Newspapers / Polk County News and … / May 22, 1914, edition 1 / Page 2
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Fran arrives at Hamilton Grenrory'a home in Uttleburg. but finds him absent conducting the choir at a camp meeting. She repairs thither in search of mm. laughs during the service and is asked to leave. Abbott Ashton. supenntenaeni gi schools, escorts Fran from the tent. He N 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 tail ing leave of her, holds her hand and is seen by Sapphira Clinton, sister of Rob ert Clinton, chairman of the school 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 Jn 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 herL 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 V king : to Mrs. Gregory. Gregory explains that Fran is the daughter of a very dear friend who is dead. Fran agrees to the story. Mrs. Gregory Insist on her making her home with them and taks her to her arms. Fran declares the secretary must go. Grace begins nagging tactics in effort to drive Fran from the Gregory home. Abbott, while taking a walk alone at midnight, finds Fran on a bridge tell ing her fortune by rards. She tells Ab bott that she is the famous lion tamer. Fran Nonpareil. She tired of circus life and sought a home. Grace tells of see ing Fran come home after midnight with a man. ; She guesses part of the story and surprises the rest from Abbott. She decides to ak Bob Clinton to go to Springfield to investigate Fran's story. Fran enlists Abbott in her battle against Grace. Fran offers her services to Greg ory as secretary during the temporary absence of Grace, The latter, hearing of Fran's purpose, returns and interrupts a touching, scene between father and daughter. Fran goes fishing with Mrs. Gregory's brother.. Abbott, whose reten tion as superintendent, is to be decided that day. finds her sitting alone In a buggy. CHAPTER XV- Continued. ( She slipped her hand into his. Didn't I have n mother? Oh, these mothers! And who can make mother wishes come true? Well! And you just studied with all your might; and youll keep on and on, till you're . . . out of my reach, of course. Which would have suited your mother, too." She withdrew her hand. j "My mother would have loved you," he declared, for he did nofe understand, so well as Fran, about mothers' liking for strange young ladies who train lions. "Mine would you," Fran asserted. wth more reason. Abbott, conscious of a dreadful emp tiness, took Fran's hand again. "IH never be out of your reach, Fran." She did not seek to draw away, but said, with dark meaning, "Jtemember the bridge at midnight," "I remember how you looked, with the moonlight silvering your face you were just beautiful that night, little Nonpareil." . "My chin is so sVarp," she mur mured. "res," he said, softly feeling the warm little fingers, one by one, as If to make sure all were there. "That's the way I like it sharp." "And I'm so ridiculously thin-", You're' nothing like so thin as when you - first came to Uttleburg," he declared. "I've noticed how you are have been I mean . . ." ' "Filling out?" cried Fran gleefully. "Oh, yes, and I'm so glad -you know,, because since I've been wearing long dresBes, I've been afraid you'd never find It out, and would always be think Ins of me as you saw me at the be jlanlng. But I am -yes filling out" "And your little feet, Fran" ' "Yes, I always had a small foot. Bat let's get off of, this subject," 1 ."Not until I say something about 3ar smile oh, Fran; that smile!" y-;. "The subject, now remarked Fran, naturally returns to Grace Noir." "Please,; Fran!", - Til tell you why you-hurt my feel ings, Abbott, You've disappointed me twice. Oh, if I were a man, I'd show any meek-faced little hypocrite if she could "prize secrets out of me. Just because it wears dresses and long hair, you think It an angel."; . - ' "Meaning Miss Grace, I presume?" remarked Abbott dryly. "But what la tie secret, this thne?" "Didn't I trust you with the secret tVat I meant to apply for the position sf secretary as soon as Grace Nolr was out of the way? And I was Juftt about to win the fight when here she Atme hadn't been to the 'city at all, because you told her what J meant to handed er the secret, like a chiln living up something.it doesn't want" You are very unjust I did not tell feer your plan. I don't know how she . ftrand it out" --v.y;, ..j-..