NORTH HjATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
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The Magnificent Ambersons
By BOOTH TARKINGTON
1
CourrlBht by DouMefiay, Pg ft Company. S3
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"IT'S 'AU REVOIR' TILL TONIGHT, ISNT IT?"
Synopsis. Major Amberson had made a fortune In 1873 whon other people
were losing fortunos, and the magnificence 0f the Amborson8 began then.
Major Amberson laid out a. 200-acro "development," with roads and statuary,
and In tho center of a four-acre tract, on Amberson avenue, built for himself
tho most magnificent manalon Midland City had over seen. When the major's
daughter marriod young Wilbur Mlnafer the neighbors predicted that as
Isabel could never really love Wilbur all her lovo would bo bestowed upon tho
children. There Is only one child, however, George Amberson Mlnafer, and
his upbringing and his youthful accomplishments as a mischief makor are
quite In keeping with tho most pessimistic predictions. By tho time CJcorgo
goes away to college he does not attempt to conceal his belief that tho
Ambersons are about tho most Important family In the world. At a ball given
In his honor when he returns from college, George monopolizes Lucy Morgan,
a. stranger and the prettiest girl presont, and gets on famously with her until
ho learns that a "queer looking duck" at whom he had boen poking much fun,
is tho young lady's father. Ho Is Eugeno Morgan, a former resident of
Slgburg, and he Is returning to erect a factory and to build horseless carriages
of his own Invention. Eugeno had been an old admirer of Isabel's and thoy
had been engaged when Isabol throw him over because of a youthful Indiscre
tion and married Wilbur Mlnafer. George makes rapid progress In his courtship
of Lucy.
CHAPTER VI.
Tho nppearnnco of Miss Lucy Mor
gan tho next dny, aa sho sat In
George's fast cutter, proved so charm
ing that her escort was stricken to
oft words Instantly and failed to con
trol & poetic Impulse. "You look
like" he said. "Your fnco looks
Ukc It looks like n snowflako on a
lump of coal. I mean n a snowflako
that would be n rose-leaf too I"
"Perhaps you'd better look nt tho
wins," she returned. "We nlmost up
wt Just then."
George declined to heed this advice.
"Because there's too much pink In
yuur cheeks for a snowflako," he con
tinued. "What's that fairy story about
How-white and rose-red "
"Wo'ro going pretty fast, Mr. Minn
Ctrl" "Well, you see, Tm only here for
two weeks."
"I mean tho Blclghl" she explained.
"Wo'ro not tho only people on the
trect, you know."
"Oh, they'll keep out of tho way."
"That's very patrician charlotecor
lag, but It seems to mo a horse like
(this needs guidance. I'm sure he's
going nlmost twenty miles an hour."
That's nothing," said George; but
h consented to look forward again.
"Ho can trot under threo minutes, nil
right" Ho laughed. "I suppose your
father thinks ho can build a horseless
carrlago to go that fasti"
"Thoy go that fast already, some
times."
"Yes," said Georgo; "they do for
about a hundred feet 1 Then they give
a yell and burn up."
Evidently sho decided not to defend
ker father's faith In horseless car
riages, for she laughed and Bald noth
ing. Tho cold air was polka-dotted
with snowflukes, and trembled to the
loud, continuous Jingling of sleigh
bolls. Boys and girls, all aglow and
panting Jets of vapor, darted at the
passing sleighs to rldo on tho runners,
or sought to ropo their sleds to any
ehlclo whatever, but the fleetest no
more thnn Just touched tho flying cut
tor, though a hundred soggy mittens
grasped for It, then reeled and whirled
till sometimes tho wearers of those
daring mittens plunged flat In the
now and Iny a-sprnwl, reflecting.
