NORTH PLATTE SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE.
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Copyright by Donbleday, Takb
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CHAPTER XVII.
12
George choked. For nn histnnt ho
wns on the point of breaking down, but
he conminndcd himself, bravely dis
missing the self-pity roused by her
compassion, "How can I help but be?"
bo fiaUL
uNo, no." She Boothcd him. "You
Mustn't. You mustn't bo troubled, no
matter what happens."
"That's easy enough to say!" ho
protested; and he moved as If to rise.
"Just let's stay like this a little
while, dear. Just a minute or two.
I want to tell you: Brother Gcorgo
has been here, and ho told mo every
thing about about how unhappy you'd
been and how you went so gallantly
to that old woman." Isabel gave a sad
little laugh. "What a terrible old
woman she is I What a really tcrrlblo
thing a vulgar old woman cun be I"
"Mother, I " And again ho moved
to rise.
"Must you? It seemed to mo such n
oomfortable way to talk. Well" Sha
yielded; ho rose, helped her to her
feet, und pressed the light Into being.
As the room took life from tho sudden
lines of nro within tho bulbs Isabel
made a deprecatory gesture, und, with
a faint laugh of apologetic protest,
turned quickly away from George.
What eho meant was: "You mustn't
boo my faco until I've made it nicer
for you." Then sho turned again to
mm her eyes downcast but no sign
of tears In them, and sho contrived to
show him that there was tho scm
bianco of a smile upon her Hps. Sho
etlli wore her lint, and In her unsteady
lingers sho held u whlto envelope,
aomowhat crumpled.
"Now, mother"
"Walt, dearest.' she snlil: nttrt
though ho Btooxl stono coh sho lifted
hor aJ?H2' P-Ut t,lcm round 4llni "BnlUi
and pressed her cheek lightly to Wb.
!0h, you do look so troubled) noor
dear I Ono thing you couldn't ddubf,
belovcr boy. You know I could never
caro for anything In tho world us I
euro for you never, never I"
1 "Now, mother "
Sho released him nnd stepped back.
"Just fa moment more dearest. I wnnt
you to rend this first ,Wo can got at
things better." Sho pressed Into his
ndnd tho envelope sho had brought
with her, nnd as ho opened It and be
tan to read tho long lnclosure sho
walked slowly to tho other end of tho
room ; then stood there, with lier bnck"
to him, nnd her bond drooping a little,
ntll ho hnd finished.
The ehects of papor wero covered
with Eugene's hundwrltlnir.
"Gcorgo Amberson will bring youi
ui.ua. lonuui, JJ.U IB WlUUUg WIlllO
1 write. lie nnd I huvo talked things'
over, nnd beforo ho gives this to you
tie will tell you what has happened. B
ought to huvo known it was coming,)
Decauso I havo understood for qulto m
iong time that young Gcorgo wns get
ting to dislike mo more nnd more.
Somehow, I've nover been able to get
Tils friendship ; ho's always hnd n Intent
dlBtrust of me or something Uko dis
trust and perhaps that's mndo mo
iwmetlmes n llttlo nwkwnrd nnd dlfll-
dont with, him. I think it mny bo ho!
Jfelt from tho firstthat I cared u grout
(denl about you, and ho ntvturnlly re
t6ontcd It I think perhaps, lio felt this
feven during all, 'tho tuna when I wasl
o careful- at least I, thought I was i
not to show, ovon to you, how Im
mensely I did caro. It's perfectly com
prehensible to inolso, that ut his ngo
( Euaeno's Handwrltlnfl.
win irntn oTclted about kossId. Dear
Isabel, whnt I'm trying to get nt, In my
confused way, is that you and I don't
caro about this nonsensical gossip, our
selves, at nil. Yesterday I thought tho
time bad como when I could uok you
to marry mo, nnd you wero dear
enough to mo to tell nio sometime It
Bight como to that,' Well, you and I,
tft to ourselves, and knowing whnt
huvo been und what wo are, we'd
fy as jauch attention to 'talk' us wo
A 1
i: Amber
icen'
By BOOTH TARKINGTON
& Company.
