The watchman and southron. (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, December 10, 1913, Image 2

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FRAN ft IHN ?KECKSNMDGB KLUS Illustrations by O. Irwin Mvers Gregory missed her every minute of the dor. and the harder Fran tried to All her place, the more he resented it Fran wss separated from his sympa? thiee by the chasm in his own toul. The tin came when Gregory felt that ho must see Grace again and be j alone with her. At first, he had thought they must not meet apart from the world; but by the end o. the week, he was wondering what ax cuse he could offer to Induce her to meet him?not at Miss Sapphire's, where she now boarded, not at tho grocery where Dob was always hover? ing about?but somewhere remote, somewhere safe, where they might talk about?but he had no idea of the conversation that might ensue; there was nothing definite In anything save, his filed thought of being with her.1 Aa to any harm, there could be none Ha had so long regarded Grace as the best woman In the world, that even after the day of kisses, Ms mind con- j Unaed in its inertia of faith?even tho gravitation of material facts wss un able to check Its sublime course. It wss the close of a July day that Hamilton Gregory left his house re? solved, at any coat?save that of ex? posure?to experience once more the only pleasure Ufa htld In reserve for! him: nearness to Orace Nolr. She might be at the store, since all shops were to remain open lots, in hopes of reaping sordid advantages from the gaiety of mankind In a word. Little borg waa In the grip of its first street fair. Before going down-town, Gregory strolled casually within sight of the Clinton boarding-house. Only Mies Snppalrm was on tho green veranda. Miss Sapphire, recognising Gregory, waved a solemn greeting, and he felt reassured?for he was always afraid Robert would "tell." He pushed his way nearer. Is Miss Nolr barer* Gregory ssked la a s* rained voice, the confusion hid the odd catch bis voice had suffered la getting ovar the name. "No. She's down-town?but not st. an/ show, /ou may ba sure. She's left Into st the store because?I guess you'vo heard Abbott Ash ton has been away a long time." 1 have heard nothing of tho young Gregory replied stiffly. "Well, he's been off two or three ike somewhere, nobody knows un? less it's Bob, and Bob won't tell any? thing any more. Abbott wrote ho'd be home tonight, and Bob drove over to Blmmtown to meet him In the sur? rey, so Miss Grace Is alone down there?" She nodded ponderously. ''Alone!'- ke exclaimed Involuntarily. "Tee?I look for Bob and Abbott now Just any minute." 8he added, eying the crowd?"I k%w Fran on the street, long and m*?rry ago!" Her ac? cent was that of condemnation. Like a rock she sat, letting the fickle pop? ulace drift by to minstrel show snd snake den. The severity of her double chin seid they might all go thither? she would not. This was also Gregory's point of view; and even In his Joy at finding the coast clear, he pi.used to say, "I am sorry that Fran seoms to have lost all resson over this carnival company. If she would show half as much inter? est in her soul's welfsre?" He left the sentence unfinished. The thought of Grace had grown supreme ?It eeecaed to Illuminate some wide and splendid road Into a glorious fu? ture. The bookkeeper's desk was in a gal? lery near the celling of the Clinton i grocery store; ono looked thence, through a picket-fence, down upon tho | only floor. Doubtless draco, thus look, tilg, saw htm coming. When he reached her etde. he was breathleae, partly from the stnsggle through the masses, principally from excitement of fancied security. She was posting up the ledger, snd msde no sign of recognition until he called her name "Mr. Clinton 1s not here," she said remotely. "Can I do anything for your He admired her calm courtesy. If at the same time ehe could huve been reserved and yielding be would have found the impossible combination per? fect. Because It was impossible, he was determined to preserve her an? gelic purity In Imagination, and to re? store her womanly charm to actual being "How can you receive me so coldly," he eeld impulsively, "when I've not seen you for weeks'*" Ton see me st church," she an aerered impersonally "But I have been dylag to be near you. to talk to you?" "Stop!" she held up her hand. "Ton should know that Mr. Clinton sad I are?" "Grace!" he groaned. flbs whispered, her face suddenly growing pale. "Are engaged" The