The Ordway new era., 1919-12-19

10 live on, Sne ueClareu, anu lhuSueu
excitedly, for she was having the best
time that had come 10 her since Will
bur's death. Like so many women for
whom money has always been pro-
vided without their understanding
how, she was prepared to be thor
ough and irresponsible plunger.
ANDERSON, in his wearier way,
shared her excitement, and in the
winter. when the. exploiting company
had been formed, and he brought
Fanny her Importantly engraved
shares of stock, he reverted to his pre-
diction of possibilities, made when
they first spoke of the new light.
1--WE seem to be partners. all right"
he laughed. "Now let's go ahead and
George come home"
"When they come home" she
echoed sorrowfully-and 1t was a
phrase which found an evasive echo
In Isabel's letters. In these letters
Isabel was always planning pleasant
things that she and Fanny and the
Major and George and "brother
George" would do-when she and her
son came home. "They'll find things
pretty changed. I'm afraid" Fanny
said. 'If they ever do come home"
ANDERSON went over the next sum-
mer and Joined his sister and nephew
in Paris. where they were living. lisa
bel does want to come home" he told
Fanny gravely on the day of his re-
turn in October. "She's wanted to for
n long while-and she ought to come
while she can stand the journey"
And he amplifled this statement leav-
ing Fanny looking startled and solemn
when Lucy came by to drive him out
to dinner at the new house Eugene
had just completed.
He was loud In praise of the house
after Eugene arrived, and gave them
no account of his journey until they
had retired from the dinner table to
Eugene's library. a gray and shadowy
room, where their coffee was brought.
Then, equipped with cigar, which
seemed to occupy his attention, Am
berson spoke in casual tone of his
sister and her SOM
81 found Isabel ras well as usual"
he said, "only I'm afraid as usual
isn't particularly well. Sydney and
Amelia had been up to Paris In the
spring, but she hadn't seen them.
Somebody told her they were there,
1t seems. They'd left Florence and
were living in Rome; Amella's become
NLUlg lie, IN erix
sums to charity and to go about with
the gentry in consequence, but Sgd
ney's ailing and lives in wheel chair
most of the time. 1t struck me Isabel
ought to be doing the same thing"
He paused, bestowing minute care
upon the removal of the little band
from his cigar; and as he seemed to
spoke out of the shadow beyond
heavily shaded lamp "What do you
mean by that?" he asked quietly.
"Oh, she's cheerful enough" said
Anderson, still not looking at either
his young hostess or her father. eat
least" he said, "she manages to seem
so. I'm afraid she hasn't been really
well for several years. OF course she
makes nothing Of 1t, but 1t seemed
rather serious to me when 1 noticed
she had to stop and rest twice TO
get up one short flight of stairs In
their two-foor apartment. I told her
thought she ought to make George
let her come home"
"Let herT" Eugene repeated in a
low voice. "Does she want to?"
"She doesn't urge it. George seems
to like the life therein his grand,
gloomy and peculiar way; and of
course she'll never change about be-
ing proud of him and all that-he's
quite swell. But In spite OF anything
she said, rather than because, / know
she does indeed want to come. Shed
like to be with father, of course; and
1 think she's-well. she intimated one
day that she feared 1t might even hap
pen that she wouldn't get to see him
again. At the time I thought she re-
ferred to his age and feebleness, but
on the boat coming home I remem.
bered the little look of wistfulness,
yet of resignation, with which she
said 1t, and it struck me all at once
that I'd been mistaken: saw she was
really thinking of her own state Of
health"
81 see," Eugene said, his voice even
lower than 1t had been before. "And
you say he won't let her come home"
ANDERSON laughed. but still contin-
ued to be interested in his cigar. "Oh,
I don't think he uses force! He's very
gentle with her. doubt If the SUBJ
ject is mentioned between them. and
yet-and yet, knowing my interesting
nephew as you do. wouldn't you think
that was about the way to put it?"
"Knowing him as 1 do-yes" said
Eugene slowly. eyes, I should think
that was about the way to put it"
A murmur out of the shadows be-
yond him-a faint sound, musical and