But there came panting nnd chug-
glng up that flat thoroughfare n thing
which some day was to spoil all their
lelghtltno merriment snvo for the
rashest nnd most disobedient. It was
Tnguely llko a topless surrey, but cum
brous with unwholcsorao excrescences
foro nnd nft, while underneath were
pinning leather belts and somothlng
that whirred and howled and Bccmcd
to stagger. Tho rldc-stealcrs rando no
attempt to fasten their sleds to a con
tnvanco so nonsensical nnd yet so
fearsome. Instend they gavo over their
port nnd concentrated all their ener
gles In their lungs, so that up rnd
down tho street tho ono cry shrilled
Increasingly : "Git a hoss I Git n boss
pit a hoss I Mister, why don't you git
a hoss?" But tho mahout In charge,
witting solitary on tho front seat, was
"unconcerned ho laughed, and now
end then ducked a Biiowball without
losing any of his good-nature. It was
Mr. Eugeno Morgan who exhibited so
cheerful n countenance between tho
sorwnrd visor of a deer-stalker cap
and tho collar of a fuzzy gray ulster.
trGlt a hoss I" tho children shrieked,
nd gruffer voices Joined them. "Git
hoss I GitahoBSl Gltahossl"
' Gcorgq Mlnafer wus correct thus
Car ; tho twelvo miles an hour of such
machine would never overtake
George's trotter. Tho cutter was al
ready scurrying between tho Btono pil
lars nt tho entrance to Amberson ad
dition.
"That's my grandfather's," snld
.George, nodding toward tho Amberson
mansion.
1 "I ought to know thatl" Lucy ex
claimed. "Wo stayed there into enough
laBt night: papa and I wcro almost
tho last to go, lie and your mother
knd Miss Fanny Mlnafer got tho mu
alclans to play another waltz when
(everybody clso had gono downstairs
and tho fiddles wcro being put away
la their cases. Papa danced part of
it with Miss Mlnafer uml the rest with
your mother, Miss AiiuarerB your
aunt, Isn't sho?"
"Yes; sho lives with uh. That's our
kouse Juit beyond grandfather's," Ho
Waved a sealskin gauntlet to indicate
the house Major Amberson had built
for Isabel as a wedding gift He
frowned as they passed a closed car
riage and pair. Tho body of tills com
fortable vchlclo sagged slightly to one
side; the paint was old and seamed
with hundreds of mlnuto cracks llko
little rivers on a black map; the
coachman, n fat nnd elderly darky,
seemed to drowse upon the box; but
tho open window afforded Uio occu-
pants of tho cutter a glimpse of n
tired, flue old face, a silk hat, a pearl
tic and an astrachan collar, evidently
out to tnko the air.
"There's your grandfather . now,"
said Lucy. "Isn't It?"
George's frown was not relaxed.
"Yes, It Is; and ho ought to give that
rat trap awny nnd sell those old
horses. They're n disgrace, all shaggy
not oven clipped. I suppose ho
doesn't notice It people get awful
funny when Xbcy get old; they seem
to lose their self-respect, sort of."
"lie seemed a real Brummell to me,"
sho said.
"Oh, he keeps up about what he
wears, well enough, but Another
thing I don't think he ought to allow:
good many people bought big lots
and tliey buflt houses on 'cm; then
tho price of tho land kept getting
higher, nnd they'd sell part of their
yards nnd lot tho people that bought
It build on It to live In, till they
haven't hardly any of 'em got big, open
yards any more, and It's getting all
built up. Tho way It used to bo It was
a gentleman's country estate, and
that's tho way my grandfather ought
to keep It Ho lets tlieso people take
too many liberties: they do anything
they want to."
"But how could ho stop them?"
Lucy asked, Burely with reason. "If
ho sold them tho lnnd It's theirs, Isn't
it?"
Georgo remained scrcno In tho faco
of this apparently difficult question
"lie ought to have all tho tradespeople
boycott the families that sell part of
their yards that way. All he'd hnvo to
do would bo to tell tho tradespeople
thoy wouldn't get any moro orders
from tho family if they didn't do It"
"From 'tho family?' What family?"