tetea tete was beyond her supposed strength. "Engaged!" he echoed, as if she had pronounced one of tho world'e great tragedies. Then you will five your? self to that man- youruelf. Grace, that beautiful ?elf?and without lover It's a crime! Don't commit the horrible blunder that's ruined my life. See what wretchedness hae come to me?" "Then you think," very slowly, "that I ought to let Fran ruin my whole life because your wife has mined yours? Then you think that after I have been driven out of the house to make room for Fran, that I ought to stay tingle because you married unwiselyV* "Grace, don't say you are driven out." "What do you call it? A resigna? tion?" "Grace!?we have only a few mo? ments to be alone. For pity's take, >< k at me kir.d'y and use another tone?a tone like the dear days when you were by my tide. . . . We may never be together again." She looked at him with the same re? pellent expression, and spoke in the same bitter tone: "Well, suppose we're not? You and that Fran will be to? gether." In bis realization that it was Fran, and Fran alone, who separated them, Gregory passed into a state of anger, to which his love added recklessness "Grace, hate mo ft you must, but you shall not misunderstand mo I" She laughed. "Please don't ask mo to understand you, Mr. Gregory, while you hide the only secret to your un? derstanding. Don't come to me with pretended liking when what you call 'mysterioun business interests at Springfield' drive me from your door, and keep Fran at my desk." He interposed in a low, passionate voice. "I am resolved that you should know everything. Fran?Is my own daughter." She gave no ?ign save a sudden compression of the mouth; neverthe? less, her surpass was extreme. Her mind flashed along the wires of the past and returned illuminated to the present entanglement. He thought her merely stunned, and burst forth: "I tell you, Fran it my child. Now you know why I'm com pellud to do what she wants. That's the secret Dob brought from Spring? field. That's the secret Abbott Ash ton hung over my hoad?the traitor! "But I Hsvs Been Dying to Bs Near You, to Talk to You.* after I'd befriended him! All of my ungrateful friends have conspired to ruin me* to force you from mo by this secret. But you know it now, and I'vo i escaped its danger. You know it!" 44And does your wife know?" "Would I tell her. and not tell you? It's you I've tried to shield. I married' Josephine Derry, and Fran is our child. You know Fran. Well, her mother wss just like her?frivolous, caring only for things of the world? irreligious. And I was just a boy?a mere college youth. When I realized the Hwful mistake I'd made, I thought it best to go away and let her live her own life. Years after, I put all that behind me, snd cams to Llttleburg. j I married Mrs. Gregory and I wanted j to put all my past life away?clear] away?and live a good open life. Then you came. Then I found out I'd never known what love meant. It means a fellowship of souls, love does; it has nothing to do with the physical man. It means just your soul and mine. . . . 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, banging high above ea* | ger shoppers, was as a peaceful haven in a storm of raging noises. From without, gusts of merriment shrieked and whistled, while above them boomed the raucous cries of showmen, drowtied in their turn by the inde fattgable brass-band. The atmosphere of the bookkeeper's loft was a wedge of silence, splitting a solidarity of tu-j mult. Gregory covered his face with his band?. "Do you despise me, you pure angel of beauty? Oh. ?ay you don't, utterly despise me. I've not breathed this secret to any ltvlag soul but you, you whom I love with the rasdness of despair. My heart is broken. Tell me what I can do." At last Grace spoke in a thin tone: "Where is thut woman?" "Fran's mother?" She did not reply; he ought to know whom she meant. "She died a few years ago?but I thought her dead when I married Mrs. Gregory. I didn't moan any wrong to my wife, I wanted everything legal, and supposed it was. I thought every? thing wss 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 father's sccount! She gave me no consideration. It was on accouut of Mrs. Oregory." "Which Mrs. Gregory?" "You know -Mrs. Gregory " ?Tan I believe thatf Grace askod with u chilled smile. "You beliov * Fran really cares for your wife? You I think any daughter could care for the woman who has stolen her mother's rightful place?" "Hut Fran won't hate the truth de? clared ; if