-.., v..;v. . "From you; nobody else knew it" "She did not learn it from me." " "And that's what gets me! you ell: her everything,- and don't - even know you tell. Just hypnotized! An ewer my questions:; the morning after I told you what I meant to do stand ing there at .he fence, by the gate confiding' in you. telling you every- thing I say the next morning, didn't Sm tell Grace Noir all about it?" Certainly not" , . . , 1 Abbott tried to remember," then said casually, "I believe we did meet on tie street that mointf ' 5 V 2 Tee," said Fran Ironically, "I be Pve roe dii BtMt somewhere. - Of course she engaged you in her pecul iar style of Inquisitorial conversation?" "We went down the street together." ; "Now, prisoner at the bar, relate all that was said while going down the Btreet together. "Most charming, but unjust Judge, not a word that Tcan remember, so it couldn't have been of any interest. I did tell her that since she yes, I re member now since she was to be out of town all day, I would wait until to morrow to bring her a book she want ed to borrow." Oh! And she wanted to know who told you sKe would be out of town all day, didn't she?" Abbott reflected deeply, then said with triumph, "Yes, she did: She asked me how I knew she was going to the city with Bob Clinton. And I merely said that it was the Understanding they were to select the church music Not another word was said on the sub ject" That was enough. Mighty neat. As soon as she saw you were trying to avoid a direct answer, she knew I'd told you. That gave her a clew to my leaving the choir practice before the rest of them. She guessed something important was up. Well, Abbott, you are certainly an infant in her hands, but I guess you can't help It" Self-pride was touched, and he re taliated: "Fran. I hate to think of your being willing to take her posi tion behind her back." : . She crimsoned. "You'd know how I feel about it," he went on, "if . you understood ' her better. I know her duty drives her to act in opposition to you, and I'm sor ry for it But her religious Ideals " Abbott, be honest and answer is there anything In it this talk of do ing God's will? Can people love God and hate one another? I just hate shams," she went on, becoming more excited. "I don't care what fine names you give them whether it's marriage. or education, or culture, or religion, If there's no heart In it it's a sham, and I hate it I hate a lie. But a thou sand times more, do I hate a life that is a lie." Fran, you don't know what you are saying." Yes I do know what I'm saying. Is religion going to church? That's all I can see in it I want to believe there's something else, I've honestly searched. for I wanted to be comforted, I tell you, I need It But J can't find any comfort in mortar and stained-glass windows. I want something: that makes a man true to his wife, and makes a family live together in bles sed harmony, something that's good on the streets and in the stores, some thing that makes people even treat a show-girl well. If there's anything in it why doesn't father" She snatched away her hand that she might cover her face, for she had burst into passionate weeping. "Why She Had Burst Into Passionate" Weep-'- ing. doesn't a father, who's always talking about religion,- and singing abour it and praying about it why doesn't that father draw his daughter to his breast . " . . close, close to Ills heart that's the only home she asks for that's the home she has a right to, yes a right, I don't care how far she's wandered" "Fran!" cried Abbott, in great dis tress. , IVDon'tr cry, little one!" He had no intelligent word, but his arm was full of meaning as it slipped about her. y "Who has c been unkind to you; Nonpareil?" She let' her ' head sink upon his 1 shoulder, a; she sobbed without restraint "What shams have pierced your pure heart? . Am I the cause of any of these tears? Aid I?" " V"yes," Fran answered, between; her sol?s, "you're the cause of all my happy tears.": She nestled there with a movement of perfect trust: he drew Mil her closer, and stroked her hair ten derly, trusting himself. V ' Presently she 'pulled herself to rights, lifted his arm from about her, and rested it on the back of the seat a friendly compromise. Then she shook back her hair and raised her eyes and a faint smile came Into the rosy face. "I'm so funny," she declared. "Sometimes I seem so strange that I need an Introduction to myself." She looked into Abbott's eyes fleetingly, and drew in the corners of her mouth. "I guess, after all, there's something in religion!" - . Abbott was so warmed by returning sunshine that his eyes shone. "Dear Fran!" he said it was very hard to keep his arm where she had put It She tried to look at him steadily, but somehow the light hurt her eyes. She could feel its warmth burning her cheeks. "Oh, Fran," cried Abbott Impul sively, ."the bridge in the moonlight was nothing to the way you look now so beautiful and so much more than just beautiful . . ." "This won't do," Fran exclaimed, hiding her face. "We must get back to Grace Noir immediately." "Oh, Fran, oh, no, please!" ( "I won't please. While we're In Sure-Enough Country, I mean to tell you the whole truth about Grace Ncir." The name seemed to settle the atmos phere she could look at him, now, ' "I want you to understand that something is going to happen must happen, just from the nature of things, and the nature of wives and husbands and the other woman. .Oh, you needn't frown at me, Tve seen you r look that other way at me, so I know you, Abbott Ashton." ; - "Fran! . Then you know that I " " "No, you : must listen. . You've