The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-10-30
CHAPTER xI.

almost" was Lucy's last word on
the last night Of Georges vacation
that vital evening which she had half
consented to agree upon for SETTLING
things" between them. almost en-
gagged" she meant. Ind George, dis
contented with tke almost" but con-
tented that she seemed glad TO wear a
sapphire locket with a tiny photograph
OF George ANDERSON Minafer inside IL,
found himself wonderful In a new
world at the final instant Of their part
Ing. For, after declining to let him
kiss her 'good-by," as IL his desire for
such a ceremony were the most pre-
posteTous absurdity In the world, she
had leaned suddenly close to him and
left upon hfs cheek the veriest feather
from a fairy's wing.
She wrote him a month later:
"No. 1t must keep on being almost.
isn't almost pretty pleasant You
know well enough that I care for you.
/ did from the first minute I saw you.
and I'm pretty sure you knew tim
afraid you did. I'm afraid you always
knew II. But It's such a solemn thing
II scares ms. 1t means a good deal to
a lot Of people besides you and me,
and that scares me, too. / shouldn't
be q bit surprised to find myself an
old lady. some day. still thinking Of
you-while you'd be away and away
with somebody else perhaps, and me
forgotten ages ago! Lucy Morgan
you'd say. when you saw my obituary.
Lucy Morgan2 Let me see: I seem
TO remember the name. Didn't I know
some Lucy Morgan or other. once upon
Il timer Then you'd shake your big
white head ami stroke your long white
beard--you'd have such a distinguished
long white beard and you'd say. No.
i don't seem TO remember any Lucy
Morgan ; l wonder what made me think
l didT And poor mel I'd be deep In
the ground, wondering IL you'd heard
about II and what you were saying!
Good-by for today. Don't work too
haTd-dear I"
George Immediately seized pen and
paper, plaintively but vigorously re-
questing Lucy not TO imagine him with
a beard. distinguished or otherwise.
even In the extremities of age. Then.
after inscrfhing Ills protest in the mat
ter OF this visioned beard, he con.
cluded his migsive In a tone Modified
to tenderness, and proceeded to read a
letter from his mother which had
reached him simultaneously with
Lucy's. Isabel wrote from Asheville.
where she had just arrived with her
husband:
II think your father looks better al.
ready, darling. though we've been here
only a few hours. 1t may be we've
found just the place to build him up.
The doctors said they hoped II would
prove to be, and II II Is, II would be
worth the long struggle we had with
him to get him to give up and come
I'm afraid that In my anxiety to get
him to do what the doctors wanted
ssstm to. I wasn't able to back up Broth.
Or George AZ I should In his d~lficulty
with Sydney and Amelia. I'm so sorry
George II more upset than I've ever
seen him--they've got what, they want
"a. and they're sailing before long. I
hear, to live In Florence. Father sald
No couldn't stand the constant per
suadlng-Tm afraid the word he used
xas hanging Icnn't understand peo-
pie behaving like that. George says
fhey mxy b Ambersons, but they're
vulrarl ia afraid I almost agree with
hlm. AZ lsast. ! think tAey wsrs -
ccooldarntA