it weren't for her, Bob would have told you long ago." "Suppose I were in Fran's place would I have kept the secret to spare man or woman? No! Fran doesn't care a penny for your wife. She couldn't It would be monstrous?un? natural. But she's always hated me. That's why she acts as she does?to triumph over me. 1 3ee it all. That j is the reason she won't have the truth declared?she doesn't want mo to know that you are?are free." Grace started up from the desk, her face deathly white. She was totter-: lug, but when Gregory would have leaped to her side, she whispered, "They would see us." Suddenly her face became crimson. He caught his breath, speechless before her Imperial loveliness. "Mr. Gregory I" her ayes wore burn? ing into his, "have you told iae all the secret?" "Yes?all." Then Mr. Clinton deceived mat" "He agreed to hide everything, tf IM send you away." "Oh, I see! Bo even he a one of Fran's allies. Never mind?did you say that when you married the second time, your first wife was living, and had never been divorced?** "But Grace?dear Grace! I thought H sll right I believed?" She did not seem to haar hin. "Than she is not your wife," she said In a low whisper. "She believes ** "She believes t" Her voice rose scornfully. "And so that is the fact Fran wanted hidden; yon are not real? ly bound to Mrs. Gregory." "Not legally?but?" "In what way, then?" "Why, in no regular way?I mean but don't you see, there could be no marriage to make it binding, without telling her?" "You are not bound at all," Grace in? terrupted. "You are free?as free as air?as free as I am. Are you deter? mined not to understand me? Since you are free, there is no obstacle, in Heaven or on earth, to your wishes." His passage from despair to sodden hope was so violent that ho grasped the desk for support "What??Then? ?You?you?Grace, would you ? But "Ton are free," said Grace, "and since Mr. Clinton's treachery* I do not consider myself bound." "Grace!" he cried wildly, "Grace star of my soul?go with mo, go with me, fly with me in a week--darling. List us arrange it for tomorrow." "No. I will not go with you. u*:eas you *.e.ke me now." "Now? Immediately?" he gasped. 1 bewildered. "Without once turning back," ehe returned. "There's a train in aome thfng like an hour." "For over?" He was delirious. "And you are to bo mine?Grace, you are to be mine?my very own!" "Yes. But you are never to nee Fran again." "Do 1 want to see her again? But Grace, If we stay here until train time, Bob will come and?or?and find us?I don't want to meet Bob." "Then let us go. There are such crowds on the streets that we can eas? ily lose ourselves." "Bob will hunt for you, Grace, if he gets back with Abbott before our train leaves. Miss Sapphire said she was looking for him any minute, and that was a good while ago." "If you can't keep hfm from Unding me," Grace said, "let him find. I do not consider that I am acting in the wrong. This is the beginning of our lives," she finished, with sudden joy. "And if Bob sees me with you, Grace, after what ho knows, you can guess that something very unpleasant would?" Grace drew back, to look searching ly into his face. "Mr. Gregory," she said slowly, "you make difficulties." He met her eyes, and his blood danced. "I make difficulties? No! Grace, you have made me the happiest man in the world. Yes, our lives be? gin wlih this night?our real Uvea. Grace, you're the best woman that ever lived!" (TO BE CONTINUED.) May Run for Insurance Commission Manning Times. Clarendon is likely to have one of its citizens before the general assem? bly a.i a candidate for Insurance Commissioner. Mr. Ellison Capers of, Bummerton has had the matter un? der advisement for sometime, and If he decides to enter the race he will prove a formidable competitor to the' present incumbent, Mr. Fitr. H. Mc Master. Mr. Capers is a very capable man. and he bus made a study of ln? BUranee for the past numl er of years. If the legislature selects him they will have a man who Will devot?: hit* time to the Interests Of the insured as well as being Just to the insurers. Mr. Capers has not us yet made any announcement of his int? ntions. but WS ha\o some inside information which makes us believe that he will yield to the pressure of his friends who are urging him to permit his name t<? he presented to the general assembly. Sawmill waste of IhuiKlas fir, of which an enormous quantity is found in the western forests, Is beln^ used to make paper pulp by a null el MarshUcld, Oregon. Pi ?gab News