NORTH PLATTK SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
HHg Booth Tarkington
IvJ Copjrrleht by Doubleday, rB A Company,
"THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS:" A MAGNIFICENT NOVEL
The literary critics and book reviewers are continually
asking, "When shall we have the 'Great American Novel' by
the 'Great American Novelist?' " Perhaps never, in the sense
in which the question is asked, for this country is too big and
its people differ too greatly by localities to make the "Great
American Novel" possible.
Nevertheless, "The Magnificent Ambersons" is a great
American novel. Booth Tarkington is an American of sturdy
native stock. He knows American life and character as only
a native American with generations of American forbears can
know them. Moreover he has a charm of style and a power
of expression which have endeared him to the reading public.
"The Magnificent Ambersons" is so great a novel that
Booth Tarkington has been awarded the Joseph Pulitzer prize
of $1,000 "for the American novel published during the year
wnich shall best present the wholesome atmosphere of Ameri
can manners and manhood." The judges making the award
aro Robert Grant, William Morton Payne and William Lyon
Phelps. .
CHAPTER I.
Major Amberson hnd "mndo a for
tune" in 1873, when other people wcro
losing fortunes, nnd the magnificence
of the AmbersonB began then. Their
splendor lnstcd all the years that saw
their Midland town spread and darken
Into a city, but reached Its topmost
during the period when every prosper
ous family with children kept n New
foundland dog.
In that town in tlioso days all the
women who wore silk or velvet know
all the other women who wore Bilk or
velvet, and when there was a now
purchase of sealskin sick pcoplo wcro
got to windows to seo it go by. Every
body know everybody elso's family
borso and carriage, could Identify such
r sllhouotto half a mile down the
street, nnd thereby was suro who was
going to mnrket or to a reception or
coming homo from office or storo to
noon dinner or evening supper.
During tho earlier years of this pe
riod elegance of personal appearance
was believed to rest moro upon tho t
was believed to rest moro upon tho t
texture of garments than upon their
snnping. a buk urcss nccucu no ro
modeling when it wns a year or so old ;
It remained distinguished by merely
remaining Bilk. Old men and gover
nors woro broadcloth ; "full dress" was
broadcloth with "doeskin" trousers;
and thero wero seen men of all ages
to. whom a hat meant only that rigid,
tail Bilk thing known to impudence as
n "stovepipe." In town and country
these men would wear no other hat,
and, without self-consciousness, thoy
went rowing in such hats.
Trousers with a crease wcro consid
ered plebclnn; tho crenso proved that
tho garment had lain upon n Bholf, nnd
hence was "ready mndo;" theso be
traying trousers wero called "hand-mo-downB,"
In allusion to tho shelf. In
tho enrly eighties, whllo bang3 nnd
bustles wcro having their way with
women, that variation of dandy known
as 'tho "dude" wns Invented: ho woro
trousers ns tight ns stockings, dagger-
pointed Bhoes, n spoon "derby," n
elngle-brenstcd cont called n "Chester
field," with short flaring Bklrts, n tor
turing cylindrical collar, lnundcrcd to
a polish and thrco inches high, while
his other neckgenr might bo n heavy,
puffed cravat or a tiny bow fit for a
doll's braids. With evening dress ho
woro a tnn overcoat no Bhort that his
black conttotls hung visible, five inches
below the overcoat; but after a seaeon
or two ho lengthened Ills overcont till
It touched his heels, nnd ho passed out
of his tight trousers Into trousers like
great bags. Then presently ho was
Boon no moro, though tho word that
had been coined for him remained In
tho vocabularies of tho impertinent.
Surely no moro Is needed to provo
thnt so short a tlmo ngo wo wcro liv
ing in another ngol
At tho beginning of tho Ambersons'
Brent period most of tho houses of tho
Midland town wero of n pleasant nr
chltecturo. They lnckod ntylo, but also
pretentiousness, nnd whatever docs
not pretend at all has stylo enough.