noth ing important to tell me that I don't know. I've found out the whole Greg ory history from old Mrs. Jefferson, without her knowing that she was tell ing anything she's a sort of 'Profes sor Ashton' in my hands and I mean to tell you that" history. You know that, for about three years, Mrs. Greg ory hasn't gone to church " "You must admit that it doesn't ap pear well." "Admit It? Yes, of course I must. And the world cares for appearances, and not for the truth. That's why it condemns Mrs. Gregory and me and that's why I'm afraid the school-board will condemn you: just on account of appearances. For these past three years, the church has meant to Mrs. Gregory a building plus Grace Noir. I don't mean that Mrs. Gregory got Jealous of Grace Noir-1 don't know how to explain yeu can't handle cob webs without marring them." She paused. "Jealous of Miss Grace!" exclaimed Abbott reprovingly. ' "Let's go back, and take a running jump right Into the thick of It When Mr. Gregory came to Littleburg, a com plete stranger and ; when he mar ried, she was a devoted church-member always went, and took great in terest in all his schemes to help folks folks at a distance, you understand . . . She just devoured that relig ious magazino -he edits yes, I'll ad mit, his religion shows up beautitully Urpxint; the pictures of it are good, too. Old Mrs. Jefferson took pride in being wheeled to church where she could see her son-in-law leading the music, and where she'd watch every gesture of the minister and catch the sound of his voice at the high places,, where he cried and, or nevertheless. Sometimes Mrs. Jefferson could get a lozeh ands and buts out of one dis course. .Then comes your Grace Noir." Abbott listened with absorbed atten tion. It was impossible' not to be in fluenced by the voice that had grown to mean so much to him. ; -v-' "Grace . Noir is a person sthat' su perhumanly good, but she's not happy in her goodness; it hurts her, all the time, because other folks are not as good as she. '. You can't live in the house with her without wishing she'd make a mistake to show herself hu man, but she never does, she's always right She's so fixed on beirig a mar tyr, that if nobody crosses her, , she just makes herself a martyr out of the shortcomings of others." , "As for instance?"- . r;- ; ' "As for instance, she suffered mar tyrdom. every : time - Mrs. ' Gregory nestled In an arm-chair Reside the cozy hearth,; when a Ladies' Aldor a-Rally was beating its way through snow drifts to the Walnut Street church. Mr. Gregory - was , like everybody : lse about Grace he took her at her own value, and that gave the equation: to him, ; religion meant Walnut Street church plus, Grace Noir. For a while, Mrs. . Gregory : clung to church-going with grim determination.' but it wasn't any. use. The : Sunday-school would hare button contests, er the Ladies' Aid would give chicken pie dinners do wn-town, and rMrs. Gregory , would be a red button or a blue button and she would have her pie; but she was always third In 5 her home, ; or at church, she was the third. It was her husband and his secretary that under stood the Lord. Somehow she seemed to disturb conditions, merely by feeing present"',.--.: V "Fran, you do not realize that your words they intimate " V- " ' "She disturbed conditloas. Abbott. She was like a turned-up light at a seance. - Mr. Gregory was appalled be cause his wife quit attending church. Grace sympathized in his sorrow It 'made him feel toward Grace Nolr but I'm up against a stone 'wail, Ab bott, I haven't the word - to describe his feeling, maybe there inn't any. V "Fran Nonpareil ! Such wisdom terrifies me . . such suspicions!" In this moment of hesUnncy between conviction and rejection, Abbott felt oddly out of harmony with his little friend. She realized the effect she must necessarily be producing, yet she must continue; she had counted the cost and the danger. If she did hot convince him, his thought of her could never be the same. "Abbott you may think I am talk ing from jealousy, and thatT tried to get rid of Grace Noir so I could better my condition at her expense. I don't know how to make you see that my story is true. It tells itself. Oughtn't that to prove It? Mrs. Gregory has the dove's nature; she'd let the enemy have the spoils rather than come to blows. She lets him take his choice here is she, yonder's the secretary. He isn't worthy of her if he chooses Grace but his hesitation has proved him unworthy, anyhow. v The old lady her,mother Is a fighter; she'd have driven out the secretary long ago. But Mrs; Gregory's idea seems to be'If he can want her, after I've given him myself, I'll not make a movement to interfere.'" ' Abbott played delicately with the mere husk of this astounding revela tion: "Have you talked with old Mrs. Jefferson about about it?" "She's too proud wouldn't admit It But I've shyly hinted . . . however, it's not ' the sort of story you could pour through the funnel of an ear trumpet without getting