and VUMha Pisgah, Dec. 8.?The wind last night blew up wintery with a rush, much to the delight of thoae who have hogs to kill. After exhausting all peaceful meth? ods to settle the Mexican question without avail, President Wilson should now be hands off and let the warring factions settle their luss to suit them? selves. The Mexican president says outsiders have nothing to do with their business, and I am beginning to think he is right, as he is holding on against the world's pressure to va? cate. Lift the embargo on arms and they will soon be like the Kilkenny cats. Mr. J. E. DuPre leaves this after? noon for Bennettsville to attend the Baptist State convention as a delegate from Kershaw Association. The gin report today will bring Joy or sorrow. The health of this section is good. News From Pine wood. Pinewood, Dec. 8.?The new bell for the Presbyterian church has been put in place and workmen are now finish? ing the steeple. The church is to he ceiled inside and painted. A large crowd from here will go down to Manning on the 12th to take in the Baby Show and School chil? dren exhibits of the county. Miss Lois Alman has been called to her home at Jonesville, on account of the extreme illness of her mother. Mayor Toomer spent Sunday in Charleston. Mr. A. P. Wilbur, of Canandiaga, X. \? is visiting Mr. R. C. Richard? son, Jr. Mr. Wilbur is down in the interest of "Mlllford." Quarter Master Sargent Jim H. 'iraham of Machine gun platoon -Oth, located at Salt Lake City, Utah, is here visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. lt. C. Graham. It has been three years since Mr. Graham visited here and will rejoin his comrades after \mas, who have been ordered down on the Texas border. Fire at Pinewood. Pinewood, Dec. 8.?On Saturday night about nine o'clock the barn and stables of Mr. B. W. DesChami>s Were destroyed by fire. The loss is total as there was no insurance. The, barn contained about four hundred1 OUShell of corn. six thousand pounds! of hay and four of fodder, bcsM^a' ajiirnoss, plows, etc. There was no low* of live StOCg, but a mills W'as jUSt gOt^ ten out when the building crumbled. "Boots." Washington Post Without any knowledge of the warfare being fought in behalf of himself and his friends, an amiable young bull dog, answering to the name of "Boots," has just laid down ills life, though not in the Interest of science. Indeed, it Is to be feared that he knew little or nothing about the immense blessings that have accrued to mankind through hang? ing dogs up by their hind legs, and then making inquisitorial explora? tions of their innards. But "Boots" did know hla little mistress?and loved her, too. And when a big Colorado rattlesnake sprang at the five-year-old child, "Boots" didn't have time to think, so he just leap? ed between the reptile and the little one, and took what was coming. As to the outcome?well, the am ke was soon dead. Then "Boo is" smiled a few happy smiles, began to feel sort o' dizzy like, smiled a faw more times the best he knew how. and passed in his chips. In good old Corolado style, "He done ila d?dest"?the angels In Heaven can't do more." Value of Cotton Seed for Food, Feed and Fertilizer. A splendid piece of work in the In? terest of the cottonseed crushing in duatry has Just been acomplished by the Bureau of Publicity of the Inter? state Cottonseed Crushers' Association, Jos W. Allison, chairman, to demon? strate the .value of cottonseed pro? ducts for human food, for animal feed and for fertilizer. The public a tlon contains a vast quantity of data drawn from authoritative sources and based upon actual experience, deal? ing with the determining reasons for the use of cotonseed products in the several lines, and is calculated to di? rect attention upon the more thor? ough utiIllation of the products of an Industry which has practically been created In the past flfty years, and which represents in its three primary product! an annual value of at least $160,000,000. Less than sixty years ngo there wore statutes prohibiting trie throwing of cottonseed into streams. Even before that cotton oil mills had been established in a small way, hut the seed were regarded largely as o nuisance to be gotten rid of In any way possible. Today the seed are worth between one-sixth and on*-sov enth as much as the lint, and their; value Is advancing toward the point: Suggested by Edward Atkinson years ngo. when it will equal that of the! Mnt. . PRAISE FOR STJMTKR. Manning People Appreciate Enter talnment of