NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRTHUNE. op Cf) (?) $ .y 250077 TARKIN G TON "A GOOD-LOOKING FOOL-BOYWITH THE PRIDE OF SATAN." Synopn1. -Major Amberson had mada a fortuno In 1113 when otlior pcoplo were losing fortune, and tho magnificence of tho Amborsono began thon. Majc Ambcrson laid out a 200-acro "development," with rouds and statuary, uftd In tho centnr of a four-acro tract, on Ambemon avenue, built for himself the most magnificent mansion Midland City had over Been. Whon tho major's daughter marrlod young Wilbur Mlnafor tho neighbors prodlcted that as Isabel could never really lovo Wilbur all her lovo would bo bcBtowcd upon tho children. There la only one child, however, Georgo Amberson Mlnafer, and his upbringing and his youthful accomplishments as a mluchlof maker aro quite In keeping with tho most pessimistic predictions. By tho tlmo Georgo goes away to college he does not attempt to conceal his belief that tho Ambersons are about the most Important family In tho world. At a ball glvon In his honor when he returns frwn college, Georgo monopolizes Lucy Morgan, a stranger and tho prettiest girl prcaont, and gets on famously with hor until ho learns that a "quoor looking I'uck" nt whom he had boon poking much fun, Is the young lady's fathor. lift Is Kugcne Morgan, a former resident o Blgburg, and ho Is returning to frect a factory and to build horseless carriages of his own Invention. Eugene had been an old admirer of Isabel's and they had beon engaged when Isabel threw him over because of n. youthful Indlscro tlon and married Wilbur Mlnafer. CHAPTER IV Continued. "Give me Hie next nnd tho one after that," he snld hurriedly, recovering Homo presence of mind, just s tho tienrcst applicant reached them. "And glvo mo every third ono the rcBt of tho evening." She laughed. "Aro you asking?" "What do you mean, 'asking?'" "It souudud as though you wcro Just telling mo to glvo you all those dances." "Well, I want 'cm 1" Georgo insisted. "Are you going to glvo me " "Good gracious 1" sho laughed, -yes!" Tho applicants flocked round her, urging contracts ftr what remained, but they did not dislodge Georgo from her side, though he made It evident that thoy succeeded In annoying him; and presently ho extricated her from on accumulating slego sho must have connived In tho extrication and horo tier off to Bit bcsldo him upon tho talrway that led to tho musicians' gallery, where they wcro Bufllclently retired, yet hod1 a view of the room. TJow'd all those ducks get to know you so quick?" Georgo inquired, with llttlo enthusiasm. "Oh, I'vo been hero a week." "Looks as If you'd been pretty busy " ho said. "Most of thoso ducks, I don't know what my mother wanted to Invito 'cm hero for." "Perhaps It was on account of their 'mrentn," Miss Morgan suggested mildly. "Mnybo cho didn't want to offend their fathers and mothers." "Oh, hardly I I don't think my mother need worry much about offend ing anybody In this old town." "It must bo wonderful," said Miss Morgan. - "It must bo wonderful, Mr. Ambcrson Mr. Mlnafer, I mean." "What must bo wonderful?" "To be bo important as that!" "Thnt Isn't 'Important,' " Georgo as- cured her. "Anybody thnt really Is ttnybody ought to bo nbleo do about n they llko In their own town, should think 1" Sho looked at him critically from nder her shading lashes but her yes grew gentler almost nt ttneo. In truth, thoy became moro appreciative than critical. George's Imperious good looks wcro altogether manly, yet ap Broached actual beauty as closely as a boy's good looks should daro; and dance music and flowers hnvo somo effect upon nlnctecn-yonr-old girls as well as upon eighteen-year-old boys, Tho stairway was drafty: tho steps woro narrow nnd uncomfortable; no older person would havo remained In Huch n place. Moreover, theso two young peoplo wcro strangers to each other; neither hod said anything In which tho other had discovered the slightest intrinsic Interest; there had not arisen between them tho begin nlngs of congenlnllty, or even of friendliness but stairways near ball rooms havo moro to answer for than havo moonlit lakes and mountain nun vets. i