The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-10-23

her closer, and stroked her hair ten.
Derby trusting himself
Presently she pulled herself TO
rights. lifted his arm from about her
and rested 1t on the back Of the seat
a friendly compromise. Then shr
shook back her hair and raised her
eyes and a faint smile came into tn
rosy face, I'm so funny" she declared
Sometimes ! seem so strange that
! need an Introduction TO myself" Shr
looked into Abbotts eyes feetlngly,
and drew in the corners OF her mouth
II guess, after all, there's something
In reliEion!"
Abbott was so warmed by returning
sunshine that his eyes shone Dear
Franz" he said-it was very hard to
keep his arm where she had put It,
She tried to look at him steadily, but
somehow the light hurt her eyes She
could feel its warmth burning her
cheeks.
"Oh. Fran" cried Abbott impul
sively, the bridge in the moonlight
was nothing TO the way you look nov
so beautiful-and 30 much moro
than just beautiful e"
This won't do" Fran exclaimed
hiding her face. we must get back
to Grace Noir Immediately"
"Oh, Fran, oh, no, please!"
Il won't please, While we're In
Sure Enough Country. | mean to tell
you the whole truth about Grace Nclr.
The name seemed to settle the atmos.
phere-she could look at him, now.
Il want you to understand that
something is going to happen-must
happen. Just from the nature OF things,
and the nature of wives and husbands
and the other woman. Oh, you
needn't frown at me, I've seen you
look that other way at me, so know
you, Abbott Ashton"
Fran! Then you know that /"
NO, you must listen, You've moth.
ing important to tell me that don't
know. I've found out tho whole Greg.
DRY history from old Mrs. jefferson,
without her knowing that she was tell.
ing anything she's n sort OF 'Profes.
scr Ashton In my hands-and mean
to tell you that history. You know
that. for about three years, Mrs. Greg.
DRY hasn't gone to church"
You must admit that It doesn't ap-
pear we'll"
Admit it? Yes, of course | must.
And the world cares for appearances.
and not for the truth. That's why II
condemns Mrs Gregory-and me--and
that's why I'm afraid the school 1oard
will condemn you: just on account OF
appearances. For these past three
years, the church has meant to Mrs.
Gregory a building plus Grace NoIr.
| don't mean that Mrs. Gregory got
jealous OF Grace Noir-I don't know
how TO eXplain--you can't handle cob
webs without marrng them" She
paused.
Jealous of Miss Grace" exclaimed
Abbott reprovingly.
Let's go back. and take running
jump right into the thick OF 1t. When
Mr.. Gregory came to Littleburg. com.
plete stranger-and when he mar.
ried. she was n devoted church-mem.
went, and took great in.
terest in all his schemes to help folks
folks at n distance, you understand
She just devoured that relig.
jous magazine be edlts-yes, III ad.
NIT. his religion shows up beautifully
in print; the pictures OF II are good,
too. Old Mrs. Jefferson took pride
in being wheeled to church where she
could see her sonIn-law leading the
music, and where shed watch every
gesture Of the minister and catch the |
sound of his voice al the high places, |
where he cried and, or nevertheless |
Sometimes Mrs. Jefferson could get a |
iozen ands and butts out of one dis
Then comes your Grace Noir."
Abbott listened with absorbed atten.
ton. 1t was impossible not TO be in
fluenced by the voice that had grown
to mean so much to him.
Grace Noir is a person that's SUI
good, but she's not happy |
In her goodness; It hurts her, all the |
time because other folks are not as
good rs 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. rhat II nobody crosses her, she |
just makes herself martyr Out OF
the shortcomings Of Others"
AS for instance"
"As for instance, she suffered mar.
tyrdom every time Mrs. Gregory
nestled in an armchair beside the coy
hearth, when a Ladies' Aid. or 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
,hurch 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
iave button contests. or the Ladies'