They stood In commodious yards, well
shaded by leftover forest trees, elm
nnd walnut and beech, with hero nnd
thero a lino of tall sycamores whero
tho land had been mndo by filling
bayous from tho creek. Tho house of
n "prominent resident," facing Mill
tary sfjuaro or National avcnuoorTcn
nesseo street, was built of brick upon
p. etone foundation, or of wood upon a
brick foundation. Usually lt hnd a
Pfront porch" nnd n "back porch;"
often a "sldo porch," too. Thoro wns
e "front hnll ;" thero was a "sldo hall,1
nnd sometimes a "bnck hall." From
the "front hall" opened thrco rooms,
tho "parlor," tho "sitting room" nnd
tho "library;" nnd Uie library could
Bhow wnrrant to Its title for Bomo
reason theso pcoplo bought books,
Commonly tho family snt moro in thn
library than In tho "sitting room,'
VvMlo callers, when thoy came for
mally, wero kept to tho "purlor," n
til ace of formldahlo polish nnd dlscom
jfort. Tho upholstery of the library
furniture wns n llttlo shabby, but tho
hostilo chairs nnd sofa of tho "parlor"
always looked new. For nil tho wear
nnd tenr they got they should have
lasted n thousand yenrs.
upstairs wero tite bedrooms; "moth-
cr und father's room" tho largest; a
smaller room for one or two sons,
nnotner ror ono or two anuglitcrs;
enen oi tnoso rooms containing a
doublo bed, a "washstand," n "bureau,"
. ...i
a wnrdrobe, a little table, a rocking
cnnir, nnu oncn a ennir or two umt
nun ueuii sngiiuy uumngcu tiown-
nun, uui uui cnuugn io jusmy ciuicr
tho oxpenso (Of repair or decisive
abandonment In tho nttlc. And there
Was alwnys a sparo room, for Visl-
tors (whero tho sowing mnchlno usu-
ally Was kept), and during tho Seven-
ties there developed nn appreciation
Of tho necessity for a bathroom.
At tho rear of tho house, upstairs,
was n bleak llttlo chamber, called "tho
gin s room, anu in Uio stable tiicro
wns another bedroom, udjolnlng tho
( nnyioit, anu caucu "tno nireu mans
room.1
room." House and Btable cost seven
or eight thousnnd dollars to build, nnd
pcoplo with that much money to Invest
In such comforts wore classified as tho
men. u.ncy pam tno innnDitant or
"tho girl's room" two dollnrs n week,
and, In tho Inttcr part of this period,
two uonars anu a nair, anu nimuy
thrco dollars a week. Sho was Irish
orumnriiy, or uerraan, or it mignt uo
c.tu..u.imviu, uui uuvur uuuvu u u.u
land unless sho hnppcncd to bo a per-
Bon of color. Tho man or youth who
lived In tho Btnblo had like wages, and
sometlmes, too, wob lately n steerage
voynger, but much oftcner ho wns col-
orcu'
After sunriso on pleasant mornings
tho nllcys behind tho stables wero gny;
luughter and shouting went up nnd
down their dusty lengths, with a lively
accompaniment of currycombs knock-
ing against back fences and stablo
walls, for the darkles loved to curry
inoir norses in ma nncys. unrKics
niwnys proior to gossip in snouts in-
sienu ot wnispers, nnu tney ieci mat
profanity, unless lt bo vociferous, is
almost worthless. Horrlblo phrases
wero caugnt uy enny rising cmicircn
nnu enrncu to oiucr people tor cicnni-
tlon, sometimes at inopportuno mo
ments; whllo less lnvcstlgatlvo chil
dren would often merely repent the
phrnsoH in boiiio subsequent flurry of
ngltntlon, nnd yet bring about conso-
o.ucnces bo emphatic as to bo recalled
witn case in muiuio me.
They havo passed, those darky hired
men of tho Midland town. Tho
stables hnvo been transformed Into
other likenesses, or swept away, llko
tho woodsheds whero wero kept tho
stovowood and kindling thnt tho "girl"
and tho "hired mnn" niwnys quarreled
over: who should fetch lt.
Bo with other vnnlshlngs. Thero
woro tho llttlo bunty street enrs on tho
long, single track thnt went Its
troubled way nmong tho cobblestones.
At tho renr door of the car there was
no platform, but n step whero pnsscn-
gors clung In wet clumps when the
weather was bad und tho car crowded.
Tho patrons If not too absent-minded
put their fares Into n slot ; nnd no
conductor paced tho henvlng floor, but
tho driver would rap remlndlngly with
his elbow upon tho glnss of tho door
to his little open platform If tho nick
els and tho passengers did not nppear
to colncldo ln number. A lono inula
drew tho enr, and sometimes drew lt
off tho track, when tho pnsscngers
would get out nnd push It on ngnln.
