The Washington herald., 1913-04-06

lieye he will think he ought to keep
her longer, even if she does claim to
be his friends daughter"
'But you tell US" Mrs. Gregory
interposed swiftly, shat she said she
hadn't been playing cards"
"She said" Grace echoed unpleas-
antly, "she said"
THAT card you found" began Alb
bott guilty, was the King OF
Hearts?" Possibly he had dropped it
from his pocket when leaning over the
gate to- But why had he leaned
over the gate?
Grace coldly answered, 81 do not
know one card from another"
LET me try to describe it"
Il hope you cannot describe the card
found" said Grace, the presentiment
that she was on the eve of discoveries
giving her eyes starlike directness.
Abbott felt himself squirming under
the heel of higher order of being.
Il suspect | dropped that card over
the fence" he confessed, "for / had
the King of Hearts, and last night
about that time | was standing at the
"Oh," Grace exclaimed, disagreeably
surprised, 81 did not know that YOU
play cards, Prof. Ashton. Do you also
attend the dances? had always
thought of you as one of the most
faithful members of the Walnut Street
Church-one who is always there, wher
you can come-not like some members
whose names are on the book. Surely
you haven't been dancing and playing
cards very long2"
Not for a great while" responded
Abbott, with the obstinacy of a good
conscience wrongfuly accused.
The secretary no longer held him
under her foot-the last icicle-prick OF
her tongue had liberated him.
"0nly since Fran came, l am sure
she said, feeling him escaping. She
looked at him with something like
scorn. inspired by righteous indigna
ton that such as he could be influ
enced by Fran. That look wrought
havoc with the halo he had so long
blinked at. as it swung above her head
Does that mean" he inquired, with
steady look that you imagine Frar
has led me into bad habits ?"
Il trust the habits are not fixed.
rather contemptuously Il hardly thinl
you mean to desert the church, ane
lose your position at school, for tn.
sake of-of that Fran"
Il hardly think so, either" returned
Abbott. "And now I'd better go tc
my school work"
Fran is i1nprudent," said Mrs
Gregory, in distress, but her heart il
pure gold. / don't know what all thi
means. but when l have had tall
with her"
Don't go. Prof. Ashton" interposet
Grace. as he started up, until you ad
wise me. Shall tell Mr.. Gregory
Or shall l conceal it on the assurance
that it will never happen again."
Abbott seated himself with sudder
persuasiveness. Conceal it, Miss Grace
conceal it, he urged.
IF you will frankly explain wha
happened-here before Mrs. Gregory
so she can have the real truth, we viii
never betray the secret But if vol
cannot tell everything, l shall feel i
my duty don't know how Mrs
Gregory feels about it-but l mus
tell Mr. Gregory"
Il would rather wait" said Mrs
Gregory, and talk to Fran. She will
promise me anything. 1 trust you
Abbott; | know you would never leat
my little girl into wrongdoing. Sh
is wild and unframed, and l suspec
you were trying to help her last night
Leave it all to me. l will have a gooc
talk with Fran"
And said Abbott eagerly, eff WI
both solemnly promise"
Grace bit her lips. His eve" con
demned him.
Il don't ask you to hide the affair
on my account" he said, holding III
his head. Il don't want Fran put il
an unjust light She isn't to b,
judged like other people"
oh" murmured Grace, then yo,
think there is more than one stand
ard of right | don't. There's on,
God and one Right. No, cannot con
sent; what might satisfy Mrs. Greg
DRY might not seem best to me. No
professor, if you feel that you canno
explain what l saw, last night, | shall
feel obliged to tell Mr. Gregory a
soon as the choir practice ends"
Didn't Fran refuse to tell?" Abbot
temporized
YES" was the skillful response
''but her reticence must have been t.
save you. for the girl never seem
ashamed of anything she does. l i'm
agine she hated to get you into trou
BILE"
Miss Grace. you have heard Mrs
Gregory say that she trusts me-ane