The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-10-17
"Bravo!" shouted Simon Jefferson

put leads on me-" she said with con-
triton, IN be floating away. When
feel good. always want to do some
thing Wrong--it's awfully dangerous
for person to feel good, guess. Mrs.
Gregory, you say can belong to you
when / think about that, want to
dance. guess you hardly
know what it means for Fran to be-
long to a person. You're going to find
out. Come on" she shouted to Mrs.
Jefferson, without using the trumpet
always a subtle compliment to those
nearly stone-deaf, Il mustn't wheel
myself about, SO I'm going to wheel
you"
AS she passed with her charge into
the garden. her mind was busy with
thoughts Of Grace Noir. Belonging to
Mrs. Gregory naturally suggested get
ting rid of the secretary 1t would
be exceedingly difficult. But two
months ought to settle her." Fran
unused
In the meantime, Grace Noir and
Gregory sat in the library, silently
turning out an immense amount of
work, feeding the hungry and consol-
ing the weak with stroke of pen and
click of typewriter.
About this case, number one hun
dred forty-three," Grace said, looking
up from her work as copyist, the
girl whose father wouldn't acknowl-
edge her
Write to the matron to give her
good clothing and good schooling" He
spoke softly. There prevailed an at
mosphere of subtle tenderness; on
this island-the library-blossomed
love of mankind and devotion to lofty
ideals. These two mariners found
themselves ever surrounded by sea
of indifference; there was not sail
in sight. at is sad case" he MUIR
INJURED.
"You think number one hundred
forty-three a sad case?" she repeated,
always, when possible, building her
next step out of the material furnished
by her companion. ''But suppose she
is an impostor. He says she's not his
daughter, this number one hundred
forty-three. Maybe she isn't. Would
you call her conduct sad?"
Gregory took exquisite pleasure in
arguing with Grace, because her Sc
rene assumption of being in the right
gave to her beautiful face touch of
the angelic. II should call it impos-
sible."
Impossible? Do you think it's i'm
possible that Fran's deceiVing you?
How can you know that she is the
daughter Of your friend?"
He grew pale. Oh, if he could have
denied Fran-if he could have joined
Grace in declaring her an impostor!
But she possessed proofs SO irrefutable
that safety lay in admitting her claim,
lest she prove more than he had al
ready admitted. Il know it, absolute
". She is the daughter of one who
was my most-my most intimate
| friend"
Grace repeated with delicate re
uroof-"Your intimate friend!"
81 know it was wrong for him to de-
sert his wife"
"Wrong!" How inadequate seemed
that word from her pure lips!
But" he faltered, I'VE must make
allowances. My friend married Frans
mother in secret because she was ut.
terly neutrality-suspicious. butterfly
Her own uncle was unable to control
her-to make her go to church. Soon
after the marriage he found, out his
mistake-it broke his heart, the trag
edy of it. don't excuse him for go
| ing away to Europe"
81 am glad you don't. He was nc
true man, but a weakling. | am GLAD
have never been thrown with sucf
IA degenerate" !.
But. Miss Grace" he urged PLEAD
ingly, "do you think my friend, wher
he went back to find her and she was
gone-do you think he should nave
kept on hunting? Do you think, Grace
that he should have remained yokee
to AN unbelieyer, after he realized hi'
folly?"
There was heavenly compassion II
her eyes, for suddenly she had di
yined his purpose in, defending fran
| father. He was thinking of his owl
| wife, and of his wife's mother ant
brother-how they had ceased to SHOW
sympathy in what he regarded as tn
| essentials of life. Her silence suggest
cd that as she could not speak withou
| casting reflection upon Mrs, Gregory
| she would say nothing, and this tao
was grateful to his grieVed heart.
81 have been thinking OF something
very strange" Grace said. with
marked effort to avoid the issue les
she commit the indiscretion of blam
! Ing her employers wife. Il remem
! Der having heard you say that whel
YOU we're young man, you left you
fathers home to live with a cousin Il