Thoy really owed It courtesies like
this, for tho car was genially nccom-
modntlng: n lady could whistle to It
irom nn upstairs winnow, nnu tno onr
would halt nt onco nnd wnlt for her
wnuo sue sum ino winnow, put on nor
nut uiiii moan, wi-iu uowiiHinirs, louna
nn umnrenn, toiu mo "gin" wnat to
nnvo ror uinnor, una cumo form from
mo nouse.
They even hnd tlmo to dunce
squuro uances," quadrilles ana "inn-
cers;" they also danced tho "rao-
quetto" and BchotUschcs und polkus,
und such whims ns tho "Portland I
fancy." They pushed back tho sliding
doors between tho "parlor" and tho son boulevnrd, and here, at tho Junc
"slttlng room," tncked down crash turo of tho new boulevard and the
over the carpets, hired a few palms avenue, Major Ambcrson reserved
In green tubs, stationed thrco or four
Italian musicians under the stalnvay
In the "front hull" and had great
nights!
"Keeping open house," wns a merry
custom; it has gone, like the all-day
picnic In the woods, nnd like that pret-
tiest of all vanished customs, tho sere-
node. When a lively girl visited the
town she did not long go unserenaded,
though a visitor was not indeed needed
to excuse n serenade. Of a summer
night young men would bring nn or-
rhestra under a pretty girl's window
or, It might bo, her father's, or thnt
of nn nlllng maiden aunt nnd llute,
harp, 'cello, cornet nnd bass viol would
pleasantly release to tho dulcet stars
such melodies as sing through "You'll
Remember Me," "I Dreamt Thnt I
Dwelt in Marble nulls," "Sliver
Threads Among the Gold," "Kathleen
Mavourncen," or "The Soldier's Fare-
well."
Croquet and tho mildest archery
over known were tho sports of people
still vountr nnd nctivo enoiicrh for so
much exertion: mlddln nco nlnvefl
euchre. There was a theater, next
,ioor to the Amberson hotel, and when
Edwin Booth camo for a night every-
,ody Who couid nu-ord to blIV a tlckot
was there, nnd nil tho "hacks" In town
wcro hired. "Tho Black Crook" also
cd tho theater, but the audience
then wns almost entirely of men. who
- ' i
looked uneasy as they left for homo
when tho final curtain fell unon tho
shocking girls dressed ns fairies. But
the theater did not often do so well;
the pcoplo of tho town were still too
thrifty.
They were thrifty because they were
tho sons or grunjsong of ti,e ..cariy
settlors." Who hnd onennil tho wlldnr-
ness and ,md rcncUed lt from tll0 East
nn,i hn South with wncrnnn nml dtps
nnd but wlth no moncy nt nlli
rrho nt0necra wcro thrlf tv or thev
would have perished: they had to
storo away food for tho winter, or
goods to trado for food, and they
often feared they had not stored
enough they left traces of that fear
in their sons nnd grandsons. In tho
minds of most of these, Indeed, their
thrift was next to their rellciou: to
save, even for tho sake of savins:, was
their earliest lesson nnd discipline. No
matter how prosperous they were they
could not spend money cither upon
"art," or upon mere luxury and enter-
talnmcnt, without a senso of sin.
Against so homespun n background
tho mngnlficcnco of the Ambersons was
ennsnloiiniin n n hrnsn immi nt n
fimt.ri. Mnjor Amberson bought two
hundred acres of land nt the end of
Nat0nnl nvenuo; nnd through this
tract ,,0 but brond strects and crosg.
streets; paved them with cedar block,
andcurbcd them with stone, no set up
fountains, hero nnd there, whero tho
ntreets intersected, nnd ut symmetri-
cal intcrVals placed cast-iron statues,
painted white, with their titles clear
nnnn , noilostnln? Minor. Mor.
curyi ncrcuieSi Venus, Gladiator, Em-
poror Augustus, Fisher Boy, Stag-
il0Uud(- Mastiff, Greyhound, Fawn,
Antelope, Wounded Doe nud Wounded
yan. Most of iha forest trees had
been ieft to floursi, BtiH, nnd, nt some
distancc. or by moonlight, tho plnce
was ln trutb beautiful; but the nrdent
"Sixty Thousand Dollars for tho Wood
work Alone."
citizen, loving to see his city grow,
wanted noitiier distance nor moon-
light. IIo hnd not seen Vcrsnllles,
nut, stnnumg ueroro tno fountain of
isoptuno in Anuierson addition, nt
bright noon, nnd quoting tho favorite
comparison of tho local newspnpers
,0 tleclared Verallles outdone. All
this Art showed a profit from tho
stnrt, ror tno lots soiu wen anu uiero
was something llko n rush to build
In tho new Addition. Its main thor -
oughfarc, an oblique continuation of 1
National avenue, was called Amber-
four acres for himself and built his
new house tho Amberson mansion, of
course.
