The Taney County republican., 1905-05-04
A FRIEND OF
THE FAMILY

Just met.
George Carter looked at him dis.
gustedly for half minute.
His reply was short. II not pro
verbally sweet. Get out" he said.
% slowly as before he resumed his
walk down the Buckingham Palace
road.
Mr.. Crane looked after him quizzi-
cally.
But it's a girl he said softly, and
then he too went his way.
1t was girl. or, as George would
have told him 1t was the only girl
And they had just been parted for q
whole year by over.anxious, interfering
parents. A whole year, with nothing
in the world to look forward to DIT
one letter a month.
'Twelve-only twelve In the whole
year." George had groaned, even after
Mabel had faithfully promised to begla
her letter on the first day of the month.
write 1t like diary and dispatch by
the very last post on the very last day,
80 that he should really have a mod
erately fair idea Of what she was do.
ing. Even this had not consoled him,
and. sick at heart he left her and took
his way to Victoria station, there ID
catch his train home.
But as he entered the yard a CHEEKY
voice greeted him.
George" it cried. ARE you cutting
me?'
"Oh, Mrs. Frank. never saw you -
he said listlessly.
The young faced. snow-white haired,
wel.preserved looking woman glanced
sharply at him.
What's the matter. Georgie?" sho
asked, a kindly note in her voice.
He looked still listlessly away from
her over the station yard.
Nothing" he said, and then sudden
y. with such rush of feeling In his
eyes that she wondered with half a.
shock II It were tears.
"Oh, Mrs. Frank, I've Just said good
by to Mabel, and-and- am go
ing home," he ended bitterly.
"My dear boy! am so sorry.
didn't know. What is It? There go
don't 60 home-tel me all about it,
come and dine with me instead" = I.
sss "And she was so kind" wrote
George In his diary.like letter thai;
night. Il told her all about you.
You must have met her, Mabel, darling
Don't you remember n woman with
snow white hair--a friend Of tho
family
They were charming flats, and Mrs.
Franks was perhaps tho incest in the
whole block Possibly because she
had large veranda, beautifully fitted
up. where coffee and liqueurs were SER
we'd every night after dinner.
It was juN six months since that
bitter parting between Mabel AID
Geogie. Time was beginning to have
a soothing effect on Mabel, though her
letters were still faithfully diary-likc.
Georgie, 1t would seem, felt the parting
as deeply as ever He still needed con-
ISOLATION. and he received 1t, 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 t,
Georgies rawlings. and agreed witt
him ON every point anent the perfec
tIops of his fair one, and she was gain
Ing her reward. This nice young fel
low whom she had truly tried to help
began to show that she had really done
him good. That he saw the wisdom d
not worrying but loving silently on
waiting patiently for the end Of tha
long year which, of course, was bouu
to come.
And now he could really talk Of 9th
er things besides his own sad feeling
and the marvellous projections 0
Mabel. He seemed to take an interes,
for instance, In generalties about W.
men. He no longer held up Mabel a
q type or used her always as an e,
ample.
He could speak quite generally, eve
II sometimes 1t was a little vaguel!
about the fair sex; and no more, q
at first, did he forget his simple dut!t
IN the matter OF flowers and theat'
tickets for the friend of his family WI
90 often played his hostess. In fa
he grew more normal. and Mrs. Fran
felt she bad only done her duty whe
she had tried to console and help sue
very nice hoy.
For there was no doubt about
0eorgie was very nice boy. Al
1a -