The Washington herald., 1913-04-06
JOHN BRECKENRIDGE ELLIS
She is Fran's guardian. ! ask you to

She is Fran's guardian. I 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"
II was taking walk to rest my
mind" Abbott said slowly, proceed
ing as if he would have liked to fight
his ground inch by inch, and it was
rather late. was strolling about Lit
tleburg. Yesterday was pretty hard
day, getting ready for commencement
my mind was tired out"
did you get your mind rested?'
Grace permitted herself the slight re-
Taxation of a sarcasm
"Yes At last | found myself at the
new bridge that leads to the camp
meeting grounds, when ahead of me,
I there was-I saw Fran. ! was much
surprised to find her out there, alone"
Il can understand that" said Grace,
quietly ''for l should have been sur
prised myself"
Mrs. Gregory turned upon Grace.
LET him go onw she said, with fash
that petrihed the secretary.
when | came up to the bridge,
{ she was sitting there, with some cards
all alone She had some supersti-
| ton about irving fortunes on new
| bridge at midnight, and that explains
the lateness of the hour. So | per-
| suaded her to come home, and that
is all"
Mrs. Gregory breathed with relief
! what an ode 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 card to rep
resent herself, perhaps?"
81 have told you the story" said
Abbott, rising.
| THAT means she did. Then she
wanted to know if you and she would
Mrs. Gregory. j have always
felt that Fran has deceived US about
her age! She is Older than she pre-
tends to be-"
| 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 q
little girl, because she thought we
L taty he 4
!. we believed her 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 it, and haven
told him? What ought / to do?"
| "You ought to keep your promise,
| Abbott retorted holly
Sitting on that bridge at midnight
alone. telling peoples fortunes by
cards = Prof. Ashton-Mrs. Greg
Dry" Grace exclaimed. with one Of
those flashes of inspiration peculiar &c
her sex, "that Fran is show girl!'
| Abbott started. but said nothing.
| Mrs Gregory rose, and spoke
through her mothers ear trumpet
Shall we go home, now"
That Fran" REPEATED Grace, SIS {
show girl She is eighteen or nineteen
| years old, and she is a show girl"
Wouldn't it be best for you to ash
herr"
Ask her? Her? No, l ask your
| LET me push the chair" said Alb
bott, stepping to Mrs. Gregorys side
He read in the troubled face that she
had known this secret, also.
| The secretary gazed at him with q
| far-away look. hardly conscious thai
h; was beating retreat, so absorbed
was she in this revelation. Now, IN,
deed. it was certain that Fran, the girl
of eighteen or nineteen, Fran, the show
girl. was an imposter. Her age proved
that Mr. Gregory must have known her
father" when ne was attending col
lege in Springfield, whereas believing
her much younger, it had all the time
been taken for granted that they had
been companions in New York
1t would be necessary for some one
| to 60 to Springfield to make inveSti-
cations. Grace had forever alienated
| Abbott Ashton, but there was always
Robert Clinton He would obey her
every wish: Robert Clinton should 60
! And when Robert had returned with a
full story of Hamilton Gregory
school days at Springfield, and those OF
i Gregory's intimate friend Fran. with
| the proofs of her conspiracy spread
before her, should be driven forth
never again to darken the house of the
ITO IN q"