Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-01-01

Robert. What business can you have
with me that wouldn't wait till morn
ing? Look here, I'm desperate"
so am l." retorted Abbott. Bob,
you've been to Springfield"
Robert Clinton snatched open the
yard-gate, muttering, That's my buzz
ness"
Miss Noir sent you to unearth a
secret" i aa
"Oh!" exclaimed Robert. in an al.
tered tone, stopping in the gateway,
did she tell you about it,"
"No-but you've brought back that
secret. and you must not tell 1t to
Miss Noir."
mot tell her? That's funny!" Rob-
ert produced q sound which he Expect
ed to pass as laughter. $50 that's
what you wanted to tell me, is 1t? Do
you know what the secret is ?"
II do not. But you mustn't tell 1t"
However, that's what I'm going to
do, as soon as / reach that door
take your hand off, man, my blood's
up, by George! Can't you see my
blood's up? It's a-boiling, that's what
it's doing! So all you want liz to
ask me not to tell that secret?"
mot exactly ALL" e# sd lf /,
"Well, well-quick! What else?"ey
TO e that you don't tell it,"
How do you mea to 'see' that 1
don't tell it,"
you will listen to reason, Bob"
said Abbott persuasively.
mo, l won't!" cried Robert. Not
me! No. sir! I'm going to tell this
minute"
"You shall mott" said Abbott, in a
lower and more compelling tone. His
manner was SO absolute, that Robert
Clinton, who had forced his way al
most to the porch-steps, was slightly
moved.
See here, Abbott-say! Fran knows
all about it, and you pretend to think
a good deal Of her. Well, it's to her
interests for the whole affair to be
laid open to the world" sga
u think so much of Fran" was the
low and earnest rejoinder, "that If I
were better fixed, I'd ask her to marry
me without a moments delay. And l
think enough Of her, not to ask her
to marry me, until I have a good po-
%sition. Now it was Fran who asked
me to see that you didn't betray the
secret. And ! think SO much of her,
that I'm going to see that you don't!"
For a moment Clinton was silent;
then he said in desperation: Where
is your nice dark alley? Come on,
then, let's get in It'll"
When they were safe from Interrupt
ton, Clinton resumed: you tell me
that Fran wants that secret kept? I'd
think she'd want it told everywhere.
This secret is nothing at all but the
wrong that was done Fran and her
mother. And since you are so frank
about how you like Fran, I'll follow
suit and say that / have asked Grace
Noir to marry me, and l know I'll
stand a better show by getting her
out of the hypnotic spell of that mis-
cradle s%coundrel who poses as a bleat.
ing sheep"
Abbott interrupted: "The wrong
done Fran? How do you mean?"
why. man, that-that hypocrlte in
wool, that weed that infests the
ground, that"
"In short, Mr.. Gregory? But what
about the wrong done Franz"
"Ain't l telling you? That worm
eaten pillar Of the church that's made
ME lose SO much faith in religion that
! amt got enough left worth the post
age stamp to mail 1t back to the re.
vival meeting where it came from"
For heavens sake, Bob, tell me
what wrong Mr.. Gregory did Franz"
Didn't he marry Fran's mother
he was,a college chap in Spring
field, and then desert her? Didn't he
marry again, although his first WIFE
mother--was living, and hadn't
been divorced? Don't he refuse to ac-
knowledge Fran as his daughter, max
ing her pass herself off as the daugh-
ter Of some old college chum7 That's
what he did, your c~hoirleader! I'd
like to see that baton of his laid over
his back; I'd like to lay it, myself"
.ur@ ~,