlough. Here is the strange true story in the soldier's own words: "I was out for a day in the. jungle, and had had rather poor sport. Lying down for a bit of a rest upon some rank. dry grass on the edge of a wood in the afternoon, I was seized from behind without a moment's warning by a huge tigress, which had got my scent and silently tracked me down. "She seized me by the breast of the coat with her great teeth, and quickly shook me Into a state of unconscious ness. Of course, I thought it was all up with me. "But no. Before long I made a startling recovery. Hardly realizing for a while where I was and what had happened, I heard a little distance away a peculiar noise, as if someone was sneezing violently, it was the terrible tigress. "I rubbed my still somewhat dazed eyes, and then discerned th? grat beast slinking away, sneezing ail the She pointed at the school-house, which was almost directly across the street, its stone steps facing the long veranda. "They were the last to come out of that door. You may say she's a mere child. Mere children aro not in Miss Bull's classes." "But Abbott says the girl Is far advanced." "Far advanced! You may well say! I'll be bound she is and carrying on with Abbott on the very school-house steps. Yes, I venture she is advanced You make me ashamed to hear you." Bob ' tugged at his straw-colored mustache; he would not swear, for whatever happened, he was resolved to lead the spiritual life. "See here, Sapphira, I'm going to tell you some thing. I had quite a talk with Abbott about . that bridge-business after you'd spread it all over town, sis and if you'll believe .me, she. waylaid him on those school-steps. He didnt want to talk to her. .Why, he left Her stand ing there. She made him mad, find ing fault with the very folks that have taken her up. He's disgusted. That night at the camp-meeting, he had to take her out of the tent he was asked to do It" - "He didn't have to stand, a-holdlng her hand." " And as soon as he'd shown, her the way to Brother Gregory's, he came on back to the tent. I saw him in the aisle." "And she whistled at me," cried Miss Sapphira "the limb!" "Now, listen, Sapphira, and quit goading. Abbott says that Miss Bull is having lots of trouble with Fran " "See that, now!" " Because Fran won't get her les sons being contrary " "I wish you could have seen her whistling at me, that night." ' "Hold on. So this very evening Miss Bull is going to send her down to Abbott's office to be punished, or dismissed. Thisvery evening he wants me to be over there while he takes her in hand." "Abbott is going to punish that girlt" cried Miss Sapphira; "going to take her in hand? What do you mean by 'taking "her In hand'? She Is too old! Robert, you make me blush." : '. "You ain't a-blushing, Sapphira," her brother assured her, good-naturedly, "you're suffering from' the hot weather. Yes, he's to punish her at four o'clock, and I'm to be present, to stop all this confoun I mean this un godly gossip." "You'd better wear ' your spectacles, Bob, so you'll look old and settled. I'm not always sure of you, either." "Sapphira, if I hadn't joined the church, I'd say " He threw up his hand and clenched his fist as if he had caught an oath and meant to hold it tight. Then his honest face beamed. "See here, I've got an idea. Suppose you make it a point to be sitting out here- on the veranda at about half-past four, or five. You'll see Fran ccme sneaking out of that door like a whipped kitten. She'll look everlast ingly wilted. I don't know whetlTer Abbott will stuff her full of fractions and geography, or make her stand is a corner but you'll see her wilted." (TO BE CONTINUED.) time, and every now and again emit ting a frightful roar. "Only when she had got clean out of sight did the strange truth dawn upon me. The tigress, in shaking me preparatory to finishing me off, had jerked my recently replenished snuff box open from my jacket pocket, and received the contents full in her face and eyes. Hence the sudden retreat and my salvation." Extravagance Rebuked. Two bachelors live together in a flat on East Nineteenth street. They kid themselves into thinking that they save rent and board and clothes and gain freedom ana a lot of. other things by so doing. But the collector comes to them the same as he does to married foil , The other miming one of the bachelors awoke !?om a sound sleej and called to the other: "What was that noise I heard?" "A shot." replied the other, fret the hall. "What did you do?" "I killed a bill collector." "You extravagant pup! When pow der costs a3 much as it does now. It does seem to me as if you might choke those fellows, even if it doei take a little ' muscle !"