Cleveland County herald., 1919-10-16

you.'
 Il don't think he meant to boast of It, she said. "He spoke quite calmly" she retorted, as her partner Tor the next dance arrived.
 She took wing away on the breeze | or the waltz, and George, having stared gloomily after her for few moments, postponed filling an engage ment, and strolled round the fluctu- ating outskirts of the dance to where his uncle, George Anderson, stood smll1ngly watching, under one of the rose-vine arches at the entrance to the room.
 Hello, young namesake," said the uncle. "Why fingers the laggard heel of the dancer? Haven't you got a partnerY
 She's sitting around waiting for me somewhere" said George. "See here: Who is this fellow Morgan that Aunt Fanny Minafer was dancing with while ago?
 Anderson laughed. He's a man with a pretty daughter, Georgie. Me l seemed you've been spending the eve ming noticing something of that sort or do I err?"
 Never mind! What sort is he?v
 T think we'll have to give him a character, Georgie. He's an old friend; used to practice law here perhaps he had more debts than cases, but he paid lem all up before he left town. Your question is purely mer- cenary, I take it: you want to know his true worth before proceeding fur ther with the daughter. cannot in- form you, though I notice signs of | considerable prosperity in that be- coming dress of hers. However, you never can tell. It is an age when ev | cry sacrifice is made for the young, and how your own poor mother man. aged to' provide those genuine pearl studs for you out of her allowance from father I can't"
 "Oh, dry up!" said the nephew. "I understand this Morgan"
 "Mr Eugene Morgan" his uncle suggested. "Politeness requires that l the young Should-
 q guess the young didn't know much about politeness in your day." George interrupted. "I understand that MT. Eugene Morgan used to be great friend of the family. The way he was dancing with Aunt Fanny"
 Anderson laughed. "I'm afraid your Aunt Fanny's heart was stirred by ancient recollections, Georgie."
 "You meant she used to be silly about him?"
 "She wasn't considered singular" said the uncle. "He was-he was popular. Could you bear a question:"
 "What do you mean: could l bear"
 T only wanted to ask: Do you take | this same passionate interest in the | parents of every girl you dance with? Perhaps it's a new fashion we old bachelors ought to take up. Is it the thing this year to-"
 "Oh, go on!" said George, moving away. q only wanted to know-'' He left the sentence unfinished, and and crossed the room to where a girl sat waiting for his nobility to find time to fulfill his contract with her for this dance.
 Pardon f keep wait" he muttered, as she rose brightly to meet him; and she seemed pleased that he came at all. He danced with her perfunctor- rily, thinking the while of MT. Eugene Morgan and his daughter. Strangely enough his thoughts dwelt more upon the father than the daughter, though George could not possibly have given a reason-even to himself-for this disturbing preponderance.
 By a coincidence, though not an odd one, the thoughts and conversa- tion of MT. Eugene Morgan at this very time were concerned with George Anderson Minafer, rather cas- ually, it is true. Mir. Morgan had re- tired to a room set apart for smok- ing, on the second floor, and had found a grizzled gentleman lounging in solitary possession.
 "'Gene Morgan !' this person ex- claimed, rising with great heartiness. q don't believe you know mew
 'Yes, I do, Fred Kinney!" MT. Mor- gan returned with equal friendliness. 'Your real face-the one I used to know-it's just underneath the one you're masquerading in tonight. You ought to have changed it more if you wanted disguise"
 Twenty years!" said MT. Kinney. 'Tt makes some difference in faces, but more in behaviour"
 Ut does so! !' his friend agreed with explosive emphasis.
 They sat and smoked.
 "However," MT. Morgan remarked presently, 'I still dance like an h. dian. Don't you?"
 "No. I leave that to my boy Fred. He does the dancing for the family"
 q suppose he's upstairs hard at it?'
 .No, he's not here." MT. Kinney glanced toward the open door and