wheat mixed with chaff. Shejd misunderstand the neighbors would get it first anyway she wouldn't make a move because her daughter won't It's you and I, Ab bott, against Grace and Mr. Gregory." He murmured, looking away, "You take me for granted, Fran." "Yes." Fran's reply was almost a whisper. A sudden terror of what he might think of her smote her heart But she repeated bravely, "Yes!" 1 fie. turned, and she saw In his eyes a confiding trust that seemed to hedge her soul about "And you can always take me for granted, Frpan;and always is a long time." "Not too long for you and me," said Fran, looking at him breathlessly. "I may have felt," he jaid, "for some time, in a vague way what you have MARRIAGE LAW ' IN ITALY Ceremony is Only Legal When Per formed by Mayor of Place 5 y - Where Couple Reside. .In Italy marriage by law Is a civil contract only legal when performed by the mayor of the place in which the couple who desire to be married re side, or his assessor, and it must be' performed in the city chamber. ' - .Some hotels and not a few pensions In Rome are the constant resort of needy adventurers with titles real 'or spurious to their, names, jj Duke - This and Prince That, who are always on the lookout for money, says the Chris tian . Herald. ' Aided, I It may be, by some one in the hotel or pension, they get acquainted with a rich American family; with marriageable daughters. To one of these love is made and mar riage is arranged. Such have no dlffliculty in finding a priest to perform their ceremony. It 'is done. Then ,the adventurer deserts the girl, and she has no remedy; Some few years ago ; a' young girl was so treated." Her pseudo husband, having secured her money, left her and mar ried civilly and legally an Italian woman with mrhom : he - was In love. The victimized girl shot dead her be told me. Of course it is evident tfiat he prefers Miss Noir's society. But I have always thought or hoped or wanted to feel, that it was only the common tie of religion- "it was not tne truth tnat, you clung to; Abbott; but appearances. As ter me, let truth kill rather than live as a sham. If Grace Noir stays, the worst is going to happen. She may not know how far she's going. He may not suspect he's ; doing wrong. People can make anything they want seem rignt in tneir own eyes. But I ve found out that wickedness isn't sta tionary, it's got, a sort of perpetual motion. If we dont drive Grace away, the crash will come." "Fran-how you , must love Mrs. Gregory!" "She breaks my heart" "Dear faithful Fran! What can we do? I say we, Fran, observe." "Oh, you Abbott Ashton . . . just what I thought you! No. ; no, you mustn't Interrupt. IH manage Grace Noir, if you'll manage Bob Clinton.", "Where does Bob Clinton come in?" "Grace is trying to open a door so he can come in. I mean a secret in Mr. Gregory's past. She suspects that there's a. secret in his past, and she Intends to send Bob to Springfield where Mr. Gregory left that secret Bob will bring it to Littleburg. He'll hand it over to Grace, and then she'll have Mr. Gregory in : her po wer there'll be no getting her hands off him; after that" . . "Surely you don't mean that Mr. Gregory did wrong when Jie was young, and that Miss Noir suspects It?" .. "Bob will bring home the secret and it -nlll kill Mrs. Gregory, Abbott and Grace will go off with him I know how it'll end." - If - "What Is this secret?" "Ycu are never to know, Abbott "Very well so be it' But I don't believe Mr. Gregory ever . did very wrong he is too good a man." "Isn't he daily breaking his wife" heart ?" retorted Fran with a curl ot the lip. "I call that murder." "But still! But I can't thhxk he realizes It" - . "Then," saM Fran satirically, e.il just call it manslaughter. Whet 1 think of his wife's meek patient faee don't you recall that look in her eyes of the wounded deer and the thousands of times you've seen those two together, at church, on the street. In the library everywhere . ; . seeing only each other, leaning closer, smiling deeper as if doing g094 meant getting close Oh, Abbott you know what I mean don't you, dont you?" ; . rO . -vv-'. ' Yes ! " cried Abbott sharply. "Fran, you are right I have been all of i have been clinging to appearance Yes, I know what you mean.? ? : "You'll keep Bob Clinton from tehV Trig that secret, won't you? He's to go tonight on the long journey tonight, after the board meeting. It'll take hint three or four days. ;Then he'll come back:-.. . '.'