Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-10-16


cept religion. When he wasn't al
church-he went most all the time
he was reading about II. 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"
Il thought you said," Grace inter
rupted. that they we're in New York
did your" 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. My mother waited and
waited-and / was born-and then
Uncle Ephraim drove mother out OF
his house with her tiny baby-that's
me-and I grew to be--as old as you
see mt now. We were always hunt.
ing father. We went all over the
United States, first and last-it looked
like the son of a 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 If he'd been alive he'd have
come for her, because she loved him
with all her soul, and wrecked her
whole life because of him. She was
happiest when she thought he was
dead. so l wouldn't say anything, but
| was sure he was alive, all right, as
big and strong as you please. Oh, |
know his kind. I've had lots Of expe-
rience."
$50 I'd suppose" said Grace Noir
quietly. May l ask-if you don't
mind-if this travelling about the Unit
ed States didn't take a great deal of
money!"
"Oh, we had all the money we want
ed" Fran returned easily.
Indeed? And did you become rec
onciled to your mothers uncle?"
"Yes-after he was dead. He didn't
leave a will, and there wasn't anybody
else, and as mother had just been
taken from me, the money just natu-
rally came in my hands. But / didn't
need 1t, particularly"
"But before that" Grace persisted;
before, when your mother was first
disinherited, how could she make her
living?"
Mother was like me. She didn't
stand around folding her hands and
crossing her feet-she used 'em. Bless
you, 1 could get along wherever you'd
drop me. Success isn't in the world,
it's in me, and that's a good thing to
know-it saves hunting"
"Do you consider yourself a sue
cess'?" inquired the secretary with a
chilly smile.
Il had everything ! wanted except
a home" Fran responded with charm
ing good-humor, "and now I've got
that. In a New York paper, l found a
picture Of Hamilton Gregory, and it
told about all his charities. 1t said
he had millions, and was giving away
everything. l said to myself, I'll go
there and have him give me a home
you see, I'd often heard mother speak
of him-and l said other things to
myself-and then, as l generally do
what I tell myself to dot keeps up
confidence in the general manager-I
came"
Dear child" said Mrs. Gregory,
stroking her hair, your mother dead,
your father-that kind of a man-you
shall indeed find a home with us, for
life. And so your father was Mr..
Gregory's friend. 1t seems-strange."
my. father" said Fran, looking at
Mr.. Gregory in%scrutably, was the best
friend you ever had, wasn't he? You
loved him better than anybody else in
the world, didn't you?"
"I-I-yes," the other stammered,
looking at her wildly, and passing his
agitated hand across his eyes, as II
to shut out some terrible vision, yes,
IL was-eT-fond of-him."
81 guess you were," Fran cried EN-
phatically You'd have done any,
thing for him"
Il have this to say" remarked 81.
mon Jefferson, that / may not come
up to the mark in all particulars, and
| reckon have my weaknesses; but
I wouldn't own a friend that proved
himself the miserable scoundrel. the
weak cur, that this child's father
proved himself!"