Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-01-22

knoW everything. tran-lS my own
daughter"
She gave no sign save a sudden
compression of the mouth; neverthe-
less, her surprise was extreme. Her
mind flashed along the wires of the
past and returned illuminated to the
present ENHANCEMENT.
He thought her merely stunned, and
burst forth: a tell you, Fran is my
child. Now you know why I'm com-
PEELED to do what she wants. That's
the secret Bob brought from Spring.
field. That's the secret Abbott Ash
ton hung over my head-the traitor!
after I'd b%efriended him! All Of my
ungrateful friends have ~conspired to
ruin me, to force you from me by this
secret. But you know it now, and I've
escaped its danger. You know It'll"
And does your wife know"
Would l tell her, and not tell you?
It's you I've tried to shield. / married
Josephine Derry, and Fran is our
child. You know Fran. Well, her
mother was just like her-frivolous,
caring only for things of the world
irreligious. And l was just a boy-a
mere college youth. When | realized
the awful mistake I'd made, ! thought
it best to go away and let her live her
own life. Years after, l put all that
behind me, and came to Littleburg.
l married Mrs. Gregory and | wanted
to put all my past life a~way--clear
away-and live a good open life. Then
you came. Then found out I'd eve
known what love meant. 1t means a
fellowship of souls, love does; 1t has
nothing 10 do with the physical nan
1t means just your soul and mine. 4.
and it's too late!"
Grace, with hands locked upon her
open ledger, stared straight before
her, as if turned to stone. The little
fenced-in box, hanging high above ca
ger shoppers, was as a peaceful haven
in a storm of raging noises. From
without, gusts of merriment shrieked
and whistled, while above them
doomed the raucous cries of showmen,
drowned in their turn by the indie
fatigable Grassland. The atmosphere
of the bookkeeper's loft was a wedge
of silence. splitting a solidarity of tu-
multi.
Gregory covered his face with his
hands. DO you despise me, you pure
angel of beauty? Oh, say you don't
utterly despise me. I've not breathed
this secret to any living soul but you,
you whom | love with the madness of
despair. My heart is broken. Tell
me what can do"
At last Grace spoke in a thin tone:
Where is that woman"
"Fran's mother?"
She did not reply; he ought to know
whom she meant.
"She died a few years ago-but |
thought her dead when | married Mrs.
Gregory. | didn't meal any wrong
to my wife, | wanted everything legal,
and supposed it was | thought every
thing was all right until that awful
night-when Fran came. There'd been
no divorce, so Fran kept the secret
not on my account, oh, no, no, not on
her fathers account! She gave me
no consideration. 1t was on account
of Mrs. Gregory"
(which Mrs. GregoryT
you know-Mrs. Gregory"
Can | believe that" Grace asked,
with a chilled smile. you believe
Fran really cares for your wife? You
think any daughter could care for the
woman who has stolen her mothers
rightful placer"
But Fran won't have the truth de-
clared; if it weren't for her, Bob would
have told you long ago"
Suppose l were in Fran's place
would | have kept the secret to spare
man or woman? No! Fran doesn't
care a penny for your wife. She
couldn't. 1t would be monstrous-un.
natural. But she's always hated me
That's why she acts as she does--tc
triumph over me. | see it all. That
is the reason she won't have the truth
declared-she doesn't want me to
know that you are-are free"
Grace started up from the desk, hel
face deathly white. She was totter
ing, but when Gregory would have
leaped TO her side, she whispered
"They would see u.s." Suddenly hel
face became crimson. He caught his
breath, speechless before her imperia
loveliness.