The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-11-29

NtIVSt III all HIS sCutIles W Htlp lOlhS
folks at a distance, you understand
|. She just devoured that relig-
ious magazine he edits-yes, I'll ad-
nit, his religion shows up beautifully
in pint: the pictures of it are good.
too. Old Mrs. jefferson took pride
in being wheeled to church where she
could see her son-in-law leading the
music, and where she'd watch every
gesture of the minister and catch the
sound of his voice at the high places.
where he cried and, or nevertheless.
Sometimes Mrs jefferson could get a
ioZen ands and butts out of one dis
course. Then comes your Grace Noir. -
Abbott listened with absorbed atten-
ton. 1t was impossible not to De in
tiuenced by the voice that had grown
TO mean so much TO him.
Grace Noir is person that's SUI
perhumanly good, but she's not happy
in her goodness; it hurts her. all the
time, because other folks are not as
good as 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. that if nobody crosses her, she
Just makes herself a 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 cozy
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
church plus Grace Noir. For a while
Mrs. Gregory chung to church-goins
| with grim determination. but il WASN'T
| any use. The Sunday-schoOl would
| have button contests, or the Ladies
Aid would give chicken pie dinners
downtown, and Mrs. Gregory would
| be red button or a blue button, anC
| she would have her pie; but she was
always third-in her home, or a
| church. she was the third. II was hel
husband and his secretary that under
stood the Lord Somehow she seemed
to disturb conditions, merely by being
present"
Fran, you do not realize tina; your
words-they intimate"
She disturbed conditions, Abbott
She was like a turned-up light at 8
seance. Mr.. Gregory was appalled, be
cause his wife quit attending church
Grace sympathized in his sorrow II
made him feel toward Grace Noir-
but I'm up against stone wall, Alb
bolt, ! haven't the word to describe
his feeling, maybe there isn't any.
Fran Nonpareil! Such wisdom
terrifies me such suspicious!
In this moment of hesitancy between
conviction and rejection, abbott felt
oddly out of harmony with his little
| friend. She realized the effect she
must necessarily be producing, yet
she must continue; she had counted
the cost and the danger. II she die
not convince him, his thought of hel
could never be the same.
Abbott YOU may think / am talk
ing from jealousy. and that ] tried tc
get rid OF Grace Noir so could better
my condition at her expense. | don'i
know how to make you see that my
story is true 1t tells itself. Oughtn't
that to prove 1t? Mrs Gregory has
| the doves nature; she'd let the enemy
have the spoils rather than come to
blows. She lets him take his choice
here is she, yonder's the secretary
He isn't worthy of her If he chooses
Grace-but his hesitation has proved
him unworthy. anyhow. The old lady
her mother-is a fighter; she'd have
driven out the secretary long ago. But
Mrs. Gregory's idea seems to be-'It
he can want her, after I've given hin
myself, I'll not make a movement tc
J interfere
Abbott played delicately with the
mere husk of this astounding revela
ton: Have you talked with old Mrs
jefferson about-about it?"
She's too proud-wouldnt admit It
But I've shyly limited however
| it's not the sort OF story you could
pour through the funnel OF an ear
trumpet without getting wheat mixed
with chaff Shed MISUNDERSTANDING
neighbors would get 1t first-anyway
! she wouldn't make a move because her