Rocky Ford enterprise., 1913-12-26


and one right. No. l cannot consent;
what might satisfy Mrs. Gregory might
not seem best to me. No. professor,
II you feel that you cannot explain
what l saw. last night. l shall feel
obliged to tell Mr.. Gregory as soon as
the choir practice ends"
Didn't Fran refuse to tell?" Abbott
temporized.
YES" was the skilful response; but
her reticence must have been to save
you. for the girl never seems ashamed
of anything she does. / imagine she
hated to get you into trouble"
Miss Grace. you have heard Mrs.
Gregory say that she trusts me-and
she is Fran's guardian. / ask you to
do the same"
81 must consider my conscience"
That answer closed all argument
You had better tell her." said Mrs.
Gregory. for she is determined to
know"
Il was taking a walk to rest my
mind" Abbott said slowly, proceeding
as II he would have liked to fight his
ground Inch by inch. land 1t was rath-
er late. l was strolling about Little
burg. AT last l found myself at the
new bridge that leads to the camp
meeting grounds. when ahead of me.
there was-I saw Fran. / was much
surprised to find her out there. alone"
II can understand that" said Grace
quietly. "for should have been sur
prised myself"
Mrs. Gregory turned upon Grace.
Let him go on!" she said with flash
that petrified the secretary.
when l came up to the bridge. she
was sitting there. with some cards
all alone. She had some superstition
about trying fortunes on a new bridge
at midnight, and that explains the late
ness of the hour. So persuaded her
to come home, and that is ALL"
Mrs. Gregory breathed with relief.
What an odd little darling!" she muir
INJURED. smiling
what kind of fortune was she tell
ing" Grace asked.
whatever kind the new bridge
would give her.
"Oh. then the cards stood for peo-
pie, didn't they! And the card you
dropped in the yard was your card. of
course"
"Of course"
And did Fran have a card to repre-
sent herself, perhaps?"
Il have told you the story" said Alb.
bott, rising.
THAT means she did. Then she
wanted to know II you and she would
Mrs. Gregory. / have always
felt that Fran has deceived us about
her agei She is older than she pre-
tends to bel"
Il believe this concludes our bar
gain" said Abbott, rising.
Mrs. Gregory was calm. Miss Grace.
Fran told me long ago that she is
eighteen years old; she came as lit
tie girl, because she Thought we would
take her in more readily, II We be-
lieved her a mere child"
Does Mr.. Gregory know that?''
81 haven't told him; don't know
whether Fran has or not"
You haven't told him!" Grace was
speechless. You knew 1t. and haven't
told him? What ought l to do?"
You ought to keep your PROMISE"
Abbott retorted hotly.
alone, telling peoples fortunes by
cards. Professor Ashton
Mrs. Gregory" Grace exclaimed, with
one of those flashes of inspiration Pc
culiar to her sex. that Fran is show
grill"
Mrs. Gregory rose, and spoke
through her mothers ear-trumpet:
Shall we go home, now?"
THAT Fran" repeated Grace, "is q
show-girl! She is eighteen or nineteen
years old, and she is a show-girl,"
Wouldn't It be best for you to ask
her."
ASK her? Her? No, I ask you'll"
Let me push the chair" said Abb
bott, stepping to Mrs. Gregory's side.
He read in the troubled face that she.
had known this secret. also.
The secretary gazed at him with
faraway look. hardly conscious that
he was beating retreat, so absorbed
was she in this revelation. 1t would be
necessary for some one to go to
Springfield to make investigations.
Grace had for ever alienated Abbott
Ashton, but there was always Robert
Clinton. He would obey her every
wish; Robert Clinton should go. And
when Robert had returned with full
history of Hamilton Gregory's school
days at Springfield. and those of Greg
ory's intimate friends, Fran, with the
proofs of her conspiracy spread before
her. should be driven forth. never
again to darken the home OF the phil.
anthropist