Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1913-11-07
CHAPTER TX.
SkIrmlshInu.

iran ulduo ~ uoidy III piaunlHB uer
campaign against Grace Noir. Now
that her position In Hamilton Greg
,ory's household was assured, she re-
solved to seek support from Abbott
Ashton. That is why. one afternoon,
Abbott met her in the lower hall of
the public school, after the other pu-
pills had gone, and supposed he was
meeting her by accident.
Good evening, Nonpareil," he said,
pleased that her name should have
come to him at once. His attentive
look found her different from the night
of their meeting; she had lost her elf
ish smile and with it the of
the unknown and unexpected. Vas it
because, at half-past four, ones charm
is at lowest ebb? The janitor was
sweeping down the hall stairs. The
very air was filled with dusty realism
Fran was no longer pretty; he had
thought
''Then you haven't forgotten me-"
murmured Fran.
NO" he answered, proud of the
fact. "You have made your home
with Mr.. Gregory. You are in Miss
Bulls classroom. | knew Mr.. Gregory
would befriend you-he's one of the
best men living. You should be very
happy there"
mo" said Fran, shaking her head
decidedly, mot happy"
He was rather glad the janitor was
sweeping them out of the house. You
must find it pretty hard" he remarked,
with covert reproach, ito keep from
being happy"
ut isn't at all hard for me-" Fran
assured him, as she paused on the
front steps. REALLY, it's easy to be
unhappy where Miss Grace Noir is"
1t happened that just then the name
Grace Noir was a sort of talisman
opening to the young mans vision the
interior of wonderful treasure-caves;
it was like crying "Sesame!" to the
very rocks, for though he was not
in love with Gregory's secretary, he
fancied the day of fate was not far
ahead.
He had no time to seek fair and ro-
mantle ladies. Five years ago, Grace
Noir had come from Chicago as If to
spare him the trouble of a search.
Fate seemed to thrust her between
his eyes and the pages of his text
books. Abbott never felt so unworthy
as when in her presence; an unerring
instinct seemed to have provided her
with an absolute standard of right and
wrong, and she was SO invariably right
that no human affection was worthy of
her unless refined eve times. Within
himself, Abbott discovered dross.
TRY to be a good girl, Fran" he
counseled. "Be good, and your asso-
citation with Miss Noir will prove the
happiest experience of your life."
BE good" she returned mockingIy,
"and you will be Miss Noir." Then
she twisted her mouth. "She makes
me feel like tearing up things. / don't
like her. / hoped you'd be on my
side"
He came down the steps gravely.
"She is my friend"
I'm a good deal like you," Fran
declared, following. II can like most
anything and anybody; but / can't go
that far. Well, / don't like Miss Noir
and she doesn't like me-isn't that
fair 2"
Examine yourself" he advised,
land find out what it Is in you that she
doesn't like; then get rid of what you
find"
Huh" Fran exclaimed, I'm going
to get rid of her, all right"
He saw the old elfsh smile now
when he least wanted to see it, for 1t
threatened the secretary, Knocked the
grave superintendent, and asserted the
girls right to like whom she pleased.
S~elf-respect and loyalty to Grace hast
ened Abbott's departure, leaving the
spirit of mockery to escape the jani-
tors broom as best it might.
Fran escaped, recognizing defeat;
but on her homeward way, she was
already preparing herself for the next
move. So intent was she in estimat-
ing the forces OF both sides, that she
gave no heed to the watchful faces
at cottage windows, she did not recog-
nize the ~infrequent passers-by, nor OBJ
serve the occasional buggies that
creaked along the rutted road. With
Grace stood. of course, Hamilton Greg
DRY; and. judging from Bob Clinton's