The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-11-01
CHAPTER XVI.

Breakfast was brought TO him in his
room as usual; but he did not make
his normal healthy raid upon the
dainty tray: the food remained I'M
touched. and he sustained himself
upon cOffee-fOur cups of it, which
left nothing of value inside the glis-
tening little percolator. During this
process he heard his mother being
summoned to the telephone in the hall,
not far from his door, and then her
voice responding: YES? oh, it's you!
Indeed / should. OF
course Then I'll expect you
about three. Yes.
Goodbv till then" A few minutes
later he heard her speaking 10 some
one beneath his window. and. looking
out. saw her directing the removal of
plants from IA small garden bed to
the Majors conservatory for the win
ter. She laughed gayly with the Ma
jOrs gardener over something he said
and this uncOncerned cheerfulness of
her was terrible TO her son.
He went TO his desk, and, searching
the jumbled contents of drawer.
brought forth n large. Unframed pho
tOgraph of his father, upon which he
gazed long and piteously, till at last
hot tears stood in his eyes. "Poor,
poor father ~ the son whispered bro
kenly. Poor man, I'm glad you didn't
know"
He wrapped the picture in sheet
of newspaper, put it under his arm.
and, leaving the house hurriedly and
steadily, went downtown to the shop
of silversmith, where he spent sixty
dollars on resplendently festOOned
silver frame for the picture. Having
lunched upon more coffee he returned
to the house mt two o'clock, carrying
the framed photograph with him. and
placed it upon the center table in the
library, the room most used by Isabel
and Fanny and himself. Then he went
10 front window of the long ''recep-
ton room" and sat looking out
| through the lace curtains.
George looked often at his watch.
but his vigil did not last an hour. At
ten minutes of three, peering through
| the curtain. he saw an automobile stop
in front of the house and Eugene Nor
| gan jump lightly down from it. The
| car was of new pattern, low and
long, with an ample seat in the ton
neau. facing forward; and profess
| HriNnr n
strange figure in leather goggled out
of all personality and seemingly part
of the mechanism.
| Eugene himself. as he came up the
cement path to the house, was a fig
ure of the new era which was in time
to be so disastrous TO stiff hats and
skirted coats; and his appearance af-
| fOrded a debonair contrast To that OF
the queer-lOoking duck capering at the
Anderson ball I'm an old dress coat
and next day chugging up National
avenue through the snow in his night
mare Of a sewing machine. Eugene
this afternoon was richly clad in new
outdoor mode: his motoring coat was
| sui pEdt luA MS zap anu -ioNtS HeTt
of gray suede. and though Lucy's hand
may have shown itself In the selection
Of these high garBitures. be wore them
easily. even with a becoming hint OF
jauntiness Some change might be
seen in his face. too. for successful
man is seldom to be mistaken. espe.
ciaIIy II his temper be genial. Eugene
had begun 10 look like n millionaire.
But. above everything else. what was
most evident about him. as he came
up the path, was his confidence in the
happiness promised by his present
errand; the anticipation in his eye:
could have been read by a stranger
His look at the door Of Isabel's house