The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1913-11-12


This won't do." Fran exclaimed,
hiding her face. I'VE must get back
to Grace Noir Immediately"
"Oh. Fran, oh, no. pleased"
II won't please. While we're In
sure-Enoush Country, mean to tell
you the whole truth about Grace Noir."
The name seemed to settle the atmos.
phere-she could look at him, now.
Il want you to understand that
something Is going to happen-must
happen, just from the nature Of things.
and the nature Of wives and husbands
and tho other woman. Oh, YOU
needn't frown at me, I've seen you
look that other way at me, so I know
you, Abbott Ashton"
Fran! Then you know that +"
mo, you must listen. You've moth.
Ing important to tell me that I don't
know. I've found out the whole Greg.
ory history from old Mrs. Jefferson.
without her knowing that she was tell.
Ing anything-she's q sort of 'Profes.
sor Ashton in my hands-and mean
to tell you that history. You know
that, for about .hree years, Mrs. Greg.
oiy hasn't gone to church."
You must admit that it doesn't ap-
pear we'll"
admit 1t? Yes, Of course must
And the world cares for appearances,
and not for the truth. That's why II
condemns Mrs. Gregory-and me-and
that's why I'm afraid the school.board
Will condemn you: just on account of
appearances. For these past three
years, the church has meant to Mrs.
Gregory a building plus Grace Noir.
don't mean that Mrs. Gregory got
jealous OF Grace Noir-I don't know
how to explain-you can't handle cob.
webs without marring them" She
paused.
Jealous Of Miss Grace!" exclaimed
Abbott reprovingly.
Let's 90 back, and take a running
Jump right into the thick Of 1t. When
Mr. Gregory came to Lttleburg. a COM
piete stranger-and when he mar.
ried, she was a devoted church.mem.
Der-always went, and took great in.
terest in all his schemes to help folks
-folks at a distance. you understand
. She just devoured that relig.
iou1 magazine he edits-yes, I'll ad.
NIT, his religion shows up beautifully
in print; the lectures of it are good,
too. Old Mrs. Jefferson took pride
In being wheeled to church where she
could see her son.in.law leading the
music. and where she'd watch every
gesture OF the minister and catch the
sound OF his voice at the high places,
where he cried and, or nevertheless.
Sometimes Mrs. Jefferson could get O.
1ozen ands and butts out OF one dis.
course. Then comes your Grace Noir."
Abbott listened with absorbed atten.
ton. 1t was impossible not to be in
fiuenced by the voice that had grown
to mean so much to him.
Grace Noir Is a person that's su-
perhumanly good, but she's not happy
In her goodness; it hurts her. all the
time, because other folks are not as
good as she. You can't live in the
house with her without wishing she'd
make q mistake to show herself hu.
man, but she never does, she's always
right. She's SO fixed on being a mar.
tyr. that il nobody crosses her. she
Just makes herself martyr out of
the shortcomings Of others"
AS for instance"
AS for instance, she suffered mar.
tyrdom every time Mrs. Gregory
nestled in an armchair beside the coxy
hearth, when Ladies' Aid, or a Rally
was beating It's way through snow.
drifts to the Walnut Street church. Mr..
Gregory was like everybody else
about Grace-he took her at her own
value. and that gave the equation: to
him, religion meant Walnut Street
church plus Grace Noir. For a while
Mrs. Gregory chung to church.going
with grim determination, but it wasn't
any use. The Sunday-school would
have button contests. or the Ladies'
Aid would give chicken pie dinners
downtown. and Mrs. Gregory would
be red button or blue button. and
she would have her pie; but she was
always third-in her home, or at
church. she was the third. It 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 turned-up light at a
seance. Mr.. Gregory was appalled, be-
cause his wife quit attending church.
Grace sympathized in his sorrow. II
made him feel toward Grace Noir-
but I'm up against stone wall. Alb
bott, haven't the word to describe
his feeling, maybe there isn't any.
Fran Nonpareil! Such wisdom
terrlnes 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 necessar rily be producing vat