Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1913-09-26
CHAPTER IIl.-contInued.

CHAPTER Ill.-Continued.
The young man was astonished.
Didn't you see him in the tent. lead
ting the choirr'
He has a house in town." Fran
laid timidly. 81 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 II she did not know the
way!
Abbott Ashton was now completely
at her mercy. $50 you know Brother
Gregory, do your" 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 IL the
young man was what she hoped.
And he was. He did not ask q
question. They sought the grass
grown path bordering the dusty road;
a they ascended the hill that shut
out q view Of the village, to their ears
came the sprightly Twentieth Century
hymn. What change had come over
Ashton that the song now seemed az
strangely out of keeping as had the
peacefulness OF the April night when
ne first left the 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 sans
I'VE reap what we SOW"
"Don't!" he reproved her. Child
that means nothing to you"
Yes, 1t does, too" she returned
rather impudently. She continued tc
sing and hum until the last note was
smothered in her little nose. Then he
spoke: "However-it means a differ
emit thing to me from what 1t means
70 the choir"
He looked at her curiously, How
different?" he smiled.
ITO me, II means that we really dc
reap what we SOW, and that IL you've
done something very wrong in the
past-ughI Better look out-trouble'I
coming. That's what the song meant
to me-"
-And viii you kindly tell me what 4
means to the choir?"
yes, tell you what It means t.
the choir. It means sitting on benches
and singing, after a sermon; and Il
means a tent, and a great evangelist
and a celebrated soloist-and then go
ing home to act as II it wasn't So
Abbott was not only astonished, but
panied. Suddenly he had lost mo
body's little girl" to be confronted by
an elfsh spirit of mischief. He asked
with constraint, Did this critical at
rtitude make you laugh out, in the
'tent?"
Il wouldn't tell you why I laughed.
Fran declared. "for a thousand dol
lars. And I've seen more than that
In my day"
They walked on. He was silent, she
tmpenetrable. At last she said, in 9
changed voice, MY names Fran
What's yours?"
He laughed boyishly. Mines Alb
bott."
His manner made her laugh sympa
thetically It was Just the manner she
liked best-gay, frank, and little
mischievous. "Abbott?" she repeated
~well--is that all?"
ashton IL the balance: Abbott
Ashton. And yours?'
The rest Of mine is Nonpareil-
funny name, isn't iti-Fran Nonpa-
reil. It means Fran. the small type;
or Fran who's unlike everybody else;
or-oh. there are lots OF meanings to
me. Some nnd one. some another.
some never understand"
II was because Abbott Ashton was
touched that he spoke lightly:
what a very young NonpareIl to
be wandering about the world, all by
yourselfI"
She was grateful for his raillery.
How young do you think?"
Let me see. Hunt You are only
about" She laughed mirthfully at
his air Of preposterous wisdom.
About thirteen-fourteen, yes, you
are more than f-i.ifteen. more than
But take on that enormous hat,
little Nonpareil. There's no use guess