The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-05-22
CHAPTER III-continued


The young man was astonished.
Didn't you see him in the tent, lead
ing the choir?"
He has a house in town" Fran
said timidly. Il don't want to bother
him while he is in his religion.
want to wait for him at his house.
Oh" she added earnestly, If you
would only show me the way"
Just as if she did not know the
way!
Abbott Ashton was now completely
at her mercy. so you know Brother
Gregory, do you?" he asked, as he
led her over the stiles and down the
wagon-road
Never saw him in my life" Fran
replied casually. She knew how to
say it prohibitively, but she purposely
left the bars down, to find out if the
young man was what she hoped
And he was. He did not ask a
question. They sought the grass
grown path bordering the dusty road ;
as they assembled the hill that shut
out view of the village, to their ears
c, the sprightly Twentieth Century
hymn What change had come over
Ashton that the song now seemed as
strangely of keeping as had the
peacefnse the April night, when
he first left tent? He felt the
prick of remorse because in the midst
of nature, he had so soon forgotten
about souls.
Fran caught the air and softly sang
We reap what we SOW"
DON'T" he reproved her. Child,
that means nothing to you"
Yes, it does, too" she returned,
rather impudently. She continued to
sing and hum until the last note was
smothered in her little nose. Then he
spoke: "However-it means differ
ent thing to me from what it means
to the choir"
He looked at her curiously, How
'ifferent?" he smiled.
yeo me, it means that we really do
\ p what we SOW, and that if you've
(4e something very wrong in the
; ~ Ugh - Better look Out-troube's
coming. That's what the song means
to me-
And will you kindly tell me what it
means to the choir?"
Yes, l tell you what it means to
the choir. 1t means sitting on benches
and singing, after a sermon; and it
means a tent, and a great evangelist
and a celebrated soloist-and then go.
j. home to act as if it wasn't so"
lbott was not only astonished, but
PANIED. Suddenly he had lost No
body's little girl, to be confronted by
an elish spirit of mischief He asked
with constraint, Did this critical at
titude make you laugh out, in the
TENT"
Il wouldn't tell you why laughed, "
Fran declared, for thousand dol
lars. And I've seen more than that
in my day"
They walked on. He was silent, she
impenetrable. At last she said, in a
changed voice, MY names Fran
What's yours ?"
He laughed boyishly. Mines Alb
bott'
His manner made her laugh sympa-
thetically. 1t was just the manner she
liked best-gay, frank, and little
mischievous. "Abbott?" she repeated;
wells that all?"
Ashton is the balance; Abbott
Ashton. And yours?"
THE rest of mine is Nonpareil-
funny name, isn't it!-Fran Nonpa-
reil 1t means Fran, the small type:
or Fran who's unlike everybody else;
or-Oh, there are lots of meanings to
me Some find one. some another.
some never understand"
1t was because Abbott Ashton was
touched that he spoke lightly:
What very young Nonpareil to
be wandering about the world, all by
YOURSELF"
She was grateful for his raillery.
How young do you Think"
Let me see. Hum! You are only
about" She laughed mirthfully at
his air of preposterous wisdom.
About thirteen-fourteen yes. you
are more than fi-i-ifteen, more than
But take off that enormous hat,
little Nonpareil There's no use guess