Ago, confused by Its own long nc cumulation of follies, Is everlastingly Inquiring, "whnt does Bho seo In him?" os If young lovo camo nbout through thinking or through conduct. At eighteen ono goes to a dance, sits with a stranger on a stairway, feels pe collar, thinks nothing, nnd becomes lncapablo of any plan whatever. Miss Morgan und Georgo stayed where they iworo. Thoy had agreed to this In sllcnco and without knowing It; certainly without exchanging glances of Intel!! Igenco they had exchanged no glance! at nil. Both sat staring vaguely out Into tho ballroom, and, for n time, thoy did not speak. Hero und there were to bo seen couples so carried away thnt, ceasing to move at tho decorous, even glide, considered most knowing, they pranced and whirled through tho throng, from wall to wall, .galloping bounteously In nbandon. Georgo suffered a shock of vnguo sur prise when he perceived that his aunt, Fanny Mlnafer, was tho lady-half of e of thoso wild couples. Sho flew leror tho floor In tho capable arms of Itfae queer-looking duck; for thlu por tion was her partner. 1 Tho queer-looking duck had been a ileal dancer In his day, it appeared; tad evidently hto day was not yet rer. In eplte of tho headlong, gay rapidity with which ho boro Miss FaBny about the big room ho danced I authoritatively, avoiding without ef fort the lightest collision with other couples, maintaining sufficient grace throughout' his wildest moments, and all the whllo laughing nnd talking with Ids partner. What was most re markablo to George, and a llttlo Irri tating, tills stranger in the Ambcrson mansion had no vcstlgo of tho air of deference proper tb n stranger In such plnco: ho seemed thoroughly nt homo, no seemed offensively so, In deed, when, pas3lng tho entrance to the gallery stairway, ho disengaged his hand from Miss Fanny's for an in stant, and not pausing in tho dance, waved a laughing salutation moro than cordial, thon enpered lightly out of sight. George gazed stonily nt this mani festation, responding neither by word nor sign. "How's thnt for a bit of freshness?" he murmured. "What was?" Miss Morgan asked. "That queer-looking duck waving his hand at mo like that. Except he's tho Sharon girls' undo I don't know him from Adam." "You don't need to," sho enld. "IIo wasn't waving his hand to you: ho meant me." "Oil, ho did?" Georgo wns not mol lified by tho explanation. "Everyone poems to mean you 1 You ccrtnlnly do seem to hnvo been pretty busy this week you'vo been here!" She pressed her bouquet to her face again and laughed iuto It, not dls pleased. She made no other com ment, and for another period neither spoke. "Well," snld Georgo finally, "I must sny you don't seem to bo much of a prattler. Thoy sny it's a great way to get a reputation for being wise never Buying much. Don't you ever talk at all?" "When people enn understand," Bho answered. matter whnt It Is. I guess we'ro prct-1 ty fresh sometimes; but I knew your name was Morgan becnuso my mother said so downstairs. I meant: what's the rest of It?" "Lucy." "Uow old nro you?" Georgo asked. "I don't really know myself." "What do you menn: you don't really know yourself?" "I mean I only know what they tell me. I believe them, of course, but believing Isn't really knowing." "Look hero 1" said George. "Do you always talk llko this?" Miss Lucy Morgan laughed forgiv ingly, put her young head on ono sjdo like a bird nnd responded cheerfully: "I'm willing to ItHirn wisdom. What aro you studying at school?" "College 1" "At tho university I Yes. What are you studying thcro?" Georgo laughed. "Lot o' useless guff!" "Then why don't you Btudy some useful guff?" 'What do you mean: 'Useful?'" 