The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1919-12-26

cross street or no overp0wei
portance-certainly 1t did not Sc
be Boulevard
George walked by the Mansion in
riedly, and came home to his mother
house for the last time.
Emptiness was there, too, and the
closing of the door resounded through
bare rooms; for downstairs there was
no furniture In the house except o
kitchen table In the dining room, whien
Fanny had kept "for dinner" she said,
though as she was to cook and serve
that meal herself George had his
doubts about her name for Il. Upstairs,
she had retained her own furniture,
and Ga.sge had been living in his
mother;s room, having sent everything
from his own to the auction. Isabel's
room was still as it had been, but the
niEpiture would be moved with
I Fanny sto new quarters in the morn
ing. Fam, had made plans for her
nephew as welIas herself; she had
found ''three-room kchenette apart
ment" in an apartment nose where
several old friends of hers had stab-
lished hemselves-elderly widows Of
citizens once prominent" and other
retired gentry. People used their own
"kitchenettes" for breakfast and lunch.
but there was a table-dhote arrange
ment for dinner on the ground floor;
and after dinner bridge was played
| all evening, an attraction powerful
with Fanny. She had "made all the
arrangements" she reported, and ner-
vously appealed for approval, asking II
she hadn't shown herself pretty prac-
teal" in such matters. George acqui-
esced overwhelmingly, not thinking Of
what she said and not realizing to
what it committed him.
| He began to realize it now, as he
wandered about the dismantled house;
he was fer from sure that he was
willing to live in a s'three-room apart
ment'' with Fanny and eat breakfast
and lunch with her (prepared by her
self in the "kitchenette') and dinnR
at the table d'hote IN 'such pref
Colonial dining room" ESQ Fanny d
scribed it) at little round table the
| would have all to themselves In til
midst of a dozen little round table
which other relics of disrupted fam
| lilies would have all to themselves. Fo
the first time, now that the chang
was imminent George began to devel1
op before his minds eye pictures o.
" hat he was in for; and they appalle!
him. He decided that such lif
vcrged upon the sheerly unbearabI
and that after all there were SON
things left that he just couldn't stan
So he made up his mind to speak
his aunt about it at dinner" and t
her that he preferred to ask Brons
TO let him put sofa-bed, &R1pk a
folding rubber bathtub
screen in the dark rear room
fee.
But at ''diEner'' Fanny
Gus, and so distressed about
ure of her efforts with sweeV
and macaroni; and she was SOY
in her talk of how comfortable
would be "by this time torn
night
After "dinner" he went
moving his hand slowly q,
smooth walnut railing lof
trade. Half way to
stopped, turned, and
down at the heavy do
black emptiness tina
library. Here he h
he now knew was the&o]
Lie; here he had stood W
er passed through that id
finland with her brother, %
her son had done.
He went on more hea
~; and, more heavily
entered Isabels room
door. He did not cor
and babe Fanny good
the closed door when
side it later.
give put all the light
she said. "Everything'
"very WE'LL" he called.
Aunt Fanny"
His voice had strangle
spite of him; but she seer
notice it, and he heard her
own room and lock herse
bolt and key against bur
had said the one thing she
have said just then: "I'mE
mothers watching over yoh
She had meant to be kind,
stroyed his last chance for
night. He would have sic
she had not said it. but sin
said it he did not sleep at AN
knew that it was true-if it couS
true-that his mother, if she still II
in spirit, would be weeping on
other side of the wall of silence, wed
ing and seeking for some gate to-
her through so that she could
and swatch over him."
He felt that if there were sue
they were surely barred: tH9
like those awful library door,
stairs, which had shut her in
tho Suffprinp m which he