Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-12-18

49, L'sNHN#/~T
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 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
1ozen ands and butts out of n dis
course. Then ONE your Grace Noir."
Abbott listened with absorbed atten-
ton. 1t was impossible not to be in
luenced by the voice that had grown
to mean so much to him.
Grace Noir is a person that's SUI
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 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"
CAS- for instance"
Gas 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. Mr..
Gregory was like everybody else
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 chung to church-going
with grim determination, but it wasn't
any use. The Sunday-school would
have button contests, or the Ladies'
Aid would give chicken pie dinners
downtown, and Mrs. Gregory would
be a red button or a 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 that your
words-they intimate"
She disturbed conditions, 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 1t
made him feel toward Grace Noir-
but I'm up against a stone wall, Alb
bolt, l haven't the word to describe
his feeling, maybe there isn't any.
Fran Nonpareil! Such wisdom
terrifes me . such s~aspicions!"
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; she had counted
the cost and the danger. If she did
not convince him, his thought Of her
could never be the same.
abbott, you may think I'M talk.
ing from jealousy, and that tried to
get rid of Grace Noir so / could better
my condition at her expense. l don't
know how to make you see that my
story is true. 1t tells itself. Oughtn't
that to prove it? Mrs. Gregory has
the doves nature; she'd let the enemy
have the spoils rather than come tc
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 mother-is a fighter; she'd have
driven out the secretary long ago. BuI
Mrs. Gregory's idea seems to bel
he can want her, after I've givei. hin
myself, I'll not make a movement tt
{ interfere
' Abbott played ~delicately with thu
mere husk of this astounding revela
. ton: Have you talked with old Mrs
Jefferson about-about it,"
l She's too proud-wouldn't admit II
But I've shyly limited . however
it's not the sort of story you coult
pour through the funnel of an ear
trumpet without getting wheat nike,
with chaff. Shed misunderstand-th,
neighbors would get 1t first-anywa.
she wouldn't make a nov because he