"Our family," said George, unper
turbed. "Tho Ambersons."
"I see 1" sho murmured, nnd evident
ly she did see something that he did
confidential to yourself, but It's plain
enough I I don't believe In that kind
of tiling. I think the world's like this:
there's a few people that their birth
and position, nnd so on, puts them at
the top, and they ought to treat each
other entirely m equals." His voice
betrayed a little emotion ns ho added,
"I wouldn't speak like this to everybody."
"You mean you'ro confiding your
deepest creed or codo, what ever It
Is to me?"
"Go on; mnko fun of It thent"
Georgo said bitterly. "You do think
you're terribly clever I It makes mo
tired 1"
"Well, ns you don't llko my seeming
quietly superior,' after this I'll bo nois
ily superior," she returned cheerfully.
"We aim to please I"
"I had a notion beforo I camo for
you todny that wo wero going to quar
rel," ho said.
"No, wo won't; it tnkes twol" She
laughed and waved her muff toward a
new house, not quite completed, stand
ing In n field upon their right Thoy
had passed beyond Amberson addition
and were leaving tho northern fringes
of tho town for the open country.
"Isn't that n beautiful house 1" she ex
claimed. "Papa and I call It our Beau
tiful House."
Georgo was not pleased. "Does It
belong to you?"
"Of course not I Papa brought mo
out here tho other day, driving In his
machine, nnd we both loved It. It's so
spacious and dignified and plain."
"Yes, It's plain enough I" George
grunted.
"Yet It's lovely; tho gray-green roof
nnd shutters give Just esough color,
with tho trees, for the long white
walls. It seems to be tho finest house
I'vo seen In this part of tho country."
Georgo was outraged by an enthu
siasm so ignorant not ten minutes
ago they had passed the Amberson
mansion. "Is that a sample of your
tasto in architecture?" ho asked.
"Yes. Why?"
"Because It strikes me you better go
somewhere and study tho subject a
little 1"
Lucy looked puzzled. "What makes
you have so much feeling about It?
Have I offended you?"
"'Offended' nothing I" Georgo re
turned brusquely. "Girls usually
think they know It all as soon as
they've learned to danco and dress and
flirt a little. They never know any
thing about things llko architecture,
for Instance. That house was about
as bum d houso as any houso I ever
saw 1"
Ho spflco of It In the past tense, be
cause tfiey had now left It far behind
them i human habit of curious sig-
nlflcarte. "It was llko a house moant
for a Btrect In tho city. What kind
of a houso was that for people of
any lasto to build out hero In tho coun
try
"Thoro'a Your Grandfather Now,"
Said Lucy.
not, for, ns Bho lifted her muff to her
faco ho asked:
"Whnt are you laughing at now?"
"Why?"
"You nlwnys seem to havo somo
llttlo sccrot of your own to get happy
overl"
"'Always I'" sho exclaimed. "What
a big word, when wo only mot lust
night I"
"Thnt's another enso of it," ho said
witli obvious sincerity. "Ono of tho
reasons I don't llko you much I Is
you've got that way of seeming qui
oily superior to everybody olso."
sho said. "I suppose thnts becnuso
It's growing. As It grows bigger It
seems to get ashamed of Itself, so It
mnkes this cloud and hides in It
Papa says It used to bo a bit nicer
when ho lived here: ho nlwnys speaks
of It differently ho always has n
"No, no I" Bho cried. "You'll catch
cold; you mustn't catch cold I" And
she continued to brush him.
Amberson had brought Lucy's lint t
Miss Fanny acted ns lady's maid ; and
both victims of tho accident were
presently restored to about their usual
gentle look, a particular tono of voice, appearance nnd condition of nppnrcl.
fBut papa says It's built that way
o purpose. Thcro aro a lot of other
"ouses being built In this direction,
and papa says tho city's coming out
this way; and In a year or two that
houso will bo right In town."
