The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-01-24


edness-it evolved you, you, the Fran
of 'oday-the Fran Of this living
hour. And it's the Fran of this living
hour that | want to marry"
Fran covered her face with her
hands. For a while there was silence,
then she said:
Father was there. tonight.
AT the lion-show? Impossible! MI
Gregory go to a-a-to-a-
Yes, it is possible for him even to
go to a show But to do him justice,
he was forced under the tent, he had
no intention of doing anything so
wicked as that, he only meant 70 do
some little thing like running away
But no,.I can't speak of him with bit
terness, now. Abbott. he seems all
changed"
Abbott murmured, as If stupefied:
MIR. Gregory at show!"
YES, and lion-show. When IL was
over he came to me-he was 80 ex-
cited"
so was l." spoke up the other
''rather!"
You didn't show 1t. | thought
maybe you wouldn't care If had been
eaten I'D. No, no, listen. He
wanted to claim me-he called me
daughter right there before the peo-
pie, but they thought 1t was just sort
of-of church name. But he was won
derfully moved. | left the tent with
him, and we had a long talk came
from him to you. l never saw any
body so changed"
But why?"
You see, he thought | was going to
be killed right there before his eyes,
and seeing it with his very own eyes
made him feel responsible. He told
me. afterwards, that when he found
out who it was in the cage, he thought
of mother in a different wayne saw
how his desertion had driven her to
earning her living with showmen, so |
could be supported. All in all, he is a
changed man."
Then will he acknowledge you?-
but no. no
VI
Mrs. Gregory There's no future for
him, or for her, except to go on living
as man and wife-without the secre.
tary. He imagines it would be a sort
of reparation to present me to the
world as his daughter, he thinks IL
would give him happiness-but it can't
be. Grace Noir has found it all out
|
claimed. in dismay.
"She would have told but for one
thing. She doesn't dare, and it's on
her own account-of course. She has
been terribly-well, indiscreet. You
can't think of what lengths she was
willing to go-not from coldly making
I'D her mind, but because she lost grip
on herself, from always thinking she
couldn't So she went away with Bot
Clinton-she1l marry him, and they'll
60 to Chicago, out Of Littleburg his
tory-poor Bob! Remember the might
he was trying to get religion? In
afraid he'll conclude that religion
isn't what he thought 1t was, living 81
close to it from now on"
All this interests me greatly. dear
because it interests you. Still. !
doesn't bear upon the main question.
Abbott, you don't know why wen
to that show to act You thought
was caring for a sick friend. What d.
you think of such deceptions?
81 think l understand. Simon Jei
ferson told me of a girl falling from
trapeze; it was possibly La Confetti
daughter Mrs. jefferson told me tina
|. Mrs. Gregory is nursing some ont
8 The same one, imagine. And La Cor
izetti was a friend Of yours, and 20
: took her place, so the mother coul
r stay with the injured daughter"
= You're a wonder, yourself!" Fra
l. declared, dropping her hands to star
at him. Yes, that's it. All thes
n show people are friends Of min
a When the mayor was trying to decid
what carnival company they'd hav
d for the street fair, | told him abol
II this show, and that's why it's her
v Poor La Confetti needs the none
i dreadfully-for they spend it as fa'
It as it's paid in. The little darling wi
y have to go to a hospital, and there
o nothing laid by. The boys all tire
o in, but they didn't have much, ther
selves. Nobody has. Everybody's poo
" in this old world-except you and m
it I've taken La Gonizetti's place in II
h caoa all day IN keen her from lOSiI