--Cleveland Plain Dealer. ' IKtipEIS" Gently cleanse your liver and sluggish bowels while you sleep. Sick headache, biliousness, dizfc. -ness, coated tongue, foul taste and foul breath always trace them to torpid . liver; delayed, fermenting food in the bowels or eour, gassy stomach. Poisonous matter clogged in the in- A Xl 1- -1 t -A A. lesunes, msieaa oi oemg cast out, of the system is re-absorbed into the 1 Jl 'TT'l J. t 1- - oiooa. vvnen tnis poison reacnes tno delicate brain tissue it causes con gestion and that dull, throbbing, sick ening neaaacne. : Cascarets immediately cleanse the stomach, remove the sour, undigested food and foul gases, take the excess bile from the liver and carry out all the constipated waste matter and poisons in the bowels. A Cascaret to-night will surely straighten you out by morning. They work while you sleep a 10-cent box from your druggist means your head clear, stomach sweet and your liver and bowels regular for months. Adv. Big Sleep. A middle-aged couple were prepar ing to leave for a week-end with a daughter in the city, and their last in structions to their grown-up son, who Was a heavy sleeper, were to be sure and wind his alarm clock, so that he would , be in time for his work the next morning. - Monday noon they got back to the house and were surprised to find the blinds closed exactly as they had been left the Friday previous on their de parture. As they let themselves into the house they heard their son's voice coming' sleepily from his bedroom: "What's the matter? Did you miss Four train?" GRANDMA USED SAGE TEA TO DARKEN HER GRAY HAIR She Made Up a Mixture of Sage Tea and Sulphur to Bring Back Color, Gloss, Thickness. Almost everyone knows that. Sage Tea and Sulphur, properly compound ed, brings back the natural color and lustre to the hair when faded, streaked or gray; also ends dandruff, itching scalp and stops' falling hair. Years ago the only way to get this mixture was td make it at home, which is mussy and troublesome. Nowadays, by asking at any store for "Wyeth's Sage and Sulphur Hair Remedy," you will get a large bottle of this famous old reciDe for about 50 cents. Don't stay gray! Try it! No one can possibly tell that you darkened your hair, as it does it so naturally and evenly. You dampen a sponge or soft brush with it and draw this through your hair, taking one small strand at a time; by morning the gray hair disappears, and after another ap plication or two, your hair becomes beautifully dark, thick and glossy. Adv. Natural Phenomenon. 'There's one queer thing about these constables out for speeding motor ists." 'What is that?" 'No matter how fast you go, yoti can't throw dust in their eyes." ELIXIR BABEK A GOOD TONIC lnd Drive Malaria oat of the System, "Your 'Unbelt' acts like magic; I have riven it to numerous oeoDle in mv nar- ish who were suffering: with chills, ma laria and fever. I recommend It to those who are sufferers and in need of a ennd tonic." Rev. S. Szymanowski. St. Stephen's Church, Perth Amboy. N. J. Elixir Babek 50 cents, all drugrslsts or by Parcels Post prepaid from Kloczew Bki & Co., Washing-ton, D. C. Rural Journalism. 'The editor of the Plunkville Palla dium seems to be popular in the com munity." "Yes;. he'll omit an advertisement any time to print local poetry." Treatment of Sores. Apply Hanford's Balsam lightly and you should find that gradually the sore will diminish in size. The older the case the longer it will take, but it will help the hard cases, after other rem edies fail. Adv. Literal Ones. "You don't really quarrel with your wife, I am sure. What you have are only sham disputes." Yes, but she persists in putriig-. thsm nil nvpr the nillnwo " For SUMMER HE ADA CUSS Ilicke CAPUDINE la the best rprnorfv no matter what causes them whether from the heat, futtincr in rtrnnsriitc ramm ish-condition, etc. ioc, 25c and COc per bottle at medicine stores. Adv. At the Door. "What's that noise at the door? Op portunity knocking?" "No, it's the wolf." Mrs.Winslows Soothinfr Syrup for Children teething, softens the gums, reduces inflamma tion.allayspain.cures winacoiic,25ca bottle.Adv Kilkenny castle -is one of the old est inhabited houses in the world, many of the rooms being much as hey were 800 years ago. For nail in the foot use Hanford's lalsam. Adv. Prices of , mules are reported to be rising in Missouri. . Cool a burn with Hanford's Balsam Adv. Copenhagen (Denmark) Fchool teachers get 330 a year. V