It was n bum house, anyhow," said
Georgo crossly. "I don't even know
tho people that aro building It They
say a lot of riffraff como to town every
yenr nowadays and there's other riff-
raft that havo always lived here, and
have made a little money, and act ns
If they owned the plnce. Uncle Syd
ney was talking about it yesterday
ho says he and somo of his friends nro
organizing a country club, and already
somo of tlieso riffraff are worming into
it people ho nover heard of at all I
Anyhow I guess It's pretty clear you
don't know a great deal about archi
tecture."
Sho demonstrated tho completeness
of her amiability by laughing. "I'll
know something about the nortli pole
beforo long," she enid, "If we keep
going much farther In this direction I"
At this ho was remorseful. "All
right; wo'U turn and drlvo south
nwhllo till you got warmed up again.
expect we havo .been going against
the wind about long enough. Indeed,
I'm Borryl"
He said, "Indeed, I'm Borry," In a
nlco way, and looked very strikingly
handsome when ho said It, sho
thought. No doubt It Is true that
thcro is moro rejoicing In heaven over
ono sinner repented than over all the
saints who consistently remain holy,
and tho rare, sudden gentlenesses of
arrogant people hnvo Infinitely moro
effect than tho continual gentleness of
gentle people. Arrogance turned
gcntlo melts tho heart ; and Lucy gave
her companion a llttlo sidelong, sunny
nod of acknowledgment. Georgo was
dazzled by tho quick glow of her eyes,
and found himself at a loss for some
thing to Bay.
Having turned about ho kept his
liorso to a walk, and nt this gait tho
slolghbdls tinkled but Intermittently,
Tho snow no longer fell, and far
ahead, In a grayish cloud that lay upon
the lnnd, was tho town
Lucy looked at this distant thicken
Ing reflection. "When wo get tills far
out we can see there must bo quite a
I've noticed. He must havo been very
fond of It From tho way ho talks
you'd think life hero then was Just
ono long midsummer serenade. Ho
declares It was always sunshiny, that
tho air wasn't llko tho air anywhero
else that, as he remembers It, thcro
always seemed to bo gold dust In tho
air. I doubt It I I think It doesn't1
seem to bo duller air to him now
Just on nccount of having n llttlo soot
In it sometimes, but probably becauso
be was twenty years younger then. It
seems to mo tho gold dust he thinks
was hero Is Just his being young that
he remembers. I think It was Just
youlh. It is pretty pleasant to bo
young, Isn't It?"
"You're a funny girl," Georgo snld
gently. "But your voice sounds pretty
nice when you think nnd talk along to
gether like thnt I"
The horse shook himself all over,
and tho Impatient slelghbells made his
wish audible. Accordingly George
tightened the reins, and tho cutter was
off again at a thrce-mlnuto trot, no
despicable rata of speed. It was not
long before they were again passing
Lucy's Beautiful House, and here
Georgo thought fit to put an appendix
to his remark. "You'ro a funny girl,
nnd you know a lot but I don't bo-
lleve you know much about architec
ture I"
Coming toward them, black against
tho snowy rond, was a strango silhou
ette. It approached moderately nnd
without visible means of progression,
so the mntter seemed from n distance;
but as tho cutter shortened tho dls
tnnco tho sllhtouetto was revealed to bo
Mr. Morgan's horseless carriage, con
veying four people atop: Mr. Morgan
with George's mother beside him, and,
In the rear seat, Miss Fanny Mlnafer
and the Hon. Georgo Amberson. AU
four seemed to be In the liveliest hu
mor, like high-spirited people upon a
new adventure; nnd Isabel waved her
handkerchief dashingly as tho cutter
Hushed by them.
"For tho Lord's sake!" George
gasped.
"Your mother's a dear," said Lucy.
"And sho does wear tho roost bewitch
ing things 1 Sho looked like a Russian
princess, though I doubt If they're that
handsome."