) would to nny other kind of old cats'
. I mewing! We'd not bo very apt to let
such things keep us from the plenty of
life wo havo loft to us for making up
to ourselves from old unhnpplness and
mistakes. But now we're faced with
not the slnndcr nnd not our own fear
of It, because wo haven't nny, but
somcono else's feur of It your son's.
And, oh, dearest woman In tho world,
I know what your son Is to you, and It
frightens met Let mo explain a llttlo:
I don't think he'll change nt twenty
ono or twenty-two so mnny things n"p
pear solid und permanent and tcrrlblo
which forty sees are nothing but dis
appearing mlasmn. Forty can't tell
twenty nbout this; Hint's tho pity of
It I Twenty can find out only by get
ting to bo forty. And so wo come to
UiiS: !iciir;.)v'y ya ,lvo yur own ,,fo
your way, or Gcorgo's wny? I'm going
n little further, because it would bo
fntnl not to bo wholly frank now.
Gcorgo will net townrd you only as
your long worship of him, your sue-
lllccs all tho unseen llttlo ones every
day since ho was jjorn will make him
net ,Denr, It breaks rhy jieart for you,
but whnt you hnvo to opposj) now is
tho history of your own selfless nnd
perfect motherhood. I remember sny
Ing once that whnt you worshiped In
your fion was tho nngol you saw In him
nnd I still bellovo that is truo of
every mother. But In a mother's wor
ship sho may not seo thnt tho will In
her son should not nlwnys bo offered in
cense nloug with tho nngel. I grow sick
with fear for you for both you nnd
me when I think how tho will ugulnst
us two hnB grown strong through tho
lovo you havo given tho angel nnd
how long your own sweet will hnn
served thnt other. Are you strong
enough, .Isabel? Can you mnko tho
light? I promise you thnt If you will
take henrt for It, you will find so quick
ly that it bus nil amounted to nothing.
You shall havo happiness, nnd, in n
llttlo while, only happiness. You need
only to write mo n line I enn't como
to your house and tell me where you
will moot me. Wo will como back In
n month, and tho nngel ,ln your son
will bring him to you; I promise It
Wllnt is good In him will grow so fine,
once" you havo benten the turbulent
will but It must be beaten I
"Your brother, Jkhnt good friend, is
waiting" with such ntlenco; I should
not Keep' mm longer nnu i am snying
too much Sot wisdom I fenr. Bat, oh,
my dear, w.on't you h& strong such u
llttlo short , strength It would ncedl
Don't fltrlko iny Hfo down twice, dear
this timo I've not deserved it
"EUGENE."
Concluding this missive, Gcorg
tossed it abruptly from hlm so one
sheet fell upon', his Jbcd nnd1 the others
upon the floor ; nnu nt tho fulnt' nolso
of their falling Isnbel enme, and, kneel
ing, began to gather tthem up
"Did you- mid It, dtcnr?"
Georgo's fnco was pale no- longer,.
but pink with fury. "3Ies, I dldr
"All of It??' eho a8Ueit gently, as eho
rose.
"Certnlnlyr
Sho did not look ntlhlmv but kcntiSer
eyes downeant upon the-letter' lm. lier
hands, tremulously rearranging tbe;
sheets In order ns h- spoke read:
though she smiled, her smile was aai
tremulous as Iter bnndsi. Nervousness
und an Irresistible tlnxldSty possessed)
her. "I I wanted to sayafieorgo," sJJo-i
faltered. "I felt that ifIf somo dayU
it stiouiu happen l niennu.li you came.
to feel differently about it, and EU-
geno and I that Is If weffound thaUlb
seemed tho most senslblo thing to do
I was afraid ytm might think. It would)
bo a llttlo queer nbout Iaey. I iniau
If If sho weso your stop-elstor. 0C
courso, eho'd not bo ovon. legally ro-
luted to you,, and If you if you. caredf
for her "
Thus fur sho got stutabllngly wlthj
what sho wanted to say, whllo Gcorgo,
watched her with a gaze that gjew
harder and hotter ; but bore ho cub her
off. "I hnvo already gjven up all Idea
of Lucy," ho saltL "Naturally, I
couldn't havo treated her father ns I
deliberately did treat him I could
hardly havo dono that and cxpecUd his
daughter ever to speak to me afinln."
