Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-27


| you say. state the condition again 4
you Lave the courage to say !,
aloud"
"The past will be forgotten" said
Abbott solemnly, ~ you give your
word that your secretary shall 80 In
the morning"
"And you'll take me in her place."
spo, up Fran decidedly,
"The time 10 up" said Clinton
harshly. ''Yts too late now, for ! shall
tell"
81 promise. promise" Gregory
cried out. in an agony Of fear. :"
promise. Yes, I'll dismiss her. Yes
she shall 90! Yes. let Fran have the
place"
do understand you to dismiss me.
MIR. Gregory" asked Grace, In . low
concentrated tone. leaning slightly
forward.
Fran turned on the lights to their
fullest extent, and looked about with
An elfish smile.
hamilton Gregory was mute.
IT have your PROMISE said Abbott.
bowling gravely. THAT II enough.
!, Yes" groaned Gregory. but It e
Fran looked at Abbott inscrutably.
third times the charm. abs said. IN
. whisper. I'm proud Of you this
time. Abbott"
Grace turned with cold dignity, and
moved slowly toward the hall door.
Fran slipped between Clinton and
the piano. and began to play softly.
carelessly with one hand. while she
watched the retreating figure.
In very short time, Gregory found
himself alone in the parlor. Abbott
and Clinton had Withdrawn rather
|awkwardly. Mrs. Gregory had melted
away unobtrusively, and Fran, last OF
all. had given the piano a flnal bang.
and darted ont Of the house.
Gregory stood pale and miserahle.
It seemed AZ II all the world had de-
serted him. The future without Grace
would be as dreary as now seemed his
past with Fran's mother He suffered
horribly. Was suffering all that ITO
had left for him? Perhaps he was
harvest! One sows in 50 brief time:
Is the garnering eternal?
A bell rang, but he was not curious.
Voices sounded at the front door. foot
steps passed. then silence once more
silence and despair, Gregory went
to the open window, and leaned heAv.
lily on the sill, taking great breaths,
staring DULY.
Footsteps were heard again. They
were near by They stopped ct the
door-they were hers. Gregory
started up with a low cry OF reani-
mated hope. Whatever happened
he was about to sec Grace NOR once
more.
CHAPTER XIX.
The First Victory.
When Grace reentered the parlor.
to find Hamilton Gregory alone. her
eyes were full Of reproach without
tenderness. He dropped his head be-
fore her accusing face. all the same.
he felt a buoyant relief because she
was there.
AS she came straight toward him,
an open letter in her hand, his body
grew erect, and b brown eyes, losing
their glazed light, burned from the
depths.
READ IT. Grace said. IN 4 thin
brittle voice.
In taking the letter. Gregory touched
her hand with recaptured afertness.
he held the missive to the light, and
read:
my dear Miss Noir:-
"This IL to oficial1y offer you the
position Of bookkeeper at my grocery
store, now that Hamilton Gregory has
decided to make Fran his secretary.
Come over early in the morning and
everything will be arranged to your
satisfaction.
Robert Clinton"
Gregory looked up, and marked tho
flredness Of her gaze. 1t seemer to
call upon him to avenge an insult. He
could only buster, 'Who brought this
thing here!" He flung the note upon
the table:
"A messenger" Grace's look did
"rhe impudence!" he exclaimed.
1.-THE affront!"
"However," said Grace, II presume
It is Anal that am dismissed?" AZ
"But his unseemly haste In sending
this note-it's Infamous, that's what I
call It, infamous!"
And you mean to take Fran In my
place, do you not?"
"You see," Gregory explained, Bob
Clinton came back to town this even
ling from Springfield, you understand.
and Abbott came with him-er-And
Mrs. Gregory was in the room 30 they
could not speak exactly openly, and
Abbott made the condition. can
hardly explain 80 delicate an AFFAIR Of
of business-but you see, Bob 10
evidently very much in love with you.
and he has 1t In his power to a.
mand-"
Grace calmly waited for the other
to lapse into uncertain silence, then
said, "This note tells me definitely that
I am offered another position, but you
tell me nothing. It was who sent
Mr.. Clinton to Springfield to hook into
the private record OF that Fran.
"You see," Gregory explained, The
was afraid I might think It presumpt-
uous OF him to do that, It WAS like
doubling my word, 50 he came to mo
however, he is back and there IL moth
ing to reveal, absolutely nothing to
reveal"
us he sure that the girl is no Inn
postor?'
"Ie knows she isn't His pockets