Georgo said nothing; ho drove on
till thoy had crossed Amberson addi
tion and reached tho stone pillars, at
the head of National avenue. There
he turned.
"Let's go back and take another look
at that old sewing machine," ho said.
"It certainly Is tho weirdest, era;
ziest " '
He left the sentenco unfinished, and
presently they wero again In sight of
tho old sewing machine. George shout
ed mockingly.
Alas i threo figures stood in the road,
and a pair of legs with the toes turned
up Indicated that a fourth figure lay
upon Its back In tho snow, beneath a
horseless carriage that had decided to
need a horse.
Georgo became vociferous with
laughter, and coming up to his trot
ter's best gait, snow spraying from
runners nnd every hoof, swerved to
the sldo of the road and shot by shout
ing, "Git a hoss I Git a hoss I Git a
hoss I"
Threo hundred yards away ho turned
and came back, racing; lenning out
ns he passed, to wavo Jeerlngly at tho
group about the disabled machine:
"Gltahossl Gltahossl Git a
The trotter had broken Into a gallop,
and Lucy cried a warning: "Be enre-
full" sho said. "Look whore you'ro
driving I There's n ditch on that side.
Look"
Georgo turned too late; tho cutter's
right runner went into tho ditch and
snapped off; the little sleigh upset,
and, after dragging its occupants somo
fifteen yards, left them lying together
In a bank of snow. Then tho vigorous
young horse kicked himself frco of
all annoyances and disappeared down
tho road, galloping cheerfully,
In fact encouraged by tho two older
gentlemen, tho entire party, with one
exception, decided thnt the episode
was after all n merry one, nnd began
to laugh about It But Georgo was
glummer than tho December twilight
now swiftly closing In.
"That darned horse 1" ho said.
"I wouldn't bother about Pcndennls,
Georgle,'1 said his uncle. "You can
send a man out for what's left of tho
cutter tomorrow, and Pendennls will
gallop home to his stable: he'll bo
there n long whllo before we will, be
cause all we've got to depend on to
get us homo Is Gene Morgan's broken
down chafing dish yonder."
They wero approaching the machine
ns he spoke, and his friend, again un
derneath It, heard him. Ho emerged,
smiling. "She'll go," he Bald.
"What 1"
"All aboard 1"
He offered his hand to Isabel. She
was smiling but still pale, and her
eyes, In spite of the smile, kept upon
George In a shocked anxiety. Miss
Fanny bad already mounted to tho
rear seat, and George, after helping
Lucy Morgan to climb up beside his
aunt was following. Isabel saw that
bis shoes were light things of patent
"II" sho cried. "I hnvo?"
"Oh, you think you keep It ort of little smoko bunging over the town,"
"Good Heavensl"
CHAPTER VII.
When Georgo regained somo meas
ure of his presence of mind Miss Lucy
Morgnn's cheek, snowy and cold, was
pressing his nose slightly to one side;
and a monstrous amount of her fur
boa seemed to mlnglo with an equally
implausible quantity of snow In his
mouth. Ho was confused, but con
sclous of no objection to any of tlieso
Juxtapositions. Sho was apparently
uninjured, for sho sat up, hatlcss, her
hair down, nnd said mildly:
"Good heavens I"
Though her father had been under
ids machine when they pnsscd, ho was
tho first to reach them. Ho throw
himself on his knees beside his daugh
ter, but found her already laughing,
and was reassured. "They'ro all
light," ho called to Isabel, who was
tunning toward them, ahead of her
brother and Fanny MInnfer. "This
bnowbunk's a feather bed nothing
tho matter with them at all. Don't
look so pale!"
"Georgle 1" sho gasped. "Georgiol"
Georgio wus on his feet, snow all
over him.
"Don't make n fuss, mother I Noth
ing's tho mntter. That darned silly
horse "
Sudden tears stood in Isabel's eyes.