Isabel gave a quick cry of compas
sion, but ho allowed her no opportunity
to speak. "You needn't tlilnk I'm
making any particular sacrifice," he
said sharply, "though I would, quickly
enough, If I thought It noccssnry In a
mutter of honor Uko this. I was Inter-
I ested In her, and I could even say 1
dtd enro for hor ; but sho proved pretty
I satisfactorily thnt sho cared llttlo
enough about mo I Tho truth Is, we'ro
not congenial nnd wo'd fouud thnt
much out, nt least, before sho left. Wo
should nover havo been hnppy; eho
wns 'superior nil tho time, and critlcnl
of me not very plcnsnnt, that I
don't think sho has tho very deepest
nature In tho world, and"
But Isnbel put her hand timidly on
his arm. "George, dear, this is only a
quurrcl; all young people huvo them
beforo they got adjusted, ami you
mustn't let"
"If you pleasol" ho said cmphatlcal
lv. moving buck from her. "Tins isir
that kind. It's all ovor, und I don't
euro to speak of It again. It's settled
Don't you understand 1"
"But, dear "
sons i
a
a
"No. I wnnt to tnlk to you ubout
this letter of her father's."
"Yes, dear, that's why "
"It's simply tho most offenslvo pleco '
of writing i thnt I've ever held In my
hands 1"
She stepped back from him, startled.
"But, denr, I thought"
"I can't understand your oven Know
ing mo such n thing I" ho cried. "How
did you happen to bring it to mo?"
"Your uncle thought I'd better. Ho
thought It was tho simplest thing to
"I Am Doing WbatMy Father Would
Do If Ho Vre Alive."
do, nnd ho said that he'd KUggestcd ft fo
Eugene, and Eugcno had agreed. They
thought"
"Yesl" George said bitterly. "I
should Ilko to hear whnt ttcy thought 1"
"They thought It would be the most
straightforward thing."
George drew n long brenlnt "Well,
what do yon think, mother ?'y
"I thought It would be the simplest
nnd most sSralgbtforward tiling; I
thought they wero right."
"Very well I We'll agree It avus" slm'
pie nnd straightforward. Now, what
do-you think of that letter Itself?"
Sho hesitated, looking1, a-way. "Iotf
courso I don't agree with him In the
way He speaks of youy dear except'
about the angel 1 I doa'b agree with
somo oC the things-' lie implies. You've
always been unselJsh nobody knows
ithnt better thun year mother.
"And' yet," George broo In, "yon
see what he implies about mo. Don't
jou think, really, that this Was a, pret-
ty Insulting letter for that mail' to bo
inking you to' hand your son?? y'
"Oh, no!" she crledV "You'oThow
fuirhomennwtobe, a''Oe'Slln,t'ask
(for mo to glwttio yult was ..brother
Gwrgo tvKo--''
"Never mind: that, nowrl Tom say
ho tries to bo-fair nndiyet do-.you sop
pos It ovor orcenrs to him that I'm
doing my simple- duty?' That I'rondoing
what my father wouldl-do If-he-were
nllvo?1 ThntfHm! ilolnir-what niTvfnther
wnnlfti ask nt. to ilo iff ha couldi sneak
from.tils graw out yonder? Do. you
sunncwe it nvi ftceursito thatimiui for
I ono minuto that I'm, nrotectlnB my
Imothor?" Goonrc rnlsarf his volte ad-
tlvnnolre iinnmttka holnlbss lndVi fierce-
?Py; and sho -cowld onljj bend her.-head
beforo-blm. "He tnlkssnboutanvr 'Will'
1 how it inuat be beaten down.? yes,
nnd ho asks ray mothar to da that lit-
tie thine to xiicnso ltfm! What for?
