Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-05-16

i
''this girl viii leave her without any
any excuse"
"Oh. Miss Grace. II my wife were
only-like you-I mean. about going
TO church,"
II consider It." che responded. "the
most important thing in the world"
Her emphatic tone proved her sin.
cerity. The church on Walnut street
stood, for her, a. the ark; those who
remained outside. at the call Of the
bell, were in danger Of engulfment.
After long silence. Grace looked
up from her typewriter. "Mr. Greg
ory." she said pausingly. you are I'M
happy"
Nothing could have been sweeter to
him than her sympathy, except happi-
ness itself. EYES," he admitted, with
great sigh, ri am very unhappy, but
you understand me, and that is little
comfort. II you should marry Bob
Clinton-Grace. tell me you'll not
think Of 1t again."
| "And you are unhappy" said Grace.
steadfastly ruling Bob Clinton out Of
the discussion, ION account Of Fran"
He burst forth mpulsively-"Ever
since she came to town." He checked
F; himself. "But owe it to my friend
and she'll have to, If she demands
/ it"
! do you owe more to your dead
friend" Grace asked, with passionate
solemnity, than to the living God?"
| He shrank back. But l can't send
her away" he persisted in nervous
haste. II can't. But heaven bless you.
Grace, for your dear thought of me-"
I you will bless me with more rea-
son." said Grace softly, when Fran
decides to 60 away. She'll tire of this
house, promise it. She'll go-just
wait!-shell go, as unceremoniously
as she came. Leave it to me, Mr.. Greg
ory." In her earnestness she started
UP, and then, as if to conceal her
! growing resolution, she walked swiftly
to the window as if to hold her manu-
script to the light. Gregory followed
her.
eff she would only go!" he groaned.
Grace! Do you think you could?-
Yes, will leave everything to you"
She'll co." Grace repeated fixedly.
The window at which they stood
overlooked the garden into which Fran
had wheeled old Mrs. Jefferson.
Fran. speaking through the ear
trumpet with as much caution as deaf
ness would tolerate, said. Dear old
lady, look up at the library window,
If you please, for the muezzin has
climbed his minaret to call to prayers"
Very little of this reached its desti-
nation-muezzin was in great danger
Of complicating matters, but the old
lady caught library window" and held
it securely. She looked up. Ham
ilton Gregory and Grace Noir were
standing at the tower window, to
catch the last rays of the sun. The
flag of truce between them was only
! typewriter sheet of manuscript.
Grace held the paper obliquely toward
the west; Hamilton leaned nearer and,
with his delicate white finger, pointed
out word. Grace nodded her head
in gentle acquiescence.
Amen" muttered Fran. "Now let
everybody, sing!"
The choir leader and his secretary
vanished from sight.
"Just like the play in Hamlet" Fran
said half-a!oud. "And now that the
inside play is over, guess it's time
for old Ham to be doing something"
Mrs. Jefferson gripped the arms of
her wheelchair and resumed her tale.
as If she had not been interrupted 1t
was Of no interest as story, yet pos
sessed sentimental value from the
fact that all the characters save the
raconteur were dead, and possibly all
but her forgotten. Fran loved to hear
the old lady evoke the shades of long
ago, shades who would never again
assume even the palest manifestation
to mortals, when this old lady had
| gone to join them.
Usually Fran brought her back.
with gentle hand, but today she d.
vined subterfuge; the tale was meant
to hide Mrs. Jefferson's real feelings.
Fran ventured through the trumpet:
II wish there was a man-secretary
on this place, instead of a woman.
And let me tell you one thing, dear
old soldier-there's going to be fight
put up on these grounds. guess you
ought to stay out Of it. But either
I or the secretary has got to git"
| Fran was not unmindful of gram
mar, even Of rhetoric, on occasion.
She knew there was no such word as
git" but she was seeking to symbol
! lie her idea in sound. AS she closed
her teeth, each little pearl meeting a
pearly rival, her git" had something
of the force Of physical ejectment.
| Behind large spectacle lenses,
sparks flashed from Mrs. Jefferson.s
eyes. She shifted battle. But her
tightly compressed lips showed that
| she lacked both Fran's teeth and
Fran's intrepidity. One steps eau
| tiously at sevcnty-cdd.
Fran comprehended. The old lady
must not let it be suspected that she
| a. 5a|ttE::