"To see you down underneath drag
ging oh I " Then with shaking
hands sho began to brush the snow
from him.
"Lot mo alone," ho protested. "You'll
ruin your gloves. You'ro gutting snow
i all over you, and''
leuther, nnd tllnt snow was clinging
to them. She made a llttlo rush
toward him, and, ns ono of his feet
rested on tho Iron step of the machine,
In mounting, she began to clean the
snow from his shoe with her nlmost
aerial lace handkerchief. "You mustn't
catch cold I" she cried.
"Stop that!" George shouted, and
furiously withdrew his foot. "For
heaven's sake get in I You're stand
Ing in the snow yourself. Got in 1"
Isabel consented, turning to Morgan,
whoso habitual expression of nppre-
henslvcness was somewhat accentu
nted. He climbed up after her, Georgo
Amberson having gono to the other
side. "You're the same Isabel I used
to know!" ho said In a low voice,
"You're a divinely ridiculous woman,
"Am I, Eugene?" she said, not dis
pleased. "'Divinely' and 'ridiculous
Just counterbalance each other, don't
they? Plus ono and minus one equal
nothing; so you mean I'm nothing In
particular?"
"No," ho answored, tugging nt
lever. "That doesn't seem to bo pre
cisely what I meant There 1" This
exclamation referred to the subterra
ncan machinery, for dismaying sounds
camo from beneath tho floor, and tho
vehicle plunged, then, rolled noisily
forwnrd.
"liehoial" Georgo Amnerson ex
claimed. "Sho does move! It must
bo another accident"
"'Accident?'" Morgan shouted over
tho din. "No! Sho breathes, sho
stirs ; sho seems to feel a thrill of lifo
along her keel!" And he began to
sing "Tho Star Spangled Banner."
Amberson Joined him lustily, nnd
sang on when Morgan stopped. His
nephew, behind, was gloomy. lie had
overheard his mother's conversation
with tho, Inventor: it seemed curious
to him that this Morgan, of whom ho
had never heard until last night,
should bo using tho name "Isabel" so
easily; and George felt that It was not
Just tho thing for his mother to call
Morgan "Eugene;" the resentment of
tho previous night came upon George
again. Meanwhile his mother and
Morgan continued their talk; but he
could no longer hear what they said ;
tho nolso of tho car nnd his uncle's
songful mood prevented. He marked
how animated Isabel seemed; it was
not strange to see his mother so gay,
but it was strango that a man not of
tho family should ho tho cause of
her gayety. And George snt frowning.
Lucy turned to him. "You tried to
swing undernenth mo and bepak the
fall for mo when we went over," she
said. "I knew you wero doing that,
and it was nice of you."
"Wasn't any fall to speak of," ho
returned brusquely. "Couldn't hnvo
hurt either of us."
"Still it was friendly of you nnd
awfully quick, too. I'll not I'll not
forgot It I"
Her voice had a sound of genuine
ness, very pleasant, and Georgo be
gan to forget his nnnoyance with her
father, ThlB annoyance of his hud not
been alleviated by tho clrcumsuutc
that neither of the scats of tho old
sowing machlno was designed for
three people, but when his neighbor
spoko thus gratefully ho no longer
minded tho crowding In fact. It
plcnsed him bo much that he began to
wish Uio old sowing machine would go
oven slower. Georgo presently ad
dressed Lucy hurriedly, nlmost trem
ulously, speaking closo to her ear:
"I forgot to tell you something:
you're pretty nicol I thought bo the
first second I saw you last night 111
como for you tonight nnd take you to
tho Assembly nt tho Amberson hotel.
You'ro going, aren't you?"
"Yes, but I'm going with papa aud
the Sharons. I'll aeo you there."
"Well, we'll danco tho cotlllloa to
gether, anyhow."
I'm afraid not I promised Mr.
Kinney."
"What I" George's tono was
shocked, as nt Incredible news. "Well,
you could break that engagement I
guess, if you wanted to I Girls always
can get out of things when thoy want
to. Won't you?"
