The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-08-14

terest in all his schemes to help folks
folks at a distance, you understand
She just devoured that relig-
ious magazine he edits-yes, I'll ad-
nit, his religion shows up beautifully
in Print; the pictures of II are good,
too. Old Mrs. jefferson took pride
il 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
iozen ands and butts out of one dis
course Then comes your Grace NOir 90
Abbott listened with absorbed gtten-
ton. 1t was impossible not to be in
fluenced Dv the voice that had grown
to mean so much to him
Grace Noir is a person that's su
perhumanly good, but she's not happy
in her goodness; il hurts her, all the
time because other folks are not as
good as she You cant live in the
house with her without wishing she d
make a mistake to show herself hui
man, but she never does, she's always
right She's SO fixed on being a mar
tyr. that if nobody crosses her. she
just makes herself a martyr out of
the shortcomings of others"
AS for instance"
LAS for instance. she suffered mar
tyrdom every time Mrs Gregory
nestled in an armchair beside the coy
hearth, when a Ladies' Aid, or a Rally
was beating its way through snow
drifts to the Walnut Street church. Mir.
Gregory was like every body else
about Grace-he took her at hcr own
him, religion meant Walnut Street
church plus Grace Noir. For while.
Mrs Gregory chung to church going
with grim determination. but it WASH [
any use The Sunday-sChool would
have bU-On contests, or the Ladies
Aid would give chicken pie dinners
downtown. and Mrs Gregory would
be red button or blue button. and
she would have her pie; but she was
always third-in her home, or at
church. she was the third 1t was her
husband and his secretary that under
stood the Lord Somehow she seemed
to disturb conditions. merely by being
present"
Fran. you do not realize tina; your
words-they intimate"
a;
She was like Il turned-up light at a
seance. Mr.. Gregory was appalltd be
cause his wife quit attending church
Grace sympathized in his sorrow Il
made him feel toward Grace Noir-
but I'm up against a stone wall. Ab-
bolt, | haven't the word TO describe
his feeling, maybe there isn't any.
Fran Nonpareil! Such wisdom
terrifies me such suspicious,
In this moment Of hesitancy 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; sla had counted
the cost and the danger II she did
not convince him, his thought OF her
could never be the sam
Abbott you may think | am talk
ing from jealousy, and that tried to
get rid OF Grace NOir SO | could better
my condition at her expense. | don't
know how to make you see that my
story is true. 1t tells itself Oughtn' t
~ -
the doves nature: she'd let the enemy
have the spOils rather than come TO
blows. She let's 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. The old lady
her mothers a fighter; she'd have
driven out the secretary long ago. But
Mrs. Gtegory'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 delicataly with the
mere husk of this astounding revela-
ton: Have you talked with old Mrs
jefferson about-about itE"
Shes too proud-wouldn admit it.
But I've shyly limited however,
it's not the sort OF story you could
pour through the funnel of an ear
trumpet without getting wheat mixed
with chaff. Shed misunderstood the
neighbors would get it hrst-anyway
she wouldn't make a move because her
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