Why oes( ho? -wnnt m 'beaten' by my
mothor? Because llai trying to pro-
tcct her mima! He's, gut my mother's
nnmo .bandied! up andidown the, streets
of thte towm till I can't step la those
Btroufcs wtthtfut wondering what every
soul 3 meet! is thinking of me and of
my fiimlly, and now he wanto you to
innrny Ulna so than every Kossip m
town will iy 'Thore-t Wlinh did I tell-
you? I gsicss that proves It's truo I'
You can't got awny, from It ; Hint's ex-
ncUy whnt they.'U! sny, nnd this man
nrttends ho euros for von. nnd yet
asl;s yoa to maury him niul glvo them
tho rlglii to say It He soys he and
you doa't cuie whnt thry Btiy but I
know better I He may nst care prob
r -
ably h'a that kind but yon Co, There Pinned to the cover of his dressing ta
novcr wns an. Ambersoni yot that would I ble wns n BQunre envelope, with the
let the Amborson nam go trailing In
tho dust like thnt I It's the proudest
nnroe In this town, and If a going to
stny e proudest ; and I tell you that's
the deepest thing la my nutiirc not
that I'd expect Eugene Morgan to m-
iicrstund tho very deepest thing In my
nuture is to protect that nnmo and to
fight for It to the lost breath when
dunger threcen9 It as It does now
through my mother l" no turned from
her striding up und down and tossing
his nrnis nbout In n tumult of gesture.
"I enn't bellovo It of you thnt you'd
think of such n sacrilege I That's
what It would be sncrllcgo 1 When ho
talks nbout your unselfishness townrd
mo ho's right you hnvo been unselfish
and you hnvo been n perfect mother.
But what nbout him? Is It unselfish
of him to wnnt you to throw uwuy
yotn good nnmo Just to plcnso him?
That's nil he asks of you and to quit
being my mother I Do you think I can
bellevo you really enro for him? I
don't I You nro my mother and you're
nn Amberson und I believe you'ro too
proud! You'ro too proud to enro for
n man who could write such a letter
ns thnt 1" llo stopped, fnced her, nnd
spoko with more uclf-control : "Well,
whnt nro you going to do nbout It,
mother?"
Gcorgo wns right nbout his mother's
being proud. And even when sho
lnughed with n negro gardener, or even
those few times In her life when peo
ple saw her weep, Isnbel had a proud
look something thnt wns Independent
nnd graceful und strong. But she did
not hnve It now: Sho ienned ngnlnst
tho wall, beside his dressing tnble, nnd
seemed beset with humility and with
weakness. Her bend drooped.
"What answer nro you going to
mnko to such n letter?" George de
manded, like a judgo on tho bench.
"I I don't qulto know, dcur," she
murmured.
"You don't?" ho cried. "You"
"WaIt,"j3ho begged him. "I'm so
confused." "I want to know what you'ro going
to write him. Do you think If you
did what he wants you to I could
I bear to stay another day In this town,
mother7 Do you think I could ever
bear even to seo you again If you
married him? I'd want to, but you
surely know I just couldn't 1"
Sho mndo n -futile gesture, nnd
seemed to brentho with difficulty. "I
I wnsn't quite sure," sho fnltcred,
"nbout nbout it's being wise for us
to bo mnrrled even beforo knowing
how you feel nbout It I wnsn't even
sure it wns quite fair to to Eugene.
I have I seem to havo that family
trouble like father's that I fepoke
to you about once." Sho managed a
deprecatory llttlo dry laugh. "Not
that It amounts to much, but I wasn't
at nil sure thnt It would be fnlr to
him. Mnrrylng doesn't menn so much,
nfter all not ut my nge. It's enough
to know that that people think of
you and to see them. I thought wo
were all oh, pretty happy the way
thlugs were, and I don't think It would
mean giving up a great (deal for him
or me, cither, if we Just TVent on as
wo have been. I I see him almost
every day, and
"Mother I" George's voice vfttU loutf
nnd stern. "Do you think you could
go ono seeing him after this I"
no nnu neen talking helplessly
enough before; her tone was little
more broKen now. "JJbt not even -
him?"
How could you?" Georgtf cried.
"MiSCIier, it seems to mo that if ho
ever tfef foot In this houso agflsn
oh! I enri't sneak of it! Could ?u
seo him, knowing" what talk It mnlcdtf
every tlnM ho turns info this street,
and knowing-whnt that means to me I
Oh, I don't understand all this I
don't! If yctl told me; a year ago,
thnt snch things wero going to hap
pen, I'd hnvo thought you Wre ln
snne nnd now I believe I am V
Then, nfter n prellmlnnry gesttwo' of
dbspalr, ns though He meawB hnrav to
tho celling, he flung' himself heavily,
fnee downward, upoil tho Sedl Sis
angtilsn was none the1' less real' for
Its vehemence ; and the' strlcSa"-01''-
t,i .' -i.-, . iMiilt over
him nv,nn.- .fl!lngf him In her
rjno said noiWng, but suddenly
arms.
ior fears fell, upon his lioad ; she saw
them, and seemed to bo startled.