'Something you'd use lutcr, In your business or profession?" George wnved his hand impatient ly. "I don't expect to go Into nny 'business or profession.'" "No?" "Certninly not!" Georgo was em phatic, being sincerely annoyed by a suggestion which showed how utterly she failed to comprehend the kind of person ho was. "Why not?" sho asked mildly. "Just look at 'eml" ho said, almost with bitterness, and he made a ges ture presumably Intended to Indicate tho business nnd professional men now dancing within rnngo of vision "That's a flue career for a man, Isn't It! Lawyers, bankers, politicians' What do they get out of life, I'd llko to know! What do they ever know about real tilings? Whero do they ever get?" no was so 'earnest that Bho wai surprised and Impressed. Sho had n vuguo, momentary' vision of Pitt, tit twanty-one, prime minister of Eng land; nnd she spoke, Involuntarily In a lowered voice, with deference: "Whnt do you want to bo?" she asked. George answered promptly. "A yachtsman," ho said. CHAPTER V. Having thus, In a word, revealed his ambition for a career above courts, marts and polling booths, Ho had been looking moodily out Georgo breathed moro deeply than at the ballroom, but ho turned to her usual, nnd, turning his faco from quickly, at this, saw that her eyes the lovely compnnlon whom ho had wcro sunny and content, over tho top Just made his confidant, gazed out nt of her bouquet, nnd ho consented to tho dnncers with an expression In smile. "Girls nro usually pretty fresh 1" ho saI(L "They ought to go 'to a man's collcgo about a year: they'd get taught n few things about freshness! Whnt you got to do nftcr two o'uoclc tomorrow afternoon?" "A wholo lot of things. Every mla uto filled up." "All right," snld George. "Tho snow's flno for sleighing: I'll cono for you In a cutter nt ten minutes after two." "I can't possibly go." "If you don't," ho said, "I'm going to sit In tho cutter In front of tho gate, wherever you're visiting, all nfternoon, and if you try to go out with anybody olso bo's got to whip mo before ho gets you." And as she laughed though sho blushed a little, too ho continued, seriously: "If you think I'm not In earnest you're nt lib erty to make quite a big experiment I" Sho laughed again. "I don't think I've, often had so largo n compliment ns thnt," sho said, "especially on such ehort notice and yet I don't think I'll go with you." "You bo ready at ton minutes after two." "No, I won't." "Yes, you will I" "Yes," sho snld, "I will I" And her partner for tho next dnnco nrrlved, breathless with searching, "Don't forget I'vo got the third from now," Georgo called after her. When "tho third from now" camo Georgo presented himself before her without any greeting, llko a brother or a mannerless old friend. Both Georgo and Miss Morgan talked much moro to everyone elso that evening than to each other, and they snld nothing nt all at this time. Both looked preoccupied ns they begun to dance, nnd preserved a gravity of qx- presslon to tho end of tho number. And their next number they did not dance, but wont back to tho gallery stairway, seeming to havo reached an understanding without nny verbal consultation that this suburb was again tho place for them. "Well," said Georgo coolly, when they wcro seated, "what did you sny your namo was?" "Morgan." "Funny nnmol" "Everybody elso's namo always Is.' "I didn't mean it was really funny," George explained. "That's just ono of my crowd's bits of horsing at col lege. Wo always say 'funny name,' no which there was both sternness nnd a contempt for tho squalid lives of the unyachtcd Mldlandera before him. However, umong them ho marked his mother, and his somber grandeur re- laxed momentarily; a moro genial light enmc into his eyes. Isabel was dancing with tho queer looking duck; and it was to be noted that the lively gentleman's gnlt was moro sednto than It lind been with pf . Vli "Are You Enaaged to Anybody?" Miss Fanny Mlnafer, but not less dex terous and authoritative. IIo saw Oeorgo and tho beautiful Lucy on the stairway and nodded to them. Georgo waved his hand vaguely: ho had u momentary return of that lnexpllcablo uneasiness nnd resentment which had troubled him downstairs. "How lovely your mother Is!" Lue5 said. "I think she Is," ho agreed gently, "She's tho gracefulestwoninn In that ballroom. How wonderfully they dauco together!" "Who?" "Your mother and and tho queer looking duck," Bald Lucy. "I'm going to dauco with him pretty soon." "I don't care so long as you don't give him ono of tho numbers that belong to me." "I'll try to remember," she said. and thoughtfully lifted to her fnco the bouquet of violets