Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1913-06-27

church, she was the third. 1t was her
husband and his secretary that under.
stood the Lord. Somehow she seemed
to disturb conditions, merely by being
present"
Fran. you do not realize that your
words-they intimate"
"She disturbed conditions. Abbott.
She was like a turned-up light at a
seance. Mr.. Gregory was appalled, be-
cause his wife quit attending church.
Grace sympathized in his sorrow 1t
made him feel toward Grace Noir-
but I'm up against a stone wall. Alb
bott, l haven't the word to describe
! his feeling. maybe there isn't any.
Fran Nonpareil! Such wisdom
terrifes me such suspicions!"
In this moment of hesitancy between
conviction and rejection, Abbott felt
oddly out of harmony with his little
friend. She realized the effect she
must necessarily be producing, yet
she must continue; she had counted
the cost and the danger. If she did
not convince him, his thought of her
could never be the same
Abbott, you may think / am talk
ing from jealousy, and that l tried to
get rid of Grace Noir so / could better
my condition at her expense. | don't
know how to make you see that my
story is true. It tells itself. Oughtn't
that to prove it? Mrs. Gregory has
the doves nature; she'd let the enemy
have the spoils rather than come to
blows. She lets him take his choice
here is she, yonder's the secretary.
He isn't Worthy of her If he chooses
Grace-but his hesitation has proved
him unworthy, anyhow. The old lady
her mother-is a fighter; she'd have
driven out the secretary long ago. But
Mrs. Gregory's idea seems to be-If
he can want her, sfter I've given him
myself, I'll not make movement to
interfere"
Abbott played delicately with the
mere husk Of this astounding revelar
ton Have you talked with old Mrs.
Jefferson about-about it?'
She's too proud-wouldn't admit It
But I've shyly limited however,
It's not the sort of story you could
pour through the funnel of an ear
trumpet without getting wheat mixed
with chaff. Shed MISUNDERSTANDING
neighbors would get 1t first-anyway
she wouldn't make move because her
daughter won't. It's you and /, Alb
bolt, against Grace and Mr.. Gregory"
He murmured, looking away, You
take me for granted, Fran"
Yes" Fran's reply was almost a
whisper. A sudden terror of what he
might think of her. smote her heart
But she repeated bravely, "Yes!"
He turned, and she saw In his eyes
a confiding trust that seemed to
hedge her soul about And you can
always take me for granted. Fran; and
always is a long time"
Not too long for you and me-" said
Fran. looking at him breathlessly.
81 may have felt" he said, "for some
time, in a vague way, what you have
told me. OF course 1t is evident that
he prefers Miss Noir's society. But l
have always thought-or hoped-or
wanted to feel. that 1t was only the
common tie of religion"
at was not the truth that you
chung to- Abbott, but appearances. AS
for me, let truth kill rather than live
as sham. If Grace Noir stays. the
worst is going to happen. She may
not know how far she's going. He
may not suspect he's doing wrong
People can make anything they want
seem right in their own eyes. But I've
found out that wickedness isn't sta
tionary, it's got sort of perpetual
motion. If we don't drive Grace away,
the crash will come"
''Fran-how you must love Mrs.
Gregory"
"She breaks my heart"
Dear faithful Franz What can we
DOL say we, Fran. observe"
"Oh, you Abbott Ashton Just
what / thought you! No. no, you
mustn't interrupt I'll manage Grace
Noir. if you'll manage Bob Clinton"
Where does Bob Clinton come in ?"
Grace is trying to open a door SO
he can come in. / mean a secret in
Mr.. Gregory's past She suspects that
there's a secret in his past. and she
intends to send Bob to Springfield
where Mr.. Gregory left that secret.
Bob will bring it to Littleburg. He'll
hand it over to Grace, and then she'll
have Mr.. Gregory in her power
there1l be no getting her hands on
him, after that"
Surely you don't mean that Mr..
Gregory did wrong when he was
young, and that Miss Noir suspects
t?"
Bob VIII bring home the secret
and it will kill Mrs. Gregory. Abbott
and Grace will go of with him
know how it'll end"
What Is this secret?"
~You are never to know. Abbott"
Very well-so be 1t. But l don't
believe Mr.. Gregory ever did very
wrong-he Is too good a man."
Isn't he daily breaking his wife's
heart?" retorted Fran with a curl Of
the lip. 81 call that murder"
But still!-But ! cant think he
realizes IT."
Then" said Fran satirically. we'll
Just call 1t manslaughter. When
think of his wife's meek patient face
don't you recall that look in her
eyes of the wounded deer-and the
thousands of times you've seen those
two together, at church. on the street,
In the hbrary-everywheEe +.
seeing only each other. leaning closer.
smiling deeper-as IL doing good
meant getting close-Oh. Abbott, you
know what / mean-don't you, don't
yous"
"Yesi" cried Abbott sharply. Fran,
you are right. have been-aI of US