- ': -:'-: "But he'll never tell the secret" Ab bott declared. ; His mouth closed at by a spring. ' (TO BE CM rtTlNUED.) . trayer and his wife. Recognizing fht provocation she had received, she wa left unpunished. Another girl siiail arly betrayed committed suicide, a ; Legal Opinion. ' . : ' "A cat cits on my back fence ever night and he yowls and yowls.' and yowls. Now, I- don't want to have any trouble with neighbor Jones, but this thing has gone far enough, and I want you to tell me what to do." The young lawyer looked as solem as an old sick owl, and said not wor'd. ' . . "I have a right to shoot the cat haven't I?" , ' H ; "I would hardly Bay . that" replied young Coke Blacl atone. ; "The , cat does not : belong to you, as; I undei stand it" -. ; " , - - ."No, but the fea:e does." "Then," concluded the light of law "I think it, safe to say you have a pe feet right to tear down the fence." New York Press, v. , , Her Grief. He Why don'f you give me Y dance before midnight? v - V - .Young Widow Well. . you see si 11:30 tonight it will be a year sine m husband's death: I must hoaoi his memory properly, and no? 'dan until after the year la b. . . fers tr, v c Ul a fact J a manner C anon . . S9rves liable 'uiUUl respe, the strpriffti. 1 1 ability or i a, bilitv nf a. thnty, facts, , believing too readily, and wlth'noJ1 soh for- the faith or hope. The rZ rection pf Christ is a fact proven competent evidence, and deserving! luieingenv acceptance and belief uvvuiuc uuiucBSCU DV man. I. laiuum pruuis. nu ui uruui nere suggested j, that from the argument of cause aij effect. Certain things, conditions stitutions exist in our midst fJ.. they are the effects of causes, ori cause; what is that cause. We bjj UiCUUUU. 1. The Empty Tomb. The fact-that the tomb was tmptj is testified to by competent witnesses both friends and enemies: by tie women, the disciples, the angels, and the Roman guards. How shall te ac count for the absence of the body i Jesus from the tomb? That it not been stolen by outside parties it evident from the testimony of the diers who were bribed to tell th! Btory (Matt. 28:11-15). Such a guard never would have allowed such i thing to take place. Their lives vrouid have been thereby jeopardized. if they were asleep (v. 13), how could they know what took place? Their testimony under, such circumstance! would be useless. The condition in which the lines 1 4.1 j -l ii ciums were iounu jying Dy inose who entered the tomb precludes the pos sibility of the body being stolen. Had such been the case the cloths would have been taken .with the body, and not left in ' perfect order, thereby showing that the body had gone out of them. Burglars do not leave things In such perfect order. There is no order in baste. Then again, we have the testimony of angels to the fact that Jesus had really risen as fore told (Matt 28:6; Mark 16:6). Tie testimony of angels is surely trust worthy (Heb. 2:2). 2. The Lord's Day. The Lord's Day is not the original Sabbath: Who dared change it? For what reason, and on what eround vas It changed? Ponder the tenacity with which the Jews held on to their ban bath given . in Eden, and buttressed amid the thunders of Sinai. Recall how Jews would sooner die than fight on the Sabbath day (cf. Titus' invasion of. Jerusalem on the Sabbath). The Jews never, celebrated the birthdays of great men; they celebrated events, like the Passover. Yet, In the Ke Testament times we find Jes phnrlnr thoir Hmo-finnnrprl seventh day to the first day of the week, and, contrary to all precedent, calling tnai Hqv. a ft at n men. tVi o T TT( 's DST- Here is' an effect a tremendous effect; - ivi t er -. ill l l viij what was its cause? We cannot have an effect without a cause. 3.-, The Christian Church. We know what n srand and noble institution the Christian church i . . - . ..I i Ht wnat would this world be .wiinoui Tts hymns, worship, philanthropy. Istratlons of mercy are all known to us.- "-Where did this institution com6 from? It is an effect, a glorious ef fect; what is its cause? When the risen Christ appeared unto the d' colifaged disciples and revived their faith, and hope, they went forth, un der the "all-conquering faith in a risen and ascended Lord, and preached the story of his life, death, resurrection, ascension, and coming again. Men lleved these teachings; gathered them selves, together to study the Scrip tures, to pray, to worship Christ, and vo extend his kingdom among men. This is how the church came it0 eTistence. A. The New Testament. c. If Jesus Christ had remained buriec in the grave, the story of his life an death would have remained burie with him;. The New Testament is effect of Christ's resurrection. K the-resurrection that put heart in the disciples to go forth and tell" story. ; Skeptics -would have us o lieve that the resurrection cf Chri was an afterthought of the disciP' to give the story of Christ's l"e thrilling climax ; a decorative incid which v satisfies the dramatic feeing In mafla brilliant picture at the, en i-f ran; heroic life. We reply: 1' would have been no beautiful ston put a climax tojf there had ben resurrection of the Christ of the stor The resurrection does not grow of the beautiful story of his life. j the beautiful story of Christ's n grew out of the fact of the resU Uon. The NeV Testament is the do of the resurrection of Christ.
Polk County News and The Tryon Bee (Tryon, N.C.)
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May 22, 1914, edition 1
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