Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1913-10-23

trumpet, Il believe Fran has given
brother a fresh interest in life"
Old Mrs. Jefferson beamed upon
Fran and added her commentator:
She pushes me when l want To be
pushed, and pulls me when l want to
be pulled"
Fran clapped her hands like a child,
indeed. "Oh, what a gay old world"
she cC1eA. '%Shere are so many people
in 1t that like me-" She danced before
the old lady, then wheeled about with
such energy that her skirts threat
ened to level to the breeze.
Don't, don't!" cried Mrs. Gregory
precipitately. "Fran!"
"Bravo!" shouted Simon Jefferson.
"Encore!"
Fran widened her fingers to push
down the rebellious dress. IF l don't
put leads on me-" she said with con-
triton, "Ill be floating away. When
| feel good, l always want to do some
thing wrong-it's awfully dangerous
for a person to feel good, l guess. Mrs.
Gregory, you say l can belong to you
when l think about that, l want to
dance. l 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
mo rIu utNrnAanq GT rnIrc%nBk xrh1N
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 eve surrounded by i sea
of Indifference; there was not a sail
in sight. cit is a 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 a touch of
the angelic. II should call 1t impos-
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 1t, absolute
ly. She Is the daughter Of one who
was my most-my most intimate
friend"
Grace repeated with delicate pa-
~proof-"Your intimate friend!"
II know 1t was wrong for him to de-
sert his wife,"
"Wrong!" How inadequate seemed
that word from her pure Rps!
But" he faltered, I'VE must make
allowances. My friend married Fran's
mother in secret because she was ut.
tsrly worldly-frivolouS>-a butterfly.
Her WI uncle was Snsisle 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 1t. don't excuse him for e o
ing away to Europe"
i am glad you don't. He was no