Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1927-09-08
THE STORY


Ned a romance Of his early life He
had married, while at college, and
under peculiar circumstances. and his
mony III H. S esy tas
wants It's to Know. Who is M %ar 9a'
CHAPTER .VII.-Mrs. Johnston tells
Mary they are practically penniless,
banker, and Mary endeavors to dis
suade her. While with Ned, Mary falls
into int a pool Ned gets, her out, unhurt,
nature Of his feelings toward the girl
,,t CHAPTER Pr With an attempt to
Mrs Johnston $500, which he had from
her when they were married. She keeps
s shs W miGfsey u tati VIZ Dabbs she Is
Johnston and her daughter go to New
York. on Dabbs' money. Dabbs tells
Ned he knows he is Rangeley's SON,
women. Polly" informs Loren Ransso
Icy she and Mary are going to Europe.
Continued from last weekly
81 see. Then you went over to
France, where you met my father.
But how did you get rid Of that poor
young manw
Her mother looked at her, so ter
ribly embarrassed that for moment
Mary's heart stood still.
MARY, II didn't get rid of him,
at once. He came back. The.
But went to France just the same,
and-you came, and I never told him.
I've never gotten rid Of him. Mary,
can you forgive me?'
Forgive you" Mary leaned for
ward and clutched her mother tightly,
II haven't anything to forgive.
You've always been the best mother
in the world"
They chung together for moment,
Mrs. Johnston glad Of the excuse to
hide her face. Then Mary's voice
came to her, slightly muf1ed by the
mass Of her own dark hair which had
fallen over her mothers ear. Didn't
he know about me, Mother, ever"
mo"
Couldn't he guess? I'll have to
hate him, you know, If he guessed and
didn't follow you"
Polly felt that justice demanded
that she lay no more than his due
share of blame on the shoulders Of
Mary's father. "He didn't know !
was going" she said, Imply. 81 ran
away from him."
Mary released her mother with a
little amazed gasp.
"Poor, poor, FatherW
"Poor Fatherp' echoed Mrs. John
ston Indignantly. Little he cared for
anything but just getting hold of me
and my money land dragging me out
to his miserable grocery store in
Peace Valley"
Mary sat upright, with astonished
eyes, gazing at this extraordinary
parent Of hers. But Mother! You
said Peace Valley. You're dream
ing.'
tits only too reall''
"Then it was our Mr.. Dabbs, and
am II am really Mary Johnston
Dabbs, the grocer's daughter?'
HE need never known
Hes got to know!" Mary declared.
Her mother looked at her determin-
eddy. 1--WE the right to say whether
or not he is to know. owe him moth
Ing" and in her indignant desire to
clear herself in her daughters eyes,
she added a few particulars Of the
story Claude had told Ned. But from
her own angle. She stopped sud-
denly.
Mary was looking at her with
neither was 1t sympathetic. Mrs.
Johnston stumbled on.and reached the
locked door episode. She would have
given worlds never to have begun,
but once begun the story must be told,
and the facts were the same, though
from quite different angle. She
thought it would strengthen her case
with her daughter to know that
Claude had gone back on his sworn
word
Mary leaned forward with appraised
finger and placed it gently across her
mothers lips. ST always doubted
those wife-in-name-only Stories" she
said. Don't try to fool yourself or
me. You liked Claude Dabbs more
than little You singled him out of
the crowd in that boarding house.
Mother, you were romantic about him
even then"
ST was notp Mrs. Johnston indig-
nantly defended herself.
"Stuff and nonsensep retorted
Mary, rising to the defense Of her alb
sent father. eff you hadn't liked him
a lot, you would have telephoned and
had him put out"
What can woman say to daugh-
ter like that3 Mrs. Johnston said
nothing, just sat back and-blushed.
I'm glad you can blush" Mary
went on. "Nice tale to tell girl who
thought she was poor half-orphan,
while all the time she had perfectly
good father keeping grocery store"
Ned Carriers uncle's store, she added
to herself. And this thought brought