shriners. Manning Times. Ab a practical demonstration of what can be accomplished when a people have the pull-to-gether spirit, was thoroughly exemplified by the citizens of the city of Sumter In en? tertaining Omar Temple Thanksgiv? ing Day. The Shriners enjoyed every moment of their stay, and the lavish ness of the entertainment will never be forgotten. Omar Temple has been entertained in several of the cities of this State but never so elaborately as on this occasion. Those who had charge spared neither time or means to make this meeting of Omar tho greatest ever, and they succeeded far beyond the expectations of everybody. The whole city was at the disposal ot the Nobles, and all of the citizens ap? peared to be a committee to give the visitors a good time. It was a red letter day for the Game Cock City, und a greater day of the nobles of the mystic shrine. The hundreds of visi? tors from all over this State, North Carolina and Georgia went away singing the sincere praises of Sum? ter, and her hustling and wholesoul ed people. Report of the Secretary of Agricul? ture for 1013. Washington, Dec. 8.?Is the Unit? ed States retrograding in agriculture? In the report of the Secretary of Ag? riculture, David F. Houston, issued to? day, the estimated yield per acre of ill crops combined, is smaller for the year 1913 than in any year in the past decade with the excepton of 1911. The corn crop, the most valuable in the country, fell below two and a half million bushels, which is smaller than any crop since 1&03. Wheat production however, seems to be on the increase, this year's estimated crop of 753,000,000 bushels, being the largest ever recorded in the coun? try. The report, whi^h contains but M pages, differs from previous reports in that, instead of merely reviewing the general agricultural situation, it presents in summary many broad < nomic questions. The report states that there is no ground for thinking that the people of the United States have yet approximated the limit of their output from the soil, but that we have just begun to attack the oroblem of Intensive production and have not vet reached the end of the pioneering stage, and only in a few localities S e conditions develop- ? a*her? reSJM aMy full returns are ob? tained. One of the present difficulties is the lack of effective handling, shipping and storing of poultry, eggs and Ash. and the Secretary in his report, asks for an increase of 130,4 41 in the ap? propriation for extending the investi? gations into the distribution of these producta Other increased appropriations ask? ed for, are for the purpose of extend? ing the work of eradicating disease among animals; for the introduction and breeding of new plants; the con? trol of plant diseases and for improv? ing the mfithods of crop production, V'.rtlcularly cereals; for the classifi? cation of agricultural lands and the survey of new homesteads in the nat - nal ft rests; for investigating fer? tilizer resources; for road manage? ment and road building, and for the :nvt stigation of the marketing and distribution of farm products. Al? together the desired increases total >ver a million dollars. A decrease of more than $37,000 in the funds of the Weather Bureau is innde possible by the increased effi? ciency which the department has shown in ils work. The report states that the depart? ment Is classifying the national for? ests with a view to segregating lands valuable for agriculture, and to es? tablishing permanent boundaries for timber production and water protec? tion. The earnings from timber sales and other sources this year increased $300,000, or 16 per cent over the year of 1912. In connection with the preservation and utilization of natural resources, seventy-six water power projects have been developed and thirty more or under consideration. Tlje report sug? gests that the law permitting only a '?evocable franchise should be changed ?o allow a 50 year permit for power purposes, under provisions protecting both the investor and the public. The regulation of pure food and rtrugs comes under the supervision of| the Department of Agriculture nnd the report states that the prosecutions under the Food nnd Drugs *cl ?nd "ther regulatory measures will be made still more effective thriven ? ?? operation with the Department ef Justice, whereby the solicitor will pre j pare canes in the form of criminal in? formations and place av th<? service of the United State* District Attorneys in the trial of esses. th? Department's