'Oh. this won't do I" sho said. "I've
never let you, see mo cry before, ex-
cept when your, futher died, jl
mustn't I"
And sho rnn from the room.
A llttlo while nfter she had
gone, Gcorgo roso nnd began solemnly
to dress for dinner.
Tie snt' gnuntly nt the dinner tnble
with Fnnny toi pnrtnke of a raenl
throughout which neither spoke. Is-
abol had sent word "not to wait" for
her, an, Injunction it wns ns well they
obeyed; for sho uia not como nt nu.
But with tho renewal of sustenance
furnished, to his system, somo relax-
ntion must nave occurreu wiuun me
high-strung ueorge. umner wns not
qulto finished when, without wnrnlng,
sleep, hit him hnrd. Ills burning eyes
coulu, no longer restrain tno nas noovo
thorn,;. Ws head sagged beyond con-
trol; and he got his reet, anu went
lurching npstnlrs, yawning witn ex-
haustlon. From the door or his room,
which he closed mechanically, with his
oyes shut, ho went blindly to his bed,
fell upon it soddenly, and; slept witn
hlB- faco full upturned to. tho light
.... it wns
it was ncter miunignc
when ho woke, nnd the room wns dark
He had not dreamed, but he woke with
the sense thnt somebody or sometning
nau Deen witn nun, wnne ne siupi
somebody or something Infinitely com-
passlonnte; somebody or something ln.
finitely protectlvev thnt wouiu let una
como to no hnna nnd to no grief.
Ho got up, and pressed the light on.
words, "For you, dear," written m
pencil upon It But tho message in-
sldo was In ink, a llttlo smudged hero
nnd there.
"I hnTo been out to the mail box,
darling, with u letter I'te written to
Eugene, nnd ho'U have it In tho morn-
jnK. it would bo unfulr not to let
hlra know nt once, nnd my decision
could not chnngo If 1 waited. It would
nlwnys bo tho snme. I think It Is
n llttlo better for mo to write to you.
i0 this, lnstend of wnltlng till you
wnke up nnd then telling you, because
I'm foolish nnd might cry ngnln, nnd
I took u vow onco, long ngo, that you
should never seo mo cry. I think
whnt makes mo most rendy to cry
now Is tho thought of the terrible suf
fering : our poor face, and tho un
happy kno'"i''lgo Hint It Is ' rmir
mother, who put It there. It shnll
never come ngnlnl I love you better
thnn anything nnd everything else on
enrth. God gnvo you to me nnd oh I
how thankful I hnvo been every any
of my life for that sacred gift and
nothing can ever como between me
und God's gift. And Eugcno wns
right I know you couldn't chnngo
nbout this. Your suffering shows how
deep-sentcd the feeling Is within you.
So I've written him Just nbout whnt
I think you would like mo to though
I told him I would nlwnys be fond of
him nnd nlwnys his best friend, nnd I
hoped his denrest friend. He'll under
stand nbout not seeing him. He'll un
derstand that, though I didn't say It
In so many words. You mustn't trou
blo nbout thnt he'll understnnd.
Good-nlght, my darling, my beloved,
my beloved! You mustn't be trou
bled. I think I shouldn't mind nny
thlng very much so long ns I hnvo
you nil to 'myself ns people sny to
mnko up for your long yenrs nwny
from mo nt college. We'll tnlk of
what's best to do In the morning,
shan't wo? And for all this pnln you'll
forglvo your loving nnd devoted
mother. "ISABEL."
CHAPTER XVIII.
