Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1913-08-13


Dear Mrs. Gregory" said Fra1
kindly, I'm sorry to have to do this
but it isn't as if you were adoptin,
q penniless orphan. I'm adopting
home. | want to belong to somebody
and l want people to feel that the,
j have something when they have me-
Il reckon they'll know they've go
something" remarked Simon Jeffer
son. shooting a dissatisfied glance a
Fran from under bushy brows.
Fran laughed outright. I'm goins
to like you, all right" she declared
You are so human"
1t Is exceedingly difficult to main
tain satisfaction in silent martyrdom
Grace was obliged to speak, lest any
one think that she acquiesced In evil
is it customary for little girls to roam
the streets at night, wandering about
the world alone, adopting homes &C
cording to their whims?"
Il really don't think it Is custom
airy" Fran replied politely, but I'm
not customary girl" At that mo-
ment she caught the old lady's eye. II
was sparkling with eloquent satisfac
ton; Mrs. Jefferson supposed terms
of service were under discussion. Fran
laughed, grabbed the ear-trumpet and
| called, Hello. How are your"
When an unknown voice entered the
large end OF the tube, half it's mean.
ing was usually strained away before
the rest reached the yearning ear
Mrs. Jefferson responded eagerly,
And will you wheel me around the
garden at least twice a day."
Fran patted the thin old arm with
her thin young hand, as she shouted,
III wheel you twenty times a day.
if you say so!''
But l do not see-saw," retorted the
old lady with spirit.
Gregory, finding Grace's eyes fixed
on him searchingly. felt himself
pushed to the wall. "Of course" he
! said coldly, sit is understood that the
daughter of-er-my friend, comes
here as a-as an equal" AS he
found himself forced into definite OBJ
position to his secretary, his manner
grew more assured. Suddenly it &C.
Cured to him that he was, in a way,
atoning for the past.
las an equal, yes!" exclaimed his
wife, again embracing Fran. How
else could 1t be?"
This is going to be a good thing
for you. If you only knew it," Fran
said, looking into her face with loving
eyes.
Hamilton Gregory was almost able
to persuade himself that he had re-
ceived the orphan OF his own free
choice, thus to make reparation. at
is my duty" he said; "and 1 always
try to do my duty, as I see it."
Would you like to know more about
rne?" Fran asked confidentially of Mrs.
Gregory.
Gregory turned pale. 81 don't think
it is neces-"
DO tell mel" exclaimed his wife.
Father and mother married secret.
ly." Fran said, solely addressing Mrs.
Gregory, but occasionally sending a
furtive glance at her husband. "He
was college-student, boarding with
his cousin who was one of the profess
sors. Mother was an orphan and lived
with her half-uncle-a mighty crusty
old man, Uncle Ephraim was, who
didn't have one bit of use for peoples
getting married in secret. Father and
mother agreed not to mention their
till after his graduation:
then he'd go to his father and make
everything easy, and come for mother.
So he went and told him-father's IA
Their was a millionaire on Wall street.
Mothers uncle was pretty well fixed.
too, but he didn't enjoy anything ex-
cept religion. When he wasn't at
went most all the time
he was reading about it. Mother said
he was most religious in Hebrew, but
he enjoyed his Greek verbs awfully."
Grace Noir asked remotely, Did |
you say that your parents eloped?"
They didn't run far" Fran ex-
planned; they were married in the |
county, not far from Springfield"
L thought you said,' Grace inter
rupted. that they were In New York"
Did you?" said Fran politely. so |
father graduated, and went away to |
tell his father all about being mar
ried to Josephine Derry. l don't know |
what happened then, as he didn't come |
back to tell Ny mother waited and |
l was born-and then |
Uncle Ephraim drove mother out of |
his house with her tiny baby-that's
| grew to be-as old as you
see me now. We were always Lunt- |
ing father. We went all over the /
United States, first and last-it looked |
like the son of millionaire ought to
be easy to find. But he kept himself |
close, and there was never a clew.
Then mother died Sometimes she
used to tell me that she believed him
dead, that II he'd been alive he'd have
come for her, because she lored him