attorneys who are thoroughly familiar with the highly technical aspects ef many of these eases. Coder statutes applying to forests, 436 esses of trespass resulted In re? covery of $27.764.91, 73.000 acres of' timber lands were regained, and le gal work incident to the acquisition of 718,000 acres was performed. THE GR ACE-WHALEY CASE. rndesrstood That Some of Congress? man's A?dsTlts Are Ot f*ortWat tore. Washington. Dec. 6.?Lots this aft* ernoon it was stated by Chairman Post of house committee on elections, which is investigating the Grace Whaley charges, that nothing de? cisive had as yet been agreed upon. The record has not yet come back to the committee from the government printing office, Mr. Post said, and until this is done and the members have a chance to examine it no de? cision will be reached. It is understood here today that, as a result of some of the matter said to be contained in this record, this being in the nature of affidavits sub? mitted by Mr. Whaley, there may be a big sensation in Charelaton city politics. One of the features said to have been touched upon is the bar ? ring of aity positions and the prom? ise of other municipal assistance for the purpose of furthering Mr. Grace's political plans. That there will be much in this report when it is made public for South Carolina politicians not only in Charleston but elsewhere throughout the State is one of the con? clusions drawn by those who are said to be familiar with the contents of the affidavits submitted by Mr. Whaley In reply to those submitted by Mayor Grace and to the testimony which the latter also produced. From present indications the situ? ation promises a new phase of inves? tigation to that desired by Mr. Grace, In other words the whole matter may bo turned and he too may come un? der the searchlight WAS OFFERED SAFETY? Mississippi Senator Adds Aaoiiver Thrill to Craft Charges. Jackson, Miss , Dec. 4.?Mississippi politicians t< night got another thrill when State Senator G. A. Hob be, who faces trial on a charge of receiving and soliciting a bribe, gave out a sworn statement saying Gov. Brewer offered him immunity and the f;ov ernot declared such a statement was not true. Hobos was arrested in Jackson Tuesdsy night and Wednesday- had ,\ cetotyfrOnos wltn the governor. In Statement Hobbe charge* that Gov. Brewer asked htm to perjure hlrnself, to send Bflbo to tha peni? tentiary." Uooba says that when he refused Gov. Brewer said "he would put me in the penitentiary, too." AMMUNITION BECKED. Found Cleverly Concealed on Parsons of Two Firemen. Now York, Dec, ?The Jerky walk of two firemen going aboard the Ward liner Matanzaa today attracted the attention of customs guards. They searched the two and found on each 7.000 rounds of ammunition, cteverty concealed in canvas vests. The ammunition Was confiscated. The Matanzas is due to sail for Hp '-aa n December 11. It is thought that the ammunition was intended for the Rebels in Mexico. Saillard of Cnlebrn. t Editorial in Washington Times, Oo j tober 10.) Today the waters of Gatun Lake are pouring into the Culebra Cut and noon the way will be clear for the pas? sage of the first boat through the Panama Canal from ocean to ocean, it is a tragedy that Lieut Col. David DuBose Gaillard, the army engineer who conquered the landslides and dug the great Culebra channel, can? not be present to witness the un ? haining of the waters and the final proving of the integrity of his six years' labor under the heat of the tropics. Lieut. Col. Gaillard aaw the virtual completion of his work at Culebra and on the hour which saw his triumph no was stricken with illness and to? day, when the ceremonies attending the letting in of the water are in prog? ress, he is lying ill in a Northern hospital. When this army engineer began work at Culebra, six years ago, ho knew that his great work must be ;.. , lercoming of the landslides. I bis has been written of his labor: Gaillard made his way fighting. Lit orally he was obliged to shackle lie leet of the mountains. He did it. ?d the chaining is for all time. His s...rk done, the engineer broke under the strain of it." The name of Gaillard will be con? nected with the engineering work of Culebra Cut for all time. Engineers say that his task was one of the hard? est which the canal work presented. The letting in of the water tod*y marks the beginning of the end o> T'anama Canal construction. At th* time of triumph the man who made the triumph possible should not to for.ou... _ . ci^mmu)