Hnvlng finished some errands downJ
town, the next afternoon, George Am
berson Mlnnfer was walking up Nation
al avenue on his homeward wny when
he snw in the dlstnnce, coming toward
him, upon the same side of the street,
the figure of n young lndy n figure
just under tho middle height, comely
Indeed, nnd to be mlstnken for none
other In the world even nt two hun
dred ynrds. To his sharp discomfiture
his henrt Immediately forced upon him
the consciousness of its acceleration ; a
sudden wnrmth nbout his neck made
him nwnro thnt he hnd turned red,
and then, departing, left him pnle. For
a panicky moment he thought of fac
ing nbout in actual flight ; he had little
doubt that Lucy would meet blm with
no token of recognition, and all at
once this probability struck him ns un
endurable. And if she did not spenk,
wns It the proper pnrt of chivalry to
lift his lint and take the cut bare
headed? Or should the finer gentle
man acquiesce in the lady's desire for
no further acquaintance, and pass her
with stony mlcw and eyes constrained
forward? George was n young mnn
badlf flustered.
As tjiey drew nearer George tried to
prepare Iilmself to meet her with some
remnant df. aplomb. lie kept his eyes
from looking" ,full at her, nnd ns ho
saw her thus dose nt hand, nnd com
ing nearer, vn regret that wns dum
fbtmdlng took' possession pf him. For
the first time holmd the sense of hav
ing fa9t,somctliingof oVtrwhelmftig 1m
portttiiCev Lucy did not keep" to' the right,
Btit came straight to meet him, smil
ing, nnd with her lrtind offered vto him.
''Why you" he shimmered, as he
took- it "Have-n't $ot" Wins he
meant to'say wns? Ittevaftifiyon henrd?"
"Haven't; X what?" she mked ; nnd he
saw that Eugene had nof told her.
"Nothing rr he gfMpedU , "May I
ntay I turn and wnlk
way?" afsnld cordially.
'Z'5dleJ&,hnve nltored, what hnd
neen done: he wns satisfied with nil
thntr-satisfied that it was right, and
that his own course was right. But he
began to perceive a striking Inaccu
racy in some remarks ho had made to
his mother. Now when he had put
matters in such shape that even by
the relinquishment of his "Ideals of
life" he could not have Lncy, knew
that he never could have her, nnd
knew that when Eugene told her the
history of yesterday he could not have
n glance or a word even, friendly from
I.... nnitr iirfinn lift Tnnal In rcni tmtll t
1 i I i W II . . . L 1 ...... J , . . . fuwu v-..-
"give up nil Idea o ILucy," he wns
nmnzed thnt ho coulrtl hnve used suohi
words ns "no particular sacrifice," nnrtl
believed them whemne snld them ! She
had looked never miller life so bewitwto
Ingly pretty ns shu did to-dny ; npdl as
ho wnlked beside; her he wns sow?, tfont
she wns the mostr exqulslto thln3;im the
world.
"Lucy," he said huskily, "U wiunt to
tell you somatWng. Something thnt
mutters."
"I hope It's, a lively somcthlnffi. then,"
sho said, ond laughed. "Capw's been
so glum today ho's scarcaljv spoken to
me. xoux uncic ueouge- amuersun
came to see hlra an houn ago. and they
shut themselves up In the library, nnd
your uncle looked ns. HlUW as papn.
I'll bo glnd If you'll toll: boo n funny
story,, George."
"Well, It mny seoni) one to you," he.
snld bitterly. "Just to. begin with.?
j wtMV you wct awny you didn't 1st
, j.now . not WQQ a word not
uae
Her mnnner persisted In being; h
consequent. "Why, no," sho salct. J
Just trotted oSC for some visits. Boat
you remembc, George? we u 4n n
grand qunrjel, wad didn't spsnk to
each other all the wny homo firom n
long, long drivel So, ns we- oouldn't
nlny touother like good clutqren, or
courso it was plain that w oughtn't
to play at all."
"PlnjI" he cried.
"Yes What I mean is that we'd come
to the point whero It wqj time to quit
nlnytaR well, whnt we wero plnying."
"At being lovers, sou menn, don't
you?"
"Something Uko that," she snld light
ly. "For us two, plnylne nt being
lovers wns Just the same as pinying nt
cross-purposeb. I hnd nil the pur
poses, nnd thnt gave you nil tho cross
ness; things weren't getting nlong nt
nil. It wus absurd 1"
"Well, hnvo It your own wny," he
snld. "It needn't hnvo been absurd."
"No, It couldn't help but bo!" she
Informed him cheerfully. "Tho wny
i am and th wny you nro, It couldn't
ever bo nny thing elso. So what wns
the use?"
