Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1905-04-14
7 A F RIEND y
OF THE |
FAN lily. !
70 efy



have told him, it was the only girl.
And they had just been parted for a
whole year by over-anxious, interior
ing parents. A whole year, with moth
ing in the world to look forward to
but one letter month.
Twelve-only twelve in the whole
year." George had groaned, even
after Mabel had faithfully promised to
begin her letter on the first day of the
month, write it like a diary and dis
patch by the very last post on the
very last day, so that he should really
have moderately fair idea of what
she was doing. Even this had not
consoled him, and, sick at heart he
left her and took his way to Victoria
station, there to catch his train home.
But as he entered the yard CHEEKY
voice greeted him.
George" it cried, are you cutting
me?s'
"Oh, Mrs. Frank, never saw you, "
he said listlessly.
The young-faced, snow-white-haired,
well-preserved looking woman glanced
sharply at him.
What's the matter, Georgie?" she
asked, kindly note in her voice.
He looked still listlessly away from
her over the station yard.
Nothing" he said, and then sud-
denly, with such a rush of feeling in
his eyes that she wondered with half
g
'sOh, Mrs Frank, I've just said good
by to Mabel, and-and-and l am go
ing home" he ended bitterly.
My dear boy! | am so sorry.
didn't know. What is it? There-don't
go home-tell me all about it-come
and dine with me instead"
And she was SO kind, :"
wrote George in his dairy-lilSe letter
that night. 81 told her all about you.
You must have met her, Mabel, darl-
ing. Don't you remember a woman
with snow-white hair-a friend of the
family"
They were charming flats, and Mrs.
Franks was perhaps the incest in the
whole block. Possibly because she
had large veranda, beautifully fitted
up, where coffee and liqueurs were
served every night after dinner.
1t was just six months since that
bitter parting between Mabel and
George Time was beginning to have
a soothing effect on Mabel, though her
letters were still faithfully dairy-like.
George, it would seem, felt the part
ing as deeply as ever. He still needed
consolation, and he received it, with
coffee and liqueurs, from friend of
his family at least three times a week.
She had been very kind, very good,
very patient. She had listened to
Georges rawlings, and agreed, with
him on every point anent the perfec-
tons of his fair one, and she was
gaining her reward This nice young
fellow whom she had truly tried to
help, began to show that she had real
ly done him good. That he saw the
wisdom of not worrying, but loving
silently on, waiting patiently for the
end of that long year which, of course,
was bound to come.
And now he could really talk of
other things besides his own sad feel
ings and the marvellous projections of
Mabel. He seemed to take an interest,
for instance, in generalities about
women. He no longer held up Mabel
as a type or used her always as an
example He could speak quite gen.
orally. even if sometimes it was a
little vaguely, about the fair sex; and
no more, as at first, did he forget his
simple duties in the matter OF flowers
and theatre tickets for the friend OF
his family who SO often played his
hostess. In fact, he grew more nor
NAL, and Mrs. Frank felt she had only
done her duty when she had tried to
console and help such very nice boy.
For there was no doubt about it.
George was very nice boy. And a
presentable, withal Moreover. he had
all those little charms which never
fail to appeal to women of any age.
In his manner to them there was that
air of reverence which comes only
from the heart of a very good or the
head of very bad man. In Georges
case there, of course. was no question
which Mrs. Frank had more than
once caught herself wondering if, had
she sOn-but somehow. when the
wonder reached that point it failed
for want of interest. That Georgia.
mother had brought him up very nice
|-ly, there was no denying. And. he
made charming cavalier. Every de
sirable touch of polish, mingled with
plenty of savoir faire, that yet had
nothing blase or self-opinionated about
it. Really. sometimes, too, she half
wondered if Mabel were quite-quite-
The veranda was empty save for its
owner She was having tea quite alone,
and was reading. Suddenly the cur
tain into the long room behind was
thrust back, and an excited, eager boy
entered.
Mrs. Frank, Mrs. Frank he cried
failing to greet her. "Oh, what do
you think? You will be so glad.
know. You have been so good. Ma
bel
Mrs. Frank had listened SO far
silently. Now she interrupted him.
There was touch of Impotence, al
most sharpness, in her voice. 1t was
no doubt irritating to be interrupted
in the middle of truly reasonable
article, one might almost say treatise
on the very latest method Of ramovin q