and lilies, a gesture which Georgo noted without approval. Look hcrol Who sent you thoso flowers you keep inakln' such n fuss over?" "IIo did." "Who's 'he?'" "Tho queer-looking duck." George feared no such rival; ho laughed loudly. "I s'poso he's some old widower I" he Buld, the object thus described seeming ignominious enough to a person of eighteen, with out nddltionnl chnrncterlzation. Lucy beenme serious nt once. "Yes, he Is a widower," she snld. "I ought to have told you beforo;. he's my father." George stopped laughing abruptly. "Well, thnt's a horso on me. If I'd known ho wns your father of course I wouldn't have mado fun of him. I'm sorry." "Nobody could mnko fun of him," she said quietly. "Why couldn't they?" "It wouldn't mnko him funny: It would only make themselves silly." Upon this George had a gleam of Intelligence. "Well, I'm not going to mako myself silly nny more, then; I don't want to take chnnccs llko thnt with you. But I thought ho was the Sharon girls' uncle. IIo came with them" "Yes," 'sho 'Said ; "I'm always late to everything: I wouldn't lot them wait for me. We'ro visiting the Sharons." ''About time I knew thnt I You for get my being bo fresh nbout your fa ther, will you? Of courso he's a dis tinguished-looking man, in a wny." Lucy was still serious, "'in a way?'" ehe repented. "You mean, not In your way, don't you?" George was perplexed. "How do you mean: not In my wny7' "Pcoplo often say 'In n way' and rather distinguished looking,' or 'rather' so-and-so, or 'rather' anything, to show that they're superior, don't they. It's a kind of snob slang, think. Of courso peoplo don't alwnya say 'rathor' or 'In a way' to bo su perlor." "I should sny notl I uso both of 'cm a great deal myself," Bald George, "Ono thing I don't see, though What's tho uso of a man being six feet three? Men thnt slzo can't handle themselves ns well as a man nbout five feet eleven and a hnlf can.' Georgo was a straightforward soul, nt least. "See here!" ho said. "Are you engaged to anybody?" "No." Not wholly mollified, he shrugged his shoulders. "You seem to know n good many people I Do you llvo In New York?" "No. Wo don't llvo anywhere." "What do you mean: you don't live nny where?" "We've lived nil over," she answered. "Papa used to llvo hero in this town, but that was beforo I was born." "What do you keep moving around so for? Is ho a promoter?" "No. Ho's an inventor." "What's he Invented?" "Just lntely," said Lucy, "he's been working on a new kind of horseless carriage." "Well, I'm sorry for him," Georgo snld, In no unkindly spirit "Those things nro never going to amount to anything. People aren't going to spend their lives lying on their backs In the road and letting grcaso drip In their faces." "Papa'd be so grateful," Bho re turned, "If ho could hnvo your nd-vice." Instantly George's faco became flushed. "I don't know that I've done anything to bo Insulted for!" he snld "I don't see that whnt I said was pur tlcularly fresh." "No, ludecdl" "Then whnt do you " She laughed gayly. "I don't I And don't mind your being such n lofty person at all. I think It's ever ut Interesting but papa's a great man!" "Is ho?" Georgo decided to be good-natured. "Well, let us hope so, I liopo bo, I'm sure." Looking nt lilm keenly, sho saw thnt tho magnificent youth was Incredibly sincere In this bit of graclousnoss. Sho shook her head In gentle wonder. "I'm just beginning to understand," sho said. "Understand whnt?" "What It moans to bo a real Am bcrson In this town. Papa told mo something about It bofore wo ennie but I seo lie didn't sny hnlf enough I" Georgo superbly took this nil for tribute. "Did your father say he knew tho family beforo he loft bore?' "Yes. I bellevo ho was particularly n frlond of your Uncle Georgo; and ho didn't sny so, but 1 Imagine ho must hnvo known your mother very well, too. IIo wasn't nn Inventor then: ho was u young lawyer. Tho town was smaller In those days, nnd I bellevo ho was quite well known." "I duro say. I've no doubt tho fain lly aro nil very glad to see him back, especially If they used to hovo him at tho house- a good deal, as ho told you." "I don't think ho meant to