Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-12-05
wouIdnI strain a muscle

secretary must be in sympathy with
my work. To exercise such talents as
I have, is my religion. and I need a
helper whose eyes are fixed upon the
higher life. This is final, and the sub
ject must never be reopened. / find
1t very painful"
Fran's discovery that he had not
heard her plea, crimsoned her face.
She jumped from the armchair,
breathing rapidly. "Then." she cried.
IF you won't have me. get another.
The one you have must 60"
"She shall do nothing of the sort"
he coldly responded.
eyes," Fran retorted violently, 81
tell you she must go!"
He struck the table with his palm.
"Neverl"
"Shall l use my last ~resourcef'
Fran's eyes cleaned ominously.
The hand upon the table became a
fist. That was his only reply.
II would entreat you," said Fran,
faltering, land with tears-but what
good would 1t do? None. There's no
use for one to weep If another
woman is smiling. Dismiss your Sec
rotary"
He leaned toward her from over the
table, and spoke in a low, level tone:
II am going to appeal to your better
nature. Think of the girls of the
street who need rescue, and the WON.
en- of the cities who are dying from
neglect and vice. II you hinder my
work, let the souls of these outcasts
be upon your soul! You can ruin me,
but not without running my good
works. l don't ask you to keep silent
on my account-what am but an in
strument in the hands of Providence?
but for the sake of the homeless
thousands. have atoned for my past,
but the world, always ready to cruelty
the divine, would rejoice to point the
finger of scorn at me, as if l were still
the fool of twenty years ago."
"But your secretary
"She Is a vital factor in my work.
It would be impossible to replace her"
Fran made a step toward him-"My
mother was replaced"
He started up. "You shall not speak
of that. She lived her life, and 1
demand the right to live mine. l tell
you, the past is ended"
But | am here returned Fran.
II have net ended. Can't you look
into my face and see my mother liv-
ing? She paid for her secret mar
riage, wandering over the face of the
earth with her baby, trying to find
you. l don't deny that you've paid for
all-yes, even for your desertion and
your living a hidden life in this town.
Maybe you've suffered enough. But
that isn't the question. Look at me.
/ am here. / have come as truly out
of your past as out of the past of my
darling, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS did you
call her?-'friend.' And being here I
ask, What will you do with me?' All
I want is-just a little love-"
The long loneliness of her life found
expression in the eager voice, in the
y~earning eyes. AS he stared at her,
half-stupeied, he imagined she was
holding out her arms to him in plead
ing.
Fran thought. his covered face a to-
ken of weakening. "You must have
loved my mother once. Is 1t all SO
dead and forgotten that there is none
left for your child?"
But she was seeking to play upon
strings that had long since ceased to
vibrate. He could not bring back,
even in retrospect, the emotions in.
sp.red by josephine Derry. Those
strings had been tuned to other love-
| h n-oOni01 IT. E.~ D. 1911
er was to bring back not the rapture
of a first passion, but the garish days
of establishment. He could not tell
Fran that he had never loved her
mother. The dead must not be re-
preached; the living could not be de-
nied-so he was silent.
His silence inspired Fran with hope.
Il am SO lonely, SO lo~nely!" she muir
INJURED plaintively, 80 very lonely!
There seems a reason for everybody
but mel can't be explained. That's
why l am disliked. If there could be
one heart for me to claim-whose
heart should it be? Does no sort of
feeling tell you whose heart it should
be?"
"Of course you are lonely, child, but
that is your fault. You are in this
house on a footing of equality, and all
seem to like you, except Miss Grace
and l must say, her disapproval dis
turbs you very little. But you won't
adopt u ways. You make everybody
talk by your indiscreet behavior-then
wonder that the town shuns your So
ciety, and complain because you feel
lonesomei"
Fran's yes filled with tears. eff you
believe in me-if you try to like me-
that's all l ask. The whole town can
talk, If I have you. l don't care for
the world and it's street corners-there
are no street in my world"
"But, child"
"You lever call me Fran II you can
holn ~ - aha fn~fornoaod naacionafaIu