"I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"Becauso I promised hlra. Several
days ago."
"See here 1" said tho stricken George.
"If you're going to declino to dance
that cotillion with mo simply becauso
you've promised a a a miserable
red-headed outsider like Fred Kinney.
why we might ns well quit I"
"Quit what?"
"You know perfectly well what I
mean," he said huskily.
"I don't"
"Well, you ought tor
"But I don't nt oil I"
George, thoroughly hurt, and not a
llttlo embittered, expressed himself
In n short outburst of laughter: "Well,
I ought to have seen it i"
"Seen what?"
"That you might turn out to bo a
girl who'd like a fellow of tho red
headed Kinney sort I ought to have
seen It from the first 1"
Lucy bore her disgrace lightly. "On,
dancing a cotillion with a person
doesn't mean that you like him but
I don't see anything In particular the
matter with Mr. Kinney. What is?"
"I prefer not to discuss It," said
George curtly. "He's an enemy of
mine."
"Why?"
"I prefer not to discuss It"
"Well, but"
"I prefer not to discuss It!"
"Very well." She began to hum the
air of tho song which Mr. George Am
berson was now discoursing, "O moon
of my delight that knowa no wane"
and there was no further conversation
on tho back seat
The contrivance stopped with a
henrt-shnklng Jerk before Isabel's
house. The gentlemen Jumped down,
helping Isabel and Fanny to descend;
there were friendly lenvetaklnga and
one that was not precisely friendly.
"It's 'au revoir' till tonight tentltr
Lucy asked, laughing.
"Good afternoon !" said George, and
ho did not wait, as his relatives did, to
see the old sewing machine start brisk
ly down tho street, toward the Shnr
ons'; Its lighter load consisting now
of only Mr. Morgan nnd his daughter.
George went into the house at once.
He found his father reading tho
evening paper In the library. "Where
are your mother and your Aunt Fan
ny?" Mr. Mlnafer inquired, not look
ing up.
"They're coming," said his son ; and.
casting himself heavily into a chair,
stared at the fire.
His prediction was verified a few
moments Inter; the two ladies camo
in cheerfully, unfastening their fur
cloaks. "It's all right, Georgle," said
Isabel. "Your Uncle George called to
us that Pendennls got home safely.
Put your shoes close to the fire, dear,
or else go and change them."
"Look here," said George abruptly.
"How about this man Morgan and his
old sewing mnchine? Doesn't ho want
to got grandfather to put money into
It? Isn't he trying to work Uncle
George for that? Isn't that what he's
up to?"
It was Miss Fanny who responded.
"You llttlo silly 1" she cried, with sur
prising shnrpness. "What on enrth
nro you talking nbout? Eugene Mor
gan's perfectly able to finance his own
inventions tlieso dnys."
"He strikes me as that sort of
man," George answered doggedly.
"Isn't lie, fnther?"
MInnfer set down his pnper for the
moment. "Ho wns a fairly wild young
fellow twenty years ago," ho said,
glancing nt his wife absently. "He
wns like you In ono tiling, Georgio: ho
spent too much money only he didn't
havo any mother to get money out of
a grandfather for him, so ho wns usu
ally In debt. But I believe I've heard
he's done fairly well of Into years.
No, I can't nay I think he's a wlu
dlcr, and I doubt if he needs anybody
else's money to hack his horscleuH car
riage." "Well, what's ho brought the old
thing here for, then? People thnt own
elephants don't take their elephants
nround with 'em when they go visit
ing. What's ho got it here for?"
"I'm sure I don't; know," said Mr.
Mlnafer, resuming his paper. "You
might ask him."
Isabel laughed and patted her hus
band's shoulder again. "Aren't youi
going to dress? Aren't wo all going i
to the dance?"
It proves to be a happy
cotillion for George and
Lucy.
ITU llii LUNTiNUfaU)