Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-12-12

"My Unfortunate chIid-My Daughter
oh, Why Were You Born"
listen to me-" he said impressively.
Weigh my words-have you scales
strong enough?"
"Put 'em on slow and careful"
81 am not Mr.. Chameleon for I show
my true color. And I am a real friend,
NJ matter what kind of tree I am
He paused, cropping for a word.
"Up?" she suggested, with a sudden
chuckle. "Ali right-let the school.
board come. But you don't seem sur
prised to see me here in the buggy
without Mr.. Simon"
when Mr.. Simon comes he'll find
me right here" Abbott declared,
Fran, please don't be always showing
your worst side to the town; when
you laugh at peoples standards, they
think you queer-and you can't mag
inc just how much you are to me-"
HUH" Fran shifted. I'D hate to
be anybody's friend and have my
friendship as little use as yours has
been to me-"
He was deeply wounded. "I've tried
to give good advice"
Il don't need advice, / want help in
carrying out what l already know"
Her voice vibrated. you're afraid of
losing your position If you have any
thing to do with me. OF course I'm
queer. Can l help 1t, when l have
no real home, and nobody cares
whether I go or stay?"
"You know | care, Fran"
Fran caught her lip between her
teeth as If to hold herself steady. "Oh,
let's drive" she said recklessly, strik-
ing at the dashboard with a whip, and
shaking her hair about her face till
she looked the elfsh child he had first
known.
Fran, you know I care-you know
it."
Wen drive into Sure-Enough
Country" she said with a half-smile
showing on the side of her face next
him. whoa! Here we are. All who
live In Sure-Enough Country are sure
enough people-whatever they say is
true. Goodnessi" She opened her
eyes very wide-"It's awful dangerous
to talk in Sure-Enough Country" She
put up her whip, and folded her
hands.
I'm glad we're here, Fran, for you
have your friendly look"
That's because l really do like you.
Let's talk about yourself-how you ex.
pect to be what you'll be-you're moth
ing yet, o know, Abbott; but how
did you come to determine to be some
thing?"
Into Abbotts smile stole something
tender and sacred. "It was all my
mother" he explained simply. "She
died before I received my state GER
t~ifcate, but she thought I'd be a great
man-so | am trying for it."
"And she'll never know" Fran
lamented.
She slipped her hand into his.
Didn't | have a mother? Oh, these
mothers! And who can make mother
wishes come true? Well! And you
just studied with all your might: and
you'll keep on and on, till you're
out of my reach, of course. Which
would have suited your mother, too"
Sne her hand.
MY mother would have loved YOU"
he declared, for he did not understand,
SO well as Fran, about mothers liking
for strange young ladies who train
lions.
Mine would you." Fran asserted,
with more reason.
Abbott, conscious Of a dreadful emp
tiness. took Fran's hand again. 'T1l
never be out of your reach, Fran"
She did not seek to draw away, but
said, with dark meaning, Remember
the bridge at midnight"
Il remember how you looked, with
the moonlight ~silvering your face-you
were just beautiful that night, little
Nonpareil."
my chin is SO sharp" she muir
INJURED.
"Yes," be said, softly feeling the
warm little fingers, one by one, as If
to make sure all were there. That's
the way I like it-sharp."
"And I'm SO ridiculously thin"
You're nothing like so thin as
when you first came to Lttleburg,"
he declared. I've noticed how you
are-have been-I mean
Filling out?" cried Fran gIeefully.
"Oh, yes, and I'm SO glad you know,
because since I've been wearing long
dresses, I've been afraid you'd never
find 1t out, and would always be think
ing of me as you saw me at the be-
ginning. But I am-yes-hlling out"
And our little feet, Fran"
Yes. I always had a small foot
But let's get off of this subject"