This house was tho prldo of tho
town. Faced wllh stone as far back
as the dining-room windows, It was n
house of arches and turrets and gir-
dllng etone porches: it had tho first
porto cochcro seen in that town,
There was a central "front hall" with
u great black-walnut stairway, nnd
open to a green glass skylight called
the "dome," thrco stories above tho
ground floon A ballroom occupied
most of tho third story, and at one
end of It was carved a walnut gallery
for the muslcluns. Citizens told stran-
gera that the cost of all this black
walnut nnd wood carving was sixty
thousund dollars. "Sixty thousand
dollars for the woodwork alone 1 Yes.
sir, nnd hardwood floors all over tho
house I Turkish rugs nnd no carpets
at nil, except a Brussels carpet in the
front parlor I hear they call it the
'reception room.' Ilot nnd cold water
unstnlrs nnd down, and stntionnrv
wnshstands In ovorv bedroom In the
place I Their sideboard's built right
into the house nnd goes nib the way
across one end of tho dining room. It
Jsn't wnlnut. it's solid maliocrunv!
Not venecrlnc solid ruahocnnvl Well.
sir, I presume the president of tho
United Stntes would bo tickled to
swan the White House for tho new
Ambcrson mansion, if tho Major'd
clve him tho chance but by the Al-
mighty Dollar, you bet your sweet
life tho Mnjor wouldn't I"
Tho visitor to the town was certain
to receive further enlightenment, for
there was one form of entertainment
nevcr omitted: he wns always patrl.
otlenllv tnknn for "n llttlo tlrlvo rnnml
our city CVCn if his host had to hire
n linrlr. nnil tho pllmnt- nf tho illnlnv
wus tho Amberson mansion. "Look
nt thnt irrnflnhonsn thnv'vo nut iin
there in tho side yard." tho escort
would continue. "And look at that
brick Btable I Most folks would think
thnt stable, nlentv hlrr onnnph nnil
good enough to llvo in; It's got run-
nlng water aud four rooms upstairs
for two hired men and one of 'em's
family to live in. Thev keen ono hired
man loafin' in tho house, nnd thev trot
a married hired man out in the stable,
and his wife docs tho washing. This
town nevcr did seo so much stylo as
Ambersons nro putting on theso dnys;
and I guess it's going to bo expensive,
becnuso a lot of ether folks'll try to
keep up with 'cm. The Major's wife
and tho dnuchtcr's been to Eurone.
und my wife tells mo since they got
back they make tea there every after-
noon about five o'clock and drink lt.
seems to mo lt would go against a
person's stomach, Just before supper
like thnt, and nnywuy tea Isn't fit for
much not unless you're sick or some-
thing. Looks to mo llko some people
In this cltr'd bo willing to go crazy
If they thought that would help 'em to
ho ns hlLh.tonod ns Amhersons. Old
Aleck Minafer he's ubout tho closest
old codger wo got ho come In my of
flco the other day, and ho pretty near
had n stroke tellln' mo about his
dauchter Fanny. Seems Miss Isabel
Amberson'a got some kind of a dog
they call lt a St. Bernnrd and Fanny
wns bound to hnvo one, too. Well
old Aleck told her he didn't llko dogs
except rat terriers, because n rat ter
rier cleans up tho mice, but she kept
on nt him, nnd finally ho snld all right
sho could havo one. Then, by George I
sho snys Amberson's bought thel
dog, nnd you don't get ono without
paying for lt: thoy cost from fifty to
a hundred dollnrs up! Old AIccl
wanted to know If I over heard of
anybody's bujin' a dog before, be
cause, even a Newfoundland or n set
ter, you can usually get somebody to
glvo you ono. IIo says ho saw some
sense in pnyln' a nigger u dime, or
even n quarter, to drown n dog for
you, but to pay out fifty dollars anil
maybe more well, sir, ho like to
choked himself to death, right thero
In my olllcol Of course everybody
renllzcs thnt Major Amberson Is n fine
business man, but what with throwln
money nround for dogs, und every
which nnd what, some think nil this
stylo's bound to break him up, If his
fumlly don't quit l"
Ono citizen, huvlcg thus discoursed
to a visitor, camo to a thoughtful
pnuso, and then added, "Does seem
pretty much llko squandering, yet
when you seo that dog out walking
with this Miss Isabel, ho seems worth
tho money."
