The Washington herald., 1913-03-02

denied. Are you a stranger in the
town."
Never been here before" Fran
answered mournfully.
But why did YOU Gomez"
Il came to find Hamilton Gregory
The young man was astonished
Didn't you see him in the tent, lead
ing the choir:"
'He has house in town. Fran said
timidly. Il don't want to bother him
while he is in his religion. l want to
wait for him at his house. Oh" she
added earnestly, ii you would only
show me the way"
Just is if she did not know the
way!
Abbott Ashton was now completely
at her mercy. so you know Brother
Gregory, do you?" 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 il prohibitively, but she purposely
left the bars down. to find out if the
young man was what she hoped.
And he was. He did not ask a
question. They sought the grass
grown path bordering the dusty road ;
as they ascended the hill that shut out
view of the village, to their ears
came the sprightly, twentieth century
hymn. What change had come over
Ashton that the song now seemed as
strangely out of keeping as had the
peacefulness of the April night, when
he 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 sang ::
I'VE reap what we sow
Don't! he reproved her. Child, that
means nothing to you"
Yes, it does. too." she returned,
rather impudeutly She continued to
sing and hum until the last note was
smothered in her little nose. Then she
spoke: "However-it means differ
ent thing TO me from what It means
to the choir
He looked at her curiously. How
different he smiled.
ITO me. it means that we really do
reap what we SOW. and that If we've
done something very wrong in the
past-ugh! Better look out-trouble's
coming. That's what the song means
to me-
And will you kindly tell me what it
means to the choir?'
Yes. I'll tell you what it means to
the choir: 1t means sitting on benches
and singing, after sermon; and it
means tent. and great evangelist
and a celebrated soloiSt-aud then g.
ing home to act as ii it wasn't So
Abbott was not only astonished. but
panied Suddenly he had lost No
body's little girl" to be confronted by
an elfsh spirit OF mischief. He asked
with constraint. Did this critical at
titude make you laugh out, in the
TENT"
Il wouldn't tell you why I laughed"
Fran declared, "for thousand dol
lars. And I've seen more than that
in my day"
They walked on. He was silent, she
impenetrable. At last she said, in a
changed voice, My names Fran
What's yours?"
He laughed boyishly. Mines Alb
bott."
His manner made her laugh SYM
pathetically. II was just the manner
she liked best-gay. frank. and a little
mischievous. "Abbott:' she repeated !;
wells that all?'
Ashton is the balance; Abbott Ash
ton. And yours?'
The rest of mine is Nonpareil-
funny name. isn't it?-Fran Nonpareil.
1t means Fran. the small type; or
Fran who's unlike everybody else; or
oh. there are lots of meanings to me.
Some find one. some another, some
never understand
1t was because Abbott Ashton was
touched. that he spoke lightly:
What very young Nonpariel to
be wandering about the world, all by
yourself.'
She was grateful for his raillery
How young do you think"
Let me see. Hum! You are only
abou--" She laughed nirthfully at
his air of preposterous wisdom. About
hirteen-fourteen, yes, you are more
than fi-i-ifteen, more than But
take off that enormous hat, little Nom
pareil. There's no use guessing in the
dark when the moons shining
Fran was gleeful. "All right" she
cried in one of her childish tones.
shill. fresh. vibratory with the music
of innocence
BY this time they had reached the
foot bridge that spanned the deep ra-
vine Here the wagon road made its
crossing of tiny stream, by slipping
under the foot bridge, some fifteen
feet below. Down there, all was semi
gloom, pungent fragrance of weeds,
cooling breath of the half-dried brook.
mystery of space between steep banks
But on a level with the bridge,
meadow lands sloped away from the
ravine on either hand. On the left
lay struggling Littleburg with its four