boast of It," sho said. "no spoko qulto calmly," sho retorted, ns her partner for tho next dnnco arrived. She took wing awny on tho breeze of the waltz, and George, having Btnrcd gloomily after her for a few moments, postponed filling an engage ment, and strolled round tho fluctu ating outskirts of the dnnco to where his uncle, Georgo Amberson. stood smilingly watching, under ono of the rose-vine arches nt tho cntrnnco to tho room. "Hello, young namesake," said the uncle. "Why lingers tho lnggnrd heel of the dancer? Unvcu't you got n partner?" "She's sitting around waiting for me somewhere," snld George. "Seo here: Who Is tills follow Morgnn that Aunt Fanny Mlnafer was dancing with n whllo ago?" Amberson lnughed. "no's a man with a pretty dnughter, Georgle. Me- seemcd you'vo been spending tho eve ning noticing something of thnt sort er do I err?" "Never mind I What sort Is ho?" "I think we'll havo to glvo hlra n chnractcr, Georgle. Uc's an old friend; used to practice law here perhaps ho had moro debts than cuscs, but he paid 'em all up before ho left town. ' Your question Is purely mer cenary, I take It: you want to know his true worth before proceeding fur ther with tho dnughter. I cannot In form you, though I notlco signs of considerable prosperity in thnt be coming drpss of hers. However, you never can tell. It Is nn ngo when ev cry Bncrlflco Is made for the young, nnd how your own poor mother man aged to provide those genuine pearl studs for you out of her allowance from fnther I can't " "Oh, dry up 1" snld the nephew. "I understand this Morgan " "Mr. Eugene Morgan," his uncle suggested. v "Politeness requires that tho young should " "I guess the 'young' didn't know much about politeness in your day," George interrupted. "I understand that Mr. Eugene Morgan used to be a great friend of the family. The way ho was dancing with Aunt Fanny " Amberson lnughed. "I'm afraid your Aunt Fanny's heart wns stirred by ancient recollections, Georgle," "You meant she used to bo silly about him?" "She wasn't considered singular," snid tho uncle. "He was he wns popular. Could you bear a question?" "What do you mean: could 1 bear1 " "I only wanted to ask : Do you take this same passionate interest In tho parents, of every girl you dance, with? Perhaps It's a new fashion we old bachelors ought to tako up. Is it tho thing tills year to " "Oh, go on!" said George, movftig nway. "I only wanted to know " He left the sentence unfinished, and nnd crossed tho room to where a girl sat waiting for his nobility to And tlmo to fulfill his contract with her for this dance. "Pardon f keep wait," he muttered, as she rose brightly to meet him ; and she seemed plensed that he camo at all. He danced with her perfunctor rlly, thinking tho whllo of Mr. Eugeno Morgan and his daughter. Strangely enough his thoughts dwelt more upon tho father than the daughter, though Georgo could not possibly have given reason even to himself for this disturbing preponderance. By a coincidence, though not an odd one, the thoughts nnd conversa tlon of Mr. Eugene Morgan nt this very tlmo were concerneu wun George Amberson Mlnafer, rather cms- ually, It Is true. Mr. Morgan had re tired to a room set apart for smok ing, on the second floor, nnd had found a grizzled gentleman lounging In solitary possession. " 'Gene Morgnn !" this person ex claimed, rising with great heartiness. I don't believe you know mo 1" "Yes, I do, Fred Kinney 1" Mr. Mor gan returned with equal friendliness.' "Too much Amberson, 1 suppose, for ono thing. And for another, hla mother Just fell down nnd worshiped him from tho day ho .wns born'. Hw thinks he's a llttlo tin god on wheels and honestly it nrakes bopjo people weak and sick Just to think nbonl him! Yet thnt high-spirited, intelli gent woman, Isabel Ambwfein, actu ally sits and worships him I You enn hear It in her voice vflicn ho speak to him or speaks ofrhlm. You can bc it in Her eyes when sho looks nt him. My Lordl Whnt does fiho seo when, sho looks at him?" Morgan's odd expression of gcnlaL apprehension deepened whimsically "She sees something thnt wo don't see," he said. "What does sho see?" "An angel." Kinney