The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-05-06
lCopsash,' nv. BoSos. HofT,!i CO..

No"oo' Are you q stranger In the
towaf"
Never been here BEFORE" Fran an.
swersd mournmlly.
but why did you come2"
I came to ind Hamilton Gregory"
rhe young man was astonished.
Didn't you see him In the tent. lead.
ins the choirr
He has o house In town." Fran
sald timidly. II don't want TO bother
nin while he 10 In his religion. I
want to walt for him at his house.
Oh" she added earnestly, ~ you
would only show me the way"
Just a. II she did not know the
wayl
Abbott Ashton was now completely
at her mercy. 80 you know Brother
uregory, do your" he asked, as he
Ia her over the stiles and down the
vason-road.
Never saw him in my life," Fran
replied Casually. She knew how to
say IL prohibitively. but she purposely
len the bars down, TO find out II the
Jollng man wis what she hoped.
And he was. He did not ask a
question. They sought the grass
grown path bordering the dusty road;
AZ they ascended the hill that shut
o1t q view OF the village. to their ears
ealoe the sprfghtly Twentieth Century
lynn What change had come over
Ashton that the song now seemed as
strangely out OF keeping as had the
psacefulness Of the April night when
No drst left the tentf He felt the
pr1ck OF remorse because In the midst
OF nature. he had so soon forgotten
atout souls.
fran caught the air and softly sang
I'VE reap what we SOW"
"Don'tr' he reproved her. Child.
tnat means nothing to you"
Yes. IL does. too" she returned
rather impudently. She continued 10
sias and hum until the last note was
sraothered In her little nose. Then he
spoke: "However-it means a differ.
ent thing to mo from what Il means
% the choir"
He looked mt her curiously. How
di6erent?" he smiled.
10 me. IL means that we really do
reap what we SOW, and that IL you've
dune something very wrong In tho
past-ugh! Better look out-troubles
coming. That's what the song means
Co me-"
"And will you kindly tell me what 1t
means to the choir?"
Yes. I tell you what Il means to
ne choir IL means sitting on benches
aud singing. after a sermon; and 1t
means q tent. and great evangelist
md = celebrated soloist--and then 60
inG homo to act az IL II wasn't So"
Abbott was not only astonished, but
pained. Suddenly he had lost mo
Dody's little GIRL" to be confronted by
On elhsh spirit Of mischief. He asked
nth constraint. did this critical at
titude make you laugh out. In the
tentf"
Il wouldn't tell you why laughed"
Fran declared. "for q thousand dol
iars. And I've seen more than that
"a my day"
They walked on. He was silent, she
impenetrable. At last she said, in a
changed voice. my names Fran.
What's yours?"
He laughed boyishly. Mines Alb.
bott."
His manner made her laugh sympa.
thetically. II was just the manner she
liked best--gay. frank. and little
nischievous. "Abbott?" she repeated; !;
WELLS that all?"
Ashton Is the balance: Abbott
Ashton. And yours?"
The rest Of mine IL Nonpareil--
funny name, isn't it!-Fran Nonpa,
reil. IL means Fran. the small type: (:
or iran who's unlike everybody else:
or-Oh. there are lots Of meanings to
ne. Some find one. some another.
some never understand"
II was because Abbott Ashton was
touched that he spoke lightly:
What very young Nonpareil to
be wandering about the world, all by
yourselfi"
She was grateful for his raillery.
How young do you think?"
Let me see. Hum! You are only
about" She laughed mirthfully at
his air OF preposterous wisdom.
About thirteen-fourteen. yes. you
are more than A-tifteen. more than
But take OF that enormous hat.
little Nonpareil. There's no use guess
ing In the dark when the moons
nhining."
Fran was gleeful ~Ali right" she
Gried In one OF her childish tones,
shrill. fresh. vibratory with the mu-
nc OF innocence.
By this time they had reached the
ootbridge that spanned the deep ~
vine. Hero tho wagon-road made IT,
crossing OF tiny stream. by slipping
inder the foot-bridge. some fifteen
eet below. On the left lay struggling q
Littleburg with I'm four or fiva hmm