The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-10-18

over her shoulder and said, az II he
had spsken,s still. Id like for you to
kDws about IT, fs$g ,t - a. -
He quickened his step to regain her
side, but Was, oppressed by an odd
sense Of the abnormal. EaQ.
Although" she added indistincttS.
'ft doesn't matter" ~
They walked on IN silerice until. ~.
ter prolonged hesitation. he told her
quietly that he would like to hear all
she felt disposed to tell. -st .ger
She looked st him steadily: -~Can
you dilute . few words with, the water
OF your Imagination. to cover q life
Ill speak the words. II you have the
imagination"
As he looked into her eyes, all sense
OF the abnormal disappeared. "I have
the imagination. Fran" he exclaimed
impulsfvely. ''if II ID yoar He" 's' Z 3
IN spite OF the lionsf" she asked,
almost sternly. .ci So s.a
You, needn't tell, me Q word" Al
bott said. u know all that one need
know; it's written In your face, q story
OF sweet innocence and brave pa
ti6nce.-
but I wsnt you 10 know" '-.ss-
"0oodl" he rephser wkh' sudden
smsldH STsll che story. then: m you
were m Odyssey. you couldn't be too
ione.' a1rt 5 rr'' { rvc'rd S,1ss A Ss>l.
Tho Arst thinsI remember II wax
ing up TO feel the car jerksd. or
stopped, or started. and seeing lights
nash past the windows--lanterns OF
the brakemen. or lamps Of some town.
dancing along the track. The sleeping
car was home-the only home knew.
All night long there twas the groaning
Of the wheels. the letting or of steam,
the calls Of the men. Bounder Broth
err had their private train, and moth.
Or and lived In our Pullman car. Aft
or while knew that folks stared at
10 because We were different from 9TH
ers. We were show-people. Then the
thing was to look like you didn't know,
or didn't care. now much people
stared. After that. found out that |
had no father; he'd deserted mother.
and her uncle had turned her out OF
doors for marrying against his wishes.
and she'd have starved II 1t hadn't
been for the show-people."
Dear Fran!" whispered Abbott ten
DERBY.
Mother had gone to Chicago. hoping
for . EOS Ion IN some respectable Of.
ffce. but they didn't want typewriter
who wasn't q stenographer. It was
winter--and mother had mel was 20
little and badi -. .,-Ih cheap
lodging house. mother got to know La
Goniretti, and she persuaded mother
to wait with her for the season TO open
up. then go with Bounder Brothers;
they were wintefink In Chicago. II
wus such q kind Of life a mother had
never dreamed Of. but It was more
convenicut than starving. . and she
thoushtrit would give her q chance to
find father---that travelling, all over the
country. La Confetti was q lion
tan or. and that's what mother learned,
and those two were the ones who
could go inside Samson's cage. The
life was awfuliy hard. but she got to
Ike II. and everybody was kind to as.
and money came pouring In. and she
was always hoping TO run across clue
20 my father-and never did" "a-...
She paused. but at the pressure of
Abbott's sympathetic hand. she went
on with renewed courage:
when I was big enough, wore q
tiny black skirt. and q red coat with
shiny buttons. and I beat the drum
In tho carnival band. You ought to
have seen me-soi little. - Alb
bott. you can't imagine how little
wasi We had about q dosen small
shows In our company. fortune-tellers,
minstrels. magic wonders. and all that
and the band had TO march from one
tent TO the next. and stand out in front
and play. to get the crowd In q bunch.
10 the free exhibition ccuid work on
their nerves. And ia beat away, In
my. red coat IS. .z!and there we're
always the strange faces. staring, star
ing-but was SC little! Sometimes
they world smile at me. but mother
had taught me never to speak TO any
one. but to wear q glazed look like
this" .a,
How frightfully coid!" Abbott
shivered. Then he laughed. and 20 did
Fran. They had entered L4ttieburg.
He added wickedly: "And how dread.
FUZZY near we are getting to your
home ..t. r
Fran gurgled. Wouldn't Grace Noir
Just die II she could see us!"
That sobered Abbott: considering
HIS official position. 1t seemed high
time for reflection '9a
Fran resumed abruptly. "But new
or really liked II because what want
ed was n home-to belong TO some
tody. Then got TO hating the bold
stare OF peoples eyes. and their fool.
iAh RAINING mnufha- / hated heInR nj.