The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-04-13

Did an ambuscade await her? But i'm.
possIble-no. train returned from ths
city until nine in the evening, and il
| was now only three in the afternoon
Six hours of clear field.
She found the ptilanthropist i'm.
! mersed in day dreams SO deep was
| he below the surface Of everyday
| thoughts, that he might be likened tc
| a man walking on the floor of the
sea. The thought of the good hi.
| money and influence were accomplish
| ing. thrilled his soul. while through the
! refined ether of this pious JOY appear
ed the loneliness of Grace. Noir, lend.
ing something like. spiritual sensuous.
ness to his vision of duty
He did not want the applause oil
the general public any more than he
wanted his past unearthed 1t wa:
enough if his philanthropy was known
to God and Grace Noir She stood. tc
his mind, as symbol of religion
there can be no harm in reverencine
symbols.
Fran's eyes drew him abruptly from
the bottom of the sea. He emerged
chilled and trembling.
Fran" he said, as if she had APP
pcared IN answer to summons, i
am unhappy about you. Your deter
mination to have nothing to- do with
the church not only dstresses, but EN-
harnesses me. You have insisted or
coming into my life. Then why dc
you disgrace il? You pretend that you
want to be liked by us, yet YOU play
cards with strangers at night-lt's out
rageous. You even threw card in
my yard where a card was never seen
before"
DO you think cards SO very wick
ed?' asked Fran, looking at him Curl
ously.
You know what | think | look
on gambling as immoral But It ought
to be enough for me simply to forbid
it. Cards, and dancing and the the
ater-these things are what destroy
the influence of the church"
And not going to the meeting
house remarked Fran, with quiet
irony-"that's perfectly dreadful"
She closed the door. and placed her
back against it. A shake of her head
seemed to throw aside what they had
been saving as of no more importance
than the waving tresses of black hair.
She looked him in the eyes, and said
abruptly:
Il want to be your secretary"
Hamilton sripped his chair. He
found the air hard to. breathe after
his submarine inaction--doubtlcss he
had stayed under too long. Il have a
secretary" he retorted, looking at her
resentfully. He checked words he
would have liked to utter, on rejecting
that his secret was in Fran's keeping.
She need but declare if, and his pic
ture would blossom forth in all the
papers of the big cities. How Grace
would shrink from him, if she knew
the truth-how that magnificent figure
would turn its back upon him-and
those scornful, imperious, nevcr-falter-
ing eyes -
Fran drew nearer. She seated her
self upon the arm of chair. one foot
on the floor. and spoke with restrained
intensity: "Tm we'll enough educated.
| can take dictation and make good
copy"
He allowed his tone to sound de-
fance-'I already have secretary"
Fran continued with an effort,
Mother didn't like studying, very
we'll, but she was determined to get
me out of the condition | was born
in; she taught me all she knew. When
| caught up. she'd go digging ahead on
her own account to pull me a little
higher. Wasn't she splendid! So pa
tent" Fran paused, and stared
straight before her, straight into the
memory of her mothers eyes.
Gregory rehected-"If this child had
not come, had not intruded herself
upon my life: Haven't | suffered
enough for my follies?"
when mother died. Fran resumed,
she thought maybe Uncle Ephraim
had mellowed, SO I went to him. be-
cause l thought ] couldn't get along
without love" She shook her head.
with pathetic little smile But |
could Uncle Ephraim didn't mellow,
he dried up He blamed me for being
born-I think, myself, it was mis-
take He turned me out. but | was
so tough | just couldn't be winter