laughed aloud. "Well, 11 she sees an angel when she looks at Gebrgle Mlnafer she's a funnier wom an than I thought sho was I" "Perhaps sho Ik," sard Morgan. "But that's what she sees." "My Lord! It's easy to see you'vo only known him an hour or so. In that tlmo havo you looked nt Georglo and seen an angel?" "No. All I saw was a remarkably good-looking fool-bov with tho pride of Satan and a set of nice new drawing-room manners that ho probably couldn't uso moro than half an hour at n time without busting." "Then what" "Mothers nro right," said Morgan. "Mothers seo the angel In us because tho nngel is there. If it's shown to tho mother tho son has got-nn angel to show, hasn't ho? When a son cut "Your rcul face the one I used to know It's Just underneath the one you're masquerading In tonight. You ought to have changed it moro If you wanted n disguise." "Twenty yours!" snld Mr. Kinney. "It makes some difference in faces, but moro In behavior I" "It does ho !" his friend agreed with i explosive emphasis. They sat und smoked. "However," Mr. Morgan romnrkod presently, "I .still ilanco llko an In dian. Don't ynu?" "No. I leave thnt to my boy Fred. Ho does the dnne'.ng for the family." "I suppose he's upstairs hard at It?" "No, ho's not hure." Mr. Kinney glanced toward tho open door and lowoml his voice. "He wouldn't come. It seems that a couple of years or so ngo he had a row with young Georglo Mlnafor. Kred was president of a literary club they had, and ho said this Georgle Mlnafor got himself elected Instead, In an overhearing sort of way. Fred's very bitter nbout his row with Georgle Mlntfer. He says he'd rather burn his foot off than sot It Inside any Amberson houso or any place olo where young Geor glo is." "Do people like young Mlnafor gen ornlly?" "I don't know nbont 'generally. I guess ho gets plenty of toadying; but thoro's certninly a lot of pcoplo thnt aro glad to express their opinions about hlra.'' "What's the matter with hunf "Geno Morgan 1' somebody's throat tho mother only sees It's possible for a misguided an gel to act like a devil and she's en tirely right nbout thnt!" Kinney lnughed nnd put his hend on his friend's shoulder. "I remem ber what a fellow you always were to argue," ho said. "You mean Geor glo "llnafer Is as much of an nngel as nuy murderer Is, and that Georglo's mother Is always right." "I'm afraid fio always ,has been," Morgan said lightly. The friendly hand remnlned upon his shoulder. "She was wrong once, old fellow. At least, so it seemed to me." "No," said Morgan, a little awk wardly. "No" Kinney relieved' the slight embar rassment that hud come upon both of them : he laughed ngnin. "Walt till you know young Georgle a llttlo bet ter," ho said. "Something tells mo you're going to change your mind nbout having an angel to show, If you see anything of him 1" "You moan benuty's In the eye of tho beholder, and tho angel Is all In the eye of tho mother. If you were a pnlnter, Fred, you'd paint mothers with nngels' pyes (holding imps In their laps. Me, I'll stick to the' old masters and tho cherubs." Mr. Kinney looked ivt him musingly. "Somebody's eyi-s must hnvu been pretty angelio," ho snkV "If they're been persuading you that Georglo Mlnafer is a cherub !" "Th".v nro," said Morgan heartily. "They're moro angelic than over." And as a now flourish of music soiuid cd overhead he throw away his" ciga rette and JumilPd np briskly "CJnnd by; I'vs got this dance with hor." "With whom?" "With Isabel !" The grlassled Mr. Kinney uffectod to rub his eyes. "It startles me, vour jumping up like that to go and dauco with Isabel Amborsonl Twenty yen r win to have putuwd but havo thoy? TY11 me, havo you danced with poor old Fanny, loo, this evening?" "Twice !" "My Lord !" Kinney groaned half In earnest. "Old times starting all over again ! My Lord !" "Old times?" Morgan laughed say ly from the doorway.. "Not a bit! There aren't any old times, 'hen times nro gone thoy'ro not old; they're dcndl Thero aren't any times hut new times!" And ho vanished In such n manner that he seemed already to have be gun dancing. "It was friendly of you. I'll not I'll not forget It." (TO BB CONTINUED.)