"I don't know," ho sighed, and his
sigh wus nbysmnl. "Bnt whnt I wnnt
cd to tell you wns this: when you
went nwny, you didn't let mo know
and didn't care how or when I heard
It, but I'm not like that with you.
This time I'm going nwny. Thnt's
what I wanted to tell you. I'm going
nwny tomorrow night Indefinitely.
Lucy, this Is our lust wnlk to
gether." "Evidently I" she snld. "If you're go
ing nwny tomorrow night."
"Lucy this mny be tho Inst time
I'll see you over ever In my life."
At thnt she looked up nt him quick
ly, ncross her shoulder, but smiled ns
brightly ns before, nnd with tho
snmo cordlnl inconsequence: "Oh, I
enn hnrdly think thnt I" she snld. "And
of course I'd be nwfully sorry to think
It You'ro not moving nwuy, aro you,
to live?"
"I don't know when I'm coming
back. Mother nnd I arc stnrtlng tomor
row night for n trip around tho
world."
At this sho did look thoughtful.
"Your mother Is going with you?" I
"Good heavens I" he groaned. "Lucy,
doesn't It make nny difference to you
thnt I am going?" ,J
At this Her cordial smllo Instantly
npjiimred ngnln.
"Yes, of course," she" Hold. "I'm sure
I'll miss ytnt ever so much, Are yoa
to be gone Io j?"
Ho stured nt lier wanly. "1 told yoa
Indefinitely," ho snld. "We've tnnde
no plnns nt nil for coming back,"
"Thnt does sound like a long trip!"
she exclnlmed ndmlrlngly. "Do you
plnn to be traveling nil the time, or
will you etny in somo one plnco the"
grenter pnrt of It? I think It would
be lovely to "
He halted; nnd she stopped1 tvi'tf
him. They hnd come to a corner nt
tho edge of the "business section" of
the city, and people were everywhere
nbout them, brushing ngalnst then?,
sometimes, In passing.
"I can't stand this." George said, In
n low voice. "I'm just nbout rendy to
go in this drug store here, nnd nsk
the clerk for something to keep me
from dying in my tracks I It'a quite a
shock, you see, Lucyl'"
"Whnt is?" '
"To find out cc'ltnlnly, at last, how
deeply you've enretf for me J To see
how much difference this makes to
you I By Jove, I hnve mattered to you I
Her cordlnl smile was tempered now
with good nnturc. "George!" She
lnughed Indulgently. "Surely you don't
wnnt me to do pathos on a dow
town corner 1"
"You wouldn't 'do paffooa' any
where !"
"Well don't yciu think pafhow ltf
generally rather foozling?"
"I can't stnnd this nny longer," hw
said. "I enn't! Good bye, LucyP' He
took her band. "It's gcd bye I think
It's good bye for good, Lucyl"
"Good bye! I do hope ydu'll hnve the
most splendid trip." She gave his hand
Sho; Had Not Gone, Qt but Stood
Watching Wm,
3) cordial little grlfy then released It
lightly. "Give my Ipvo to your mother.
Cjood bye I"
He turned heajrily away, and n mo
ment later glanced back over his
shoulder. She, had not gone on, but
stood watching W;u, that same casual,
cordial smile? on her faco to the very
last; and now, as he looked back,
emphnslzedi her friendly unconcern by
waving lisr small hnnd to him cheer
ily, thoujh perhnns with the slightest
hint of. preoccupation, ns if she hnd
begun, to think of tho errnaii that
brought her down town.
Lvwy remained where she was until
ho was out of sight. Then, she wont
slowly Into tho drug store which hnd
struck Georgo as n posslbl source of
stimulant for himself.
"Plense let mo havo a few drops of
nromntlc splrltB of nmmonln In a glass
of wnter," sho snld, with tho utmost
composure.
"Yes, mn'am!" 6ald the impression
able clerk, who had been looking nc
her through tho dlsplny window ns sh
stood on the corner.
(TO DE CONTINUED.) "
Very Few Are.
"No mnn I ever saw," said Uncle
Eben, "wns qulto as good his own
se'f ns he thought nv'ybody else ought
to be."
j
w m i ri