The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-04-06
: A FRIEND !
OF THE
FAM lily. !


TSo-
"Hullo, George, what's up? You
look pretty sick. Anether?" Walter
Crane chuckled lightly as he regarded
the gloomy looking young man he had
just met.
George Carter looked at him dis
gustedly for half a minute.
His reply was short, If not proven
SiaIly sweet. Get out" he said, as,
slowly as before, he resumed his walk
down the Buckingham Palace road.
Mr.. Crane looked after him quizzi'
cally.
"Bet it's a girl" he said softly, and
then he too went his way.
It was a girl, or, as George would
have told him, it was the only girl
And they had just been parted for a
whole year by over-anxious, 1nterfer-
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 a 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?'
"Oh, Mrs. Frank, 1 never saw you"
he said Hstlessly.
The young-faced, snow-white-haired,
well-preserved looking woman glanced
sharply at him.
whats the matter, Georg1e? she
asked, a 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 rush OF feeling In
his eyes that she wondered with half
a shock If it were tears.
''Oh, Mrs. Frank, I've just said good
nv to Mabel, and-and-and / am go
ing home" he ended bitterly.
MY dear boy! 1 am 50 sorry.
didn't know. What is it? There-don't
70 home-tell me all about it-come
and dine with me instead"
"And she was so kind,
wrote George in his dairy-like letter
that night. Il 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 fats, and Mrs.
Franks was perhaps the incest in the
whole block. Possibly because she
had a large veranda, beautifully fitted
up. where coffee and liqueurs were
served every night after dinner.
It 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 we're still faithfully dairy-like.
Georsie. 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 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 pertec-
tions 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
" 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 perfectons Oh
Mabel. He seemed to take an interest,
for instance, in generalities about
women. He no longer held up Mabel
as type or used her always as an
example He could speak quite gen.
erallN even if sometimes it was
little vaguely, about the fair sex; and
no more, \as at first, did he forget his
simple duties in the matter OF f1Wers
and theatre Tickets for the friend of
his family who SO often played his
hostess. In fach> he grew more nor
nal, and Mrs. Frank felt she had only
done her duty when she had tried to
console and help such q very nice boy.
For there was no doubt about 1t.
George was a very nice boy. And
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 very good or the
head of a very bad man. In Georges
case there, of course, was no question
which. Mrs. Frank had more than
once caught herself wondering if, had