"Whnt's sho look like?"
"Well, sir," said the citizen, "she's
not moro than Just about eighteen or
,nnybo nineteen years old, nnd I don't
know ns I know Just how to put lt
but Bh0's kind of a delightful lookln
young ludyl"
CHAPTER II.
Another citizen said nn clonuent
thing nbout Miss Isabel Amberson's
hooks. This wns Mrs. Henry Franklin
Foster, the foremost literary authority
1 und intellectual leader of tho com
munity for both tho dully newspn
pers thus described Mrs,. Foster when
sho founded tho Women's Tennyson
club; nnd her word upon nrt, letters
nnd the drntnn was accepted more ns
law than us opinion. Naturally when
"Hazel KIrko" finally reached town,
after Its long triumph in inrgcr places,
many people waited to hear what
Mrs. Henry Franklin Foster thought
of lt before thoy felt warranted In ex
pressing any estimate of the play. In
fact, some of them waited ln tho lobby
of the theater ns they came out and
formed an inquiring group nbout her.
"I didn't seo tho play," sho in
formed them.
"What I Why, wo saw you, right in
the middle of tho fourth rowl"
"Yes," she euld, smiling, "but I wns
sitting Just behind Isnbel Amberson.
I couldn't look nt anything except her
wavy brown hair and the wonderful
buck of her neck."
The ineligible young men of tho
town (they were all Ineligible) were
unnble to content themselves with tho
view that had so charmed Mrs. Henry
Franklin Foster; they spent their time
struggling to keep Miss Amberson's
face turned toward them. She turned
lt most often, observers said, toward
two: one excelling in tho general
struggle by his sparkle, and the other
by that winning if not winsome old
trait, persistence. Tho sparkling gen
tlcmnn "led gcrmans" with her, and
sent Bonnets to her with bis bou
quets sonnets lacking neither music
nor wit. He wns generous, poor, well-
dressed, und his nmnzlng persuasive
ness was ono reason why he was al
ways ln debt No ono doubted that
ho would be able to persuade Isabel,
but he unfortunately Joined too merry
a party ono night, nnd during a moon
light scrcnado upon tho lawn before
the Ambcrson mansion, was easily
Identified from the windows as the
person who stepped through the bass
viol and had to bo assisted to n wait
ing cnrrlnge. Ono of MIs3 Amberson's
brothers was among the Bcrenaders,
and when tho party had dispersed re
mained propped against the front
door In a state of helpless liveliness;
tho Major going down in n dressing
gown nnd slippers to bring him ln, nnd
scolding mildly, whllo Imperfectly con
ceallng strong Impulses to laughter,
Miss Amberson nlso laughed at this
brother the next dny, but for the
suitor it was a different matter: she
refused to see him when ho called to
apologize. "You seem to care a great
deal nbout bass viols 1" he wrote her.
"I promlso never to breuk another."
Sho made no response to the note, un
less lt was an answer, two weeks
later, when her engagement wns nn
nounccd. Sho took the persistent one,
Wilbur Minafer, no breaker of bass
viols or, of hearts, no sercuadcr ut all
A few people, who nlways foresaw
everything, claimed that they were not
surprised, because though Wilbur Mln
nfer "might not be nn Apollo, us It
were," he was "a steady young bus!
ness man nnd a good church goer,"
and Isnbel Anderson wns "pretty sen
slble for such a showy girl." But
tho engagement astounded the young
people, and most of their fathers nnd
mothers too; and as n topic lt sup
plnnted literature at the next moot
Ing of the "Women's Tennyson club.'
"Wilbur Minafer I" a member cried
her Inflection seeming to Imply that
Wlbur's crime wns explained by his
surnnmc. "Wilbur Minafer! It's the
queerest thing I over heard 1 To think
of her taking Wilbur Minafer, Just
because n man any woman would like
n thousand times better was n little
wild one night nt a serenade 1"
"No, that wasn't her reason," said
wise Mrs. Henry Fxrnklln Foster. "If
men only knew It nnd It's n good
thing they don't n woman doesn
really care much about whether
man's wild or not, If It doesn't nlfect
herself, and Isabel Amberson doean'
cnie n thing!"
"Mrs. Foster !"
"No, she doesn't. What she mind
Is his making si clown ot himself In
her front yard I It made her think ho
dlun't euro much uDout her. She';
probably mistaken, but that's what
she thinks, nnd It's too late for hur
to think anything else now, Ik-cuuko
she's going to be mr.rrled right away
the Invitations will be out nest
week. It'll be a big Amborson-Ktyl
thing, raw oyster floating ln scooped
out blocks of loo ii ml a band from on
of town champagne, rhowy presents
a colossal present from the Major
Then Wilbur will take Isnbel on tho
carefulest little wedding trip ho can
manage, and she'll be u good wife to
him, but they'll have tho worst spoiled
lot of chlldron this town will ever
see."
"How on earth do you make that
out, Mrs. Foster?"
"She couldn't love Wilbur, could
she?" Mrs. Foster demanded, with no
chnllengers. "Well, 't will all go to
her children, nnd she'll ruin 'oni 1"
Tho prophetess proved to be mis
taken In a single detail merely: except
for thnt her foresight was accurate
Tho wedding wns of Amborsonlan
magnificence, even to the llontlng oy
sters; and tho Major's colossal pros
cnt wns a set of architect's designs
for a houso almost as elaborato and
Impressive ns the Mansion, tho "house
to be built ln Ambcrson addition by
the Major.
At midnight the bride was still be
ing toasted in champagne, though she
had departed upon her wedding Jour
ney at ten. Four days later tho pair
hud returned to town, which prompt
ness seemed fulrly to demonstrnto
that Wilbur had Indeed taken Isabel
upon tho carefulest llttlo trip he could
munnge. According to every report
Bho wns from the start "a good wife
to hlin," but hero ln a final detail the
prophecy proved Innccurnte. Wilbur
and Isabel did not have children ; they
Und only one.
"Only ono," Mrs. nenry Franklin
Foster admitted. "But I'd llko to
"You Think You Own This Townl"
know if ho isn't spoiled enough for
n whole carload!"
Again ehe found none to challenge .
her.
At tho age of . nine George Amber
son Minafer, the Major's one grand
child, was a princely terror, drended
not only ln Amberson addition but ln
many other quarters through which
ho galloped on his white pony. "By
golly, I guess you think you own this
town!" nn embittered lnborer com
plained one day, as Georgle rode tho
pony straight through a pile of sand
the man was sieving. "I will when
I grow up," the undisturbed child re
plied. "I guess my grandpa owns It
now, you betl" Aud the baffled work
man, having no means to controvert
what seemed a mere exaggeration of
the facts, could only mutter, "Oh, pull
down your vest 1"
"Don't haf to I Doctor says It ain't
henlthy!" tho boy returned promptly.
"But I tell you what I'll do: I'll pull
down my vest If you'll wipe off your
chin !"
This wns stock and stencil: the nc
customed argot of street badinage of
the period; and in such matters Geor
gle was an expert. Ho had no vest
to pull down; the incongruous fact
was that a fringed sash girdled tho
Juncture of his velvet blouse nnd
breeches, for the Fauntleroy period
had set ln, and Georgle's mother had
so poor nn eye for appropriate things,
where Georgle was concerned, thnt
she dressed him nccord'lng to tho doc
trine of that school In boy decoration.
Except upon the surface (which wan
not Ida own work but his mother's)
Georgle bore no vivid resemblance to
the fabulous little Cod lie. The sto
ried boy's famous "Lean on me, grand
father," would hnvo been difficult to
imagine upon the Hps of Georgle. A
month after his n'nth birthday nnnl
veruary, when the Major gave him his
pony, ho had already become acquaint
ed with the toughest boys lit various
distant parts cf the town, nnd had
convinced them that the toughness of
a rich little boy with long curls might
bo considered In many respects su
perior to their own. lie fought them.
Iteming how to go hiiremrk nt n cer
t:iln point In n fight, 'hunting Into
to:,rs of anger, reaching for rocks, ut
teimg walled thivnta of murder, ainl
attempting to fulfill theiu. Fights
often led to Intliuncles, and he ac
quirer the nit of wiylug things more
exciting than "Don't haf to!" uid
"Doctor says It ain't healthy!" Thus
on a summer afternoon a strange buy,
t itling bored upon She gntcpoat of tho
Uev. Mallorli Smith, beheld George
Ambcrson Minafer rapidly approach
ing on his white pony nud was Im
pelled by bitterness to shout: "Shoot
tho ole Jnckuss! Look nt the gliiy
curls! Say, bub, where'd you steal
your mother's olo sash I"
George Amberson Minafer
begins to grow up and meets
the beautiful